Kolkata: Buoyed by a highly successful launch this week, the Indian Cricket Players Association (ICPA) would soon approach the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for discussion of the problems faced by cricketers.

"Since the association is now in place, we will soon approach the Board to discuss our problems," Arun Lal, secretary of ICPA, said on Friday. Lal looked overwhelmed at the response ICPA received from various sections and was particularly moved at the gesture of BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya in attending last night's launch dinner and donating to the ICPA fund. "It was magnanimous," Lal said of Dalmiya's gesture. Questioned when the ICPA would approach the Board for a formal discussion, he replied "it will be done very soon." The ICPA president Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi had said last night that in another three weeks all formalities of ICPA formation would be completed after which BCCI would be approached for a formal discussion. Lal said a seven-member managing committee comprising Pataudi, Ravi Shastri, Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and himself would currently run ICPA. Commenting on the representative character of ICPA, Lal said, "This is a body of cricketers and we expect everybody to come under its fold." Lal, however, was not very clear about approaching all 580 plus first class cricketers in the country saying "since everybody now knows a representative body is in place they are expected to join". Pataudi, however, said that they wanted to give ICPA a truly representative character and "we want all first class cricketers to join". The BCCI chief has already gone on record saying that any cricketers' body to be recognised by the Board should have a representative character and include all first class cricketers.

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