Various twists and turns after, the nearly month-long drama over the sponsorship issue is expected to reach its climax with the BCCI convening a meeting of the national selectors here tomorrow to select “the best available” team for the Champions Trophy tournament beginning next week in Sri Lanka. Board sources here said that so far no communication has been received from the cricketers in England in response to the board's ultimatum that they agree to the 30-day bar clause on conflict advertising by Monday to be available for selection in the squad. BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was yet to return to the city after the board working committee meeting in Delhi yesterday, however, said that he had no idea about the latest developments.

“I am now in Ahmedabad, and have no idea about the latest developments,” he told reporters over phone. The quintet of selectors are scheduled to meet at 1400 hrs tomorrow to choose the “best available” team from among the players who “accept the offer and sign the Players Terms”, as per the directive of the board working committee. Selection committee chairman Chandu Borde and his four colleagues Ashok Malhotra, Sanjay Jagdale, Madan Lal and Shivlal Yadav would have to fall back on the contingency list of 25 probables chosen in Bangalore last month if none of the top stars agree to the latest offer from the BCCI.

BCCI bosses have repeatedly said that 24 of the 25 probables - comprising effectively a second string side - with the sole exception of veteran speedster Javagal Srinath, have already signed the Players Terms form. But sources said the ball was now in the court of the Indian players in England. “If they agree to the fresh BCCI proposals then the situation would change and India will be able to send its full-strength team,” they said.

The BCCI has so far withheld announcement of the contingency list, which leaves out the entire Indian squad now in England, to keep the door open for the top stars who have consistently refused to sign the Players Terms, which restricts the endorsement of products potentially in conflict with the interest of ICC sponsors during and for upto 30 days before and after ICC tournaments. However, after the ICC relaxes its clause and limited it only to Champions Trophy, the Indian players had agreed not to take part in conflict advertising during the 18-day tournament beginning on September 12.

Later, the Indian cricket board, frustrated over the players refusal to budge any more on the issue despite an exchange of series of misgivings and lengthy overseas telephone calls, washed its hands off the matter and urged ICC to negotiate directly with the cricketers. The world cricket’s apex body had on September 6 announced that it had resolved the issue by reaching a deal with the players who agreed to abide by the clause for a period of 17 days after the tournament. But the BCCI working committee yesterday brushed aside the deal and insisted that its players agree to the 30-day bar clause on conflict advertising to be eligible for selection and offered to compensate them for any financial losses arising out of signing the Players Terms form.

The BCCI argued that it was forced to take a hard stand after the ICC refused to give a written assurance that it would not be called upon to pay damages in case any of the tournament sponsors later demanded compensation for losses due to the deal between ICC and players. The other contentious clause enabling the official sponsors to exploit players images for a period of six months has already been resolved with three of the ICC's sponsors Hero Honda, LG and Pepsi assuring the board in black and white that none of the Indian players would be used for imaging.

South African Airlines, another ICC sponsor, has also made it clear that it had no intentions to use Indian players for its commercial shoots.