South African Cricketers Association and the UCBSA today (Tuesday) reached an agreement to make way for the South African cricket team to sign the player terms for the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka next week.

The agreement constitutes a solution for players who had been placed in an extremely difficult position by event sponsorship arrangements entered into between the ICC and its event sponsors for the Champions Trophy. In getting agreement Gerald Majola, Chief Executive Officer of the UCBSA, and Tony Irish, Chief Executive Officer of SACA, followed up on the proposals that were on the table at their first meeting over the issue on 22nd August 2002.

"The players are happy with the agreement reached today," said Irish, "primarily because it does whatever possible to address their problem of conflicting sponsorships and it regulates the use of their images to ensure that these are not exploited as personal endorsements by sponsors after the event".

The agreement places South Africa in the same position as the other countries which have come to terms with their country Boards. As in other countries actual signature of the player terms is dependant now only on clarification, and acceptability to players, of the International Cricket Council resolution passed on Saturday relating to how it intends to effectively involve players and their representatives in dealing with all future matters relating to the granting of player rights to ICC event sponsors. Cricketer Associations around the world believe that this is fundamental to ensuring that cricketers are not again placed in the difficult position that they have found themselves as a result of sponsorship agreements reached without their involvement.

"I must thank the Chief Executive Officer of the UCBSA", said Irish, "for the constructive manner in which he has dealt with today's negotiations over this very difficult problem and for the part played by him in securing an agreement with the players. We are now all looking forward to the best South African team competing at the ICC Champions Trophy".

© SACA