Slamming the Global Cricket Corporation for making "fictitious claims", Board of Control for Cricket in India chief Jagmohan Dalmiya renewed his threat to take the International Cricket Council to court if it fails to release the World Cup guarantee money due to India within the next three weeks.
"When people make fictitious claims -- they make or erase records -- I don't know. That is why we have given a November 1 deadline to the ICC. If they don't release the money we will go to court," Dalmiya said in an interview to The Week magazine.
Dalmiya's outburst comes following the ICC Development International's decision to withhold India's guarantee money from the Champions Trophy and the World Cup after the Global Cricket Corporation made a claim of $47.34 million for losses allegedly suffered during the World Cup primarily because of Indian players dilly-dallying over terms and conditions during the mega event in South Africa earlier this year.
"The GCC said it will raise Rs 550 million through commercial rights for ICC [during the World Cup]. We found that it [GCC] was absolutely incompetent and inadequate in marketing commercial rights," Dalmiya said.
"Our demand is simple. We are sure these claims are fictitious and we want our money back. We are not waiting for what ICC does.
"It is our money and why should it lie somewhere else. If that money had been with us, we would have spent some more on cricket," Dalmiya said.
Dalmiya was also critical of the players' association, which was formed to safeguard the interest of the cricketers, for its role during the controversy.
"I kept saying that these people [Federation of International Cricketers' Association] would not stand by the players and ultimately this is what has happened. The problem is an Indian problem.
"They wanted to form a union and the media also hyped it without understanding what was happening."
Dalmiya said the Board was working on the graded payment system for players which is likely to be signed very soon.
"We have to work out graded contracts, work out how much money will be required for the international players and how much for first class cricketers," he said.
"Though contracts have not been signed, everything is around the corner. We can sign after one month."
Dalmiya also rejected the ICC's bid to formulate new terms and conditions for players for future tournaments, which also included the clause of image rights of the cricketers.
"As far as India is concerned, it is very clear that we will be playing on the same terms as in the 2003 World Cup. That means three months before and after," he said.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told the magazine he hopes to resolve the payment controversy by December.
"We are trying to resolve matters now and I hope to have them resolved by Christmas," Speed said.
"[However] that requires some goodwill on the part of the ICC, the GCC, the BCCI and the Indian players," he said.
