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COLOMBO, Sept 11 (AFP) - .The sponsorship issue involving players and administrators is not yet over despite the participation of the best teams in the Champions Trophy here, the world's cricket chief said on Wednesday.

"We're delighted that all the countries have sent their best teams here but more work has to be done regarding the World Cup (in South Africa next year), particularly with the players," said International Cricket Council (ICC) president Malcolm Gray.

Gray said he was pleased with the solution that resulted in the participation of a full-strength Indian squad for the 12-nation limited-overs tournament, starting here on Thursday.

Indian players initially objected to the contract which prohibited them from endorsing products clashing with the interests of official sponsors of the Champions Trophy and the World Cup for 30 days before and after the events.

An agreement between the Indian players and officials was reached when the the sport's world governing body decided to reduce the number of days from 30 to 16.

India was the last country to sign the agreement, picking the squad just three days before the tournament.

"The aim was to get the current event (Champions Trophy) going," ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told reporters during a joint press conference.

"We're delighted India have sent their best squad. After this event, we'll sit together and discuss. It's not a priority now.

"All the teams have signed the same document, except one amendment. The blockout period has been reduced from 30 days to 16 for Indian players. Otherwise, it's the same," said Speed.

ICC president Gray said financial damages would have been greater had India not sent their best team.

"We were prepared to underwrite the damages, if any, provided a full-strength Indian team took part in this event," he said.

"The damages would have been tenfold had India sent a second-string squad. All the ICC members made sure the Indian team took part in full strength."

He said he had now been looking forward to having a great tournament in which the technology will be used more to reduce the umpiring errors.

The on-field umpires have been given an option to consult the TV umpire before giving leg-before and bat-pad verdicts.

"It's only a trial," said Speed. "If it works we'll consider it further. If it doesn't, we'll think of a change. We don't want to take away the umpires' power or slow down the game."

When asked whether the World Cup matches would be held in Zimbabwe despite a political turmoil in the country, the ICC president said it was too early to say anything.

"It's not for the ICC to make political judgements," said Gray.

"It's up to the governments. But cricket should be played wherever it's possible. The players' security is a priority. An ICC advisory committee will go to Zimbabwe late this year and submit its report."

Gray also said proper security steps had been taken to ensure the Champions Trophy tournament progressed in a clean way.

"The anti-corruption unit is here in full force," said Gray. "Only two years ago we were in despair (because of match-fixing scandal). Now I think we've eradicated the problem, but we must not let-up."

COLOMBO, (Reuters) - Cricketing minnows the Netherlands have arrived for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy with their own sponsorship problem and have responded in a novel way.

Unable to find a backer, the Royal Dutch Cricket Board (KNCB) have reached an agreement with the Dutch AIDS Foundation to display an AIDS awareness logo on their shirts during the tournament.

Dutch team manager Hans Mulder said: "We thought about having no logo once it was clear we weren't going to get a sponsor but this seemed better.

"We already had a contact with the Dutch AIDS Foundation...and we thought this was a good idea. Hopefully it will help us find a sponsor for the World Cup."

While most players from the 10 test-playing countries will be in action almost non-stop ahead of next year's World Cup, the Dutch team have virtually no cricket until they walk out to face India in their opening World Cup match, in Paarl on February 12.

Their only formal practice will be a warm-up tournament in Namibia also involving the hosts, Canada and Kenya in the week before the event gets underway.

The squad for this month's Champions Trophy includes a doctor, a shop worker, a lawyer, an estate agent and just one full-time professional cricketer in Bas Zuiderent, a veteran of the Dutch 1996 World Cup campaign who is on the staff at English county Sussex.

But the hope is that qualifying for the Champions Trophy and the World Cup, thanks to victory in last year's ICC Trophy, will help boost interest in the game in the Netherlands, which boasts just three turf pitches and 60 clubs.

The national team's efforts will certainly improve Dutch cricket's finances as they receive money for taking part as well as a share of the profits that go to developing the game.

Winning either the Champions Trophy, where their opponents in pool four are Pakistan and Sri Lanka, or the World Cup are out of the question but for captain Roland Lefebvre, a former English county cricketer with Somerset and Glamorgan now working for the KNCB, the aims are more modest.

"I would like us to compete," he said.

"If we could win a match that would be amazing, but we're here to play good cricket, show the world we are respectable and to gain experience because if you want to go up in the game you must play against stronger opposition."

The Netherlands' first match of the Champions Trophy is against Sri Lanka next Monday.