by Rex Clementine
Sri Lankan cricketers Chaminda Vaas and Kumar Dharmasena will be directly affected by the International Cricket Council’s ambush marketing clause, which prevents players from marketing themselves to companies which are direct competitors to those the International Cricket Council has brought in for the Champions Trophy Tournament in Colombo.

"We have studied the matter and discussed the issue lengthily. We have to say that it does affect these players directly," a top official of the Cricketer’s Association told "The Island".

Vaas and all-rounder Dharmasena, who has been re-called to the national side for the 12 nation tournament, promote soft-drinks like "Cream Soda" and "Lemonade". These products are direct competitors of "Pepsi", one of the four official sponsors of the event. Although other top Sri Lankan cricketers like skipper Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan promote several other commercial products, they do not face such problem as the products they promote do not clash with the official sponsors of the ICC at present.

For the Champions Trophy Tournament, the ICC has brought in four official sponsors giving them exclusive rights for the event. The ICC has also pledged it’s support to protect their commercial rights by keeping away competitors through the "ambush marketing" clause which makes it compulsary for cricketers to sign a contract. The four sponsors are Pepsi-Cola, LG. Electronics, Hero Honda and South African Airlines. The ICC has already curtailed the rights players have to enter into fresh contracts with rival companies.