An unofficial complaint about incentive clauses in players' endorsement contracts was what forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India to take tougher measures, president Sharad Pawar said.

Pawar was quoted on Friday as saying that he had received an "unofficial complaint" about a clause in a contract of one player which provided incentives for more time spent at the crease.

"It is an unofficial complaint and if found to be correct, the system needs to be strengthened. So I have asked the players to submit their copies of old contracts," Pawar was quoted as saying to a television channel.

Following the team's World Cup first-round exit, the board placed a ceiling on endorsements, imposing a limit of three sponsorship deals per player and restricting single sponsors to a maximum of two players.

"I have asked some trusted people to look into this," Pawar said. "There will not be an official investigation but we are looking into this."

The clampdown on endorsements had led to further speculation in local media that corporate interest influenced selection policies for the World Cup and that the players and the board are on a collision course.