IMC's reply on sponsorship sought

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has written to its marketing agent, International Merchandising Corporation, to ascertain whether it is looking out for a new sponsor for the Indian team or wants to pull out of its contract with the BCCI.

"We have written to them but have not received any reply. We are waiting for them to react. Then only will we decide on our next course of action," BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said in Kolkata on Thursday.

Dalmiya said that the board is yet to receive any formal communication from IMC about Sahara India Pariwar's decision to withdraw its sponsorship of the Indian team.

"We have come to know about Sahara India Pariwar's decision [withdrawal] from media reports. But so far we have not received any written communication from IMC," Dalmiya added.

Reiterating that it was IMC which had roped in Sahara as the official sponsor of the Indian team, Dalmiya said: "Our contract was with IMC and not with Sahara directly. So, naturally, it is IMC which will formally convey the matter to us and not Sahara.

"If IMC says that it is unable to find a sponsor for us, then the matter will be discussed in the board. We will then go ahead with our next step, including the legal option," Dalmiya said.

Sahara's decision came in the wake of ICC's objection to the sponsor's logo. The ICC cited a conflict of commercial interests with South African Airways, one of the official sponsors of the ongoing Champions Trophy.

The ICC had also objected to Sahara's modified logo and asked for deletion of a portion of it.

Rejecting the proposal, Sahara decided to pull out of the multi million rupees three-year contract, which was signed in June last year.

The Contract Row - The Complete Coverage

Mail Cricket Editor