The Hindu Business Line : Stanford deal is safe, insists ECB

LONDON: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) CEO David Collier has insisted that the ECB's multi-million pound twenty20 deal with Texan billionaire Allen Stanford is safe for “a number of years''.

Amid speculation that the five-year agreement worth 11.4 million pounds was on the verge of being terminated by Stanford, Collier said the “treasured relationship'' remains strong.

“Clearly there were a number of well-published contractual issues with the West Indies Cricket Board which Allen Stanford referred to in his statements before this year's Stanford Super Series and clearly they have got to be resolved before we return to Antigua next year,'' Collier told 'BBC Radio 5 Live'.

“But Sir Allen also made a big play of the fact that the matches in the quadrangular (tournament) will go ahead at Lord's this summer. That will be at the end of May, immediately prior to the Twenty20 World Cup in England,'' he added.

Collier reiterated that Stanford's problems are with the West Indies Cricket Board, with whom he has partnered to create the All-Star team that takes on England.

“There will be a review, given those contractual issues. Clearly he also says he treasures the relationship he has developed with the ECB and wishes to continue to work with us, particularly regarding the quadrangular series,'' Collier said.

“There were some contractual issues with the West Indies board and their sponsors. They have to be resolved to go forwards, and I am sure they will be working very hard on those in the near future,'' he added. - PTI

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