IPL VI: PWI players await dues, BCCI the court order

MUMBAI: The non- payment of players’ fee contracted with the now-defunct Pune Warriors India could take some sheen off the build-up to the IPL auction next month. PWI was owned by Sahara Adventure Sports Ltd.

According to re por ts in the Australian media including Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph, Pune Warriors’ players — domestic and overseas — are yet to receive their last installment.

According to the IPL tripartite contract, players are due 15% of their fee by April 1, 50% by May 1, 20% after the Champions League and 15% by December 1.

The report said that a contingent of Aussies including Kane Richardson have received only 65% of their contracted sum.

It could though be said that players’ amount is in safe hands as BCCI has not released the last installment of central revenue owed to Sahara India and the same could be used for clearing dues. But players may have to wait as BCCI can’t intervene until a court order. “According to RBI norms, we cannot pay foreigners. As per the IPL agreement, the franchise has to take required permission from Reserve Bank and make the payment,” said a BCCI official.

A Sahara India official confirmed the issue. “We have not received our bank guarantee from BCCI but we will ensure the dispute between BCCI and us doesn’t hurt the players.”

Richardson’s manager Greg Size told Daily Tele g raph: “They ( BCCI) have activated the bank guarantee. It is a reasonable amount of money outstanding.”

The BCCI working committee in October terminated Pune after the franchise defaulted on its payment and refused to furnish bank guarantee of ` 170.2 crore for the next season.

Pune had been on a collision course with BCCI after the Board encashed its bank guarantee due to non-payment of franchise fee. Sahara then pulled out of IPL.

Non-payment has marred IPL in the past too with players of RCB and now- ousted Kochi lodging similar complaints.