The International Cricket Council came down heavily on the players' representative body, FICA, asking it to desist from making "clumsy attempts to threaten or undermine" the game.

Responding to FICA's threat that it would make negotiations on players' contracts for future ICC tournaments more difficult, ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said instead of making such threats "FICA's leadership should be taking a step back and trying to understand why so many of the Boards around the world are so vehemently opposed to it".

Angry over ICC's refusal to add a player representative on its management committee, the Federation of International Cricketers Association, which had initially opposed the controversial players' contracts for the 2002 Champions Trophy and 2003 World Cup, had said it would not cooperate with the ICC on similar contracts in future.

"Another battle is looming," FICA chief executive Tim May was quoted as saying in The Australian newspaper.

May said the ICC's refusal to have a players' representative on the powerful management committee showed "a complete lack of respect for players around the world".

However, on Thursday, Speed ridiculed the threat and asked FICA to set its own house in order.

"Clumsy attempts to threaten or undermine all countries instead of working with countries which are currently opposed to it will only succeed in alienating all countries and set its cause back even further," Speed said.

Speed claimed support for FICA had gone down and despite repeated recommendations by the ICC, a majority of the cricket boards are not ready to give it official recognition.

"ICC Management has argued on many occasions during the past two years in favour of recognising FICA but, if anything, support of it has gone backwards amongst the countries since this issue was last considered in Sri Lanka last October.

"FICA's stated objective is to work with local governing bodies but it is apparent that it is not doing this effectively," he said.

"If FICA's leaders believe that recognition by all Boards at the ICC is needed to advance the cause of players they need to ask themselves why countries with FICA-affiliated player associations are blocking this move."

Speed also claimed that the ICC is doing enough to make players a part of decision-making process.

"Each year ICC arranges and funds a meeting of the 10 Test-playing captains to meet and discuss issues in world cricket.

"The ICC has also overhauled the structure of one of its key committees, Cricket Committee - Playing, to provide equal representation between the board and player representatives.

"I would expect that FICA's leadership would also recognise the advances that have been made over the past two years in providing players with a more direct voice in the administration of the game."