BCCI reverts to graded payment system
Faced with resistance by top players, the BCCI reverts to the system under which the top 15 players are graded.
The Indian cricketers on Tuesday had their way on the contentious contracts issue, forcing the BCCI to go back to the graded system under which the top 5 players get a retainership of Rs 50 lakh each annually.
The graded system had been abolished after the team's disastrous performance in the World Cup and replaced by a combination of match fees and bonuses. The Board had also capped players' endorsements.
Faced with stiff resistance by the top players such as skipper Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly, the Board's Working Committee backed off and chose to revert to the system under which the top 15 players are graded A, B, and C.
The Board's powerful Working Committee which met in New Delhi with Dravid being present decided to have the graded system till September this year. 'B' and 'C' category players get Rs. 35 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh each per annum.
The decision is a major climbdown for the Board which cracked the whip on the players in the wake of World Cup debacle by restricting the number of products they could endorse to three and introducing a performance-based pay system.
The contracts, due from October 1 last year, could not be signed before the team went for the World Cup in early March.
Meanwhile, the BCCI extended the contracts of bowling and fielding coaches, Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, for one year.
Srinivasan refused to take questions about the launch of Indian Cricket League by Zee Television.
But after repeated queries on the subject, asked if the Committee had given permission for Zee to go ahead with their plans, he said, "no".
Incidentally, Board sources said that no show cause notice would be issued to Kapil Dev and Kiran More, who have been appointed on the Board of directors of the ICL.
"But both will be spoken to by the Board which is unhappy with their association with the ICL," sources said.
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