Mumbai Cricket to give central contracts to players

The contracts will be in place before the start of the 2022-23 season.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to give central contracts to its players when the proposal tabled by president Vijay Patil was unanimously approved during its Apex Council meeting on Wednesday.

The MCA will be giving central contracts to its players after a proposal was approved by its Apex Council meeting. (Getty Images)

“We will ask the CIC to provide a detailed plan. This has been long overdue and it will offer the players' financial stability,” an MCA Apex Council member said. “The contracts will be offered to men’s and women’s senior teams on the lines of what BCCI offers to the national players. Those who already have the BCCI contract will not receive the MCA contract,” added the member.

The contracts will be in place before the start of the 2022-23 season.

The demand for having player contracts for first-class teams only increased when the Ranji Trophy wasn’t held during the 2020-21 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic which robbed the players of match fees. While BCCI announced a compensation package, there was a feeling that domestic players who are not part of IPL, and who solely depend on match fees, should be given financial security by providing contracts.

During the Apex Council meeting it was also decided that MCA reward its teams by matching the prize money won in respective tournaments. Mumbai received ₹1 crore for finishing runners-up in the Ranji Trophy. The Under-25 squad won the Col CK Nayudu Trophy while Under-19 squad made it to the final of the Cooch Behar Trophy.