In an apparent bid to counter the possible damage claim by the International Cricket Council, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said the recent World Cup in South Africa was not "properly marketed resulting in substantial revenue losses".

BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya told newsmen on Friday in Kolkata that the Board will notify the ICC Development International, the marketing arm of the world body, in this regard.

"We have done our homework and found out that marketing [of the World Cup] by the Global Cricket Corporation, sponsorship rights holder of the World Cup, was too little. It could have been much more," Dalmiya said.

He returned early this week after attending the ICC Development International (IDI) board meeting in Monaco, where it was decided to withhold India's guarantee money of approximately 9 million dollars for possible damage claims by the GCC for violation of ambush marketing clauses by Indian players.

Dalmiya claimed the GCC was given the rights to market the World Cup for a minimum guarantee of 550 million US dollars despite a higher bid of 666 million US dollars by Zee TV.

"At the outset there was a loss of 116 million US dollars as it was thought at that time that the GCC will do better marketing of the World Cup so that ICC will earn more," he said, adding "but they (GCC) failed to do proper marketing and we as partners in the IDI cannot remain silent."

When asked why part of the guarantee money of India was not released by the IDI as was done in the case of Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand, he said it was done on the principle that the claim would be less than the guarantee fund retained by the world body.

Asked when the amount of damage claim from India would be finalised, he said it would take some time.

The Indian cricketers had refused to agree to the restrictive sponsorship clauses in the Players' Terms for the World Cup and participated in the tournament only on amended terms which severely diluted the original clauses.

The Contract row - the complete coverage