Chennai, Aug 20: Dismissing the compensation claims of Global Cricket Corporation as "exaggerated, baseless and flimsy", the Indian Cricket Board today demanded that its 6.5 million World Cup guarantee money withheld by the International Cricket Council be released immediately with interest. "We consider the hiked up claims of $47 million by GCC, the commercial right holders of ICC, as exaggerated, baseless and flimsy. The claims have not been dealt with properly," Dalmiya told reporters at a crowded press conference here. "We have demanded from the IDI, the commercial arm of the ICC, to release the withheld share of 6.5 million USD to BCCI," he said after day-long meeting of BCCI's financial and working committees. "We have discussed the whole matter and demanded our dues with interest," he said.

Dalmiya's comments come a day after ICC said the claims made by GCC, the right holders of all ICC events till 2007, were inconsistent. Dalmiya claimed that even the affected sponsors had agreed to waive their claims. "The letters from the affected parties in India, who have confirmed in writing that they will waive their claims as far as the world cup was concerned, have been sent to the ICC," he said.

Dalmiya, a former ICC president also claimed that the ICC representatives "who held discussions with us and the Indian companies are convinced about our dues".

Bureau Report