Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), added further pressure on David Collier and Giles Clarke, respectively the chief executive and chairman of the ECB, and the main architects of the deal with Allen Stanford, when he revealed yesterday that about half the England squad had requested a meeting with him on Wednesday evening to express concerns over the fallout from the Stanford Super Series.

The players’ concerns range from practical issues, such as the state of the pitch and the floodlights, to off-field issues, such as Stanford’s access to the England dressing-room, to the image of Team England, which, they feel, has been seriously tarnished this week.

“They are uncomfortable with a number of things,” Morris said. “They feel they have been exposed to turning up to a bit of a garden party, which shouldn’t really be the case with an international team. With the lights and pitch, the game has been devalued as a contest and there is the feeling that this is not an entirely professional event.

“They accept that the event comes with strings attached, but they feel that they have been left exposed by the ECB over issues like Stanford’s access to the dressing-room, which surprised them. They regard it as their place of work, a place that is normally sacrosanct. The access to the dressing-room and the episode with the players’ wives has exposed them to something they were not expecting.”

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Morris emphasised, though, that it was the damage to the team’s image that was most troubling them. “They are extremely worried about the perception and whether this is good for the image of English cricket,” he said. “The ECB’s job is to ensure that the players are not exposed to ridicule and they do not feel that they have been given adequate protection.”

There was no suggestion, however, that they feel strongly enough to turn down the opportunity to win $20 million (about £12.2 million) tomorrow night. “They are committed to fulfilling their contractual obligations,” Morris said. “They are just getting their heads down and they will try to win the game and get off to India. My understanding is that this is a five-year deal and will remain so unless something bizarre happens.”

The antagonism between the ECB and PCA over the Stanford issue stretches back to mid-summer, about the time the deal was signed, when the PCA first expressed concerns about the speed at which they were being forced to make decisions on the players’ behalf. On the eve of the third Test against New Zealand, in June, angry e-mails were exchanged between Morris and Collier.

There is a point at which, though, the players protest too much. The pitch, while not ideal for a boundaryfest, is far better than many international pitches I have seen and since I went out two evenings ago to take some high catches under the lights, I can say with confidence that they are not too bad either. And if the players think that this is a badly run tournament, they are in for a shock in India. As cricket venues go, the organisation at the Stanford Cricket Ground has been absolutely faultless. And if they had concerns about Stanford’s presence in the dressing-room, why didn’t someone, politely, ask him to leave?

It appears that the players have been as naive as the ECB. Did anyone really think that a billionaire would throw $20 million at a cricket match without wanting his pound of flesh? Five minutes spent watching the coverage of Stanford’s domestic tournament would have told them how much of an ego trip cricket is for him. Stanford’s behaviour has been entirely in character. On this — and I didn’t think I’d be writing this — my sympathies are with him.

* In their warm-up match for tomorrow evening’s encounter with England, the Stanford Superstars beat Middlesex by 58 runs last night. Andre Fletcher scored 90 not out from 66 balls for the Superstars as they compiled 173 for four wickets. Middlesex struggled from the start and were all out with 15 balls to spare.