BCCI is eying to formalize domestic contracts:
BCCI is planning a system to provide central contracts to domestic cricketers before the beginning of the upcoming season. This decision comes when many domestic cricketers are interested in the possible chances of a canceled season which could lead to a heavy loss of their earnings.
In the month of March, Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president had confirmed that the BCCI would introduce central contracts for domestic cricketers from this season. He also said that there will a good pay hike too for domestic cricketers. But because of the pandemic, the process is delaying. The Indian cricket board is also revisiting the tax structure as well as trying hard to get tax advantages on different expenditures.
It is understood that the BCCI is looking to roll out the system by August-end or September first. According to sources, some works are pending and need to be worked out. A BCCI source said that there is a plan to send contracts to the state associations and then they will have to follow the proper procedure to implement those.
Now the most difficult thing for BCCI is to normalize the pay structure. BCCI is not interested to leave completely to the state associates to sign players. The source said “There needs to be a proper gradation system of players. It will be wrong if all states come with different criteria. All it needs to be discussed.”
In the year 2019, Uttarakhand Cricket Association had declared giving out of central contracts. Now, the Cricket Association of Punjab also declared they will roll out central contracts.
Now, the Indian Cricket Board BCCI pays Rs. 35,000 each day as match fee to domestic players apart from the gross revenue share (GRS). If a player receives the GRS, then he is likely to earn nearly Rs. 2.5 Lakh per first-class match.
