No sooner did the Indian cricketers return from their tour of New Zealand than they got down to the business of discussing the modalities of the newly-floated Indian Cricket Players' Association.
Although it was described as an "administrative" meeting, it came on a day when the controversial ICC Players' contract was challenged in the Delhi high court by former Union minister and BCCI president N K P Salve and former cricketers Kapil Dev and Madan Lal among others.
All the top functionaries of the association, including president Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, secretary Arun Lal, Abbas Ali Baig, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid attended Friday's hour-long meeting, which was surprisingly a low-key affair.
Arun Lal refused to attach much significance to the meeting. "It was just an administrative meeting. We went through the papers as we are setting up everything," he said.
"It was a planned meeting. Since Dravid and Kumble had a programme in Delhi, we had scheduled the meeting accordingly," he added.
Asked whether the ICPA discussed the contract dispute, Lal said: "We are aware of all that's happening. I would not like to say anything more at this point of time."
However, the fact that those present at the meting had a tele-conference with India captain Sourav Ganguly, in Kolkata, suggests that the meeting had more to do than mere administrative work.
All the 15 members of the Indian World Cup squad had conditionally signed the Player Terms well before the January 14 deadline set by the International Cricket Council.
The ICC confirmed it received the signed contracts, but said they were 'altered'. It is yet to say whether they are acceptable or not.
