A QUIET rebellion is brewing in Camp India amidst an atmosphere of fear, insecurity and resentment against the diktats of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is somewhat unclear as to what exactly will happen over the next few days in Kolkata, but one thing seems clear - the Indian cricketers do not want to sign the BCCI's player contracts as they are.

The Board expects them to individually sign these terms of agreement before the team leaves for the tour of Bangladesh on May 7. At the moment, there is an undeclared standoff. The players do not think the revised draft of the contract sent to them by the BCCI "can be signed as it is", so they will be suggesting that they meet with Board officials quickly and sort out some issues. Asked what these issues are, a player said, "It's on a whole range of issues that affect all the players in the country".

Specifically, the players are thought to be unhappy about clauses that deal with match fees (revised to Rs 1.5 lakh per one-dayer and 2.5 per Test), an endorsement clause, a clause related to media rights and other things that some seniors believe will impact future generations of Indian cricketers badly. "It's not just about us, it's also about those who follow us," said a player.

The Board, though, seems adamant that the players will have to sign by Monday. While BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, expected back in India from the West Indies on Thursday morning, said from London that he could not talk on a potential conflict with the players "right now", another BCCI official said the Board would insist they sign up: "We have revised the draft and sent them that, increased the money, they will have to sign."

Juniors are anxious and are waiting to see what would happen. "We also feel there are problems but have been warned not to speak openly about the contracts, in front of officials or on the team bus," said a player. Another said they had been advised to "not sign anything yet" and "hang in there" till Shah returned. The players are apparently hoping that the Board will be willing to discuss the issues with them, instead of refusing to "see reason" at all.

But that might not happen. Every action of the BCCI so far points to an aggressive administration dominated by hardliners wanting to "cut the players down to size". Plus, the players are on a sticky wicket given their World Cup ouster and the fact that they don't present a united front. For the next few days, all eyes will be on Kolkata.

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