NEW DELHI: The cricket controversy today took another turn when the Delhi high court admitted a petition by some former cricketers and a former BCCI chief and issued notices to various paties on the players'contracts for the cricket World Cup.

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to the Union government, the International Cricket Council and its marketing arm ICC Development International, the Board for Control of Cricket in India, the Reserve Bank of India and six sponsoring companies on a petition challenging the controversial players' contracts for the next month's World Cup, the Press Trust of India said in a report.

A division bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta and Justice BD Ahmed, issued the notices on a petition filed by former Union minister N K P Salve ( a formerBCCI chief) and five others, including former cricketers Kapil Dev and Madan Lal, the report said.

In a public interest litigation, Salve challenged the ICC contracts on the ground that even though 80 per cent of ICC funds were generated in India, the world body had imposed stringent and unreasonable conditions on Indian players to participate in the World Cup.

Seeking a direction to the government not to release the tax benefits to the sponsors, and another to the ICC to sort out the issue amicably, the petitioner said it was necessary for the betterment of the game.

All the respondents were directed to file their replies by 21 January giving reasons why the petition should not be admitted.