Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah is very optimistic about having fans back in the stadiums for the bumper home season for the Indian team after the ongoing vaccination drives helping reduce COVID-19 cases in India.
In what is a huge home season, the Indian cricket team is scheduled to play 4 Tests, 14 T20 Internationals, and three ODIs at home between November 2021 and June 2022.
New Zealand (in November-December), West Indies (in February 2022), Sri Lanka (February-March 2022), and South Africa (in June 2022) are the teams to visit India during the eight-month period.
Shah said after the apex council meeting, “The 2021-22 home season holds a lot of promise, and Team India will play in all major centers of India. Vaccination has ensured that the pandemic curve is beginning to flatten, and I am very optimistic that we will have the fans back for the home season.”
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The BCCI also announced that domestic cricketers affected by the COVID-curtailed 2020-21 season will be paid a 50% additional match fee as compensation for the disruption, as well as, announced a hike in their salary for the upcoming season and Shah was happy the apex council’s decision.
The BCCI secretary further added, “I am really pleased with the outcome of the ninth apex council Meeting of the BCCI. The primary agenda was to compensate our domestic cricketers and we have put out a well-structured remuneration plan for them. As you have seen, we will be allotted 50 percent match fees for the truncated 2020-21 Ranji season.”
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He signed off by saying, “The increase of match fee for domestic cricketers is another welcome step and this move will ensure that professional cricketers can solely focus on playing cricket and are appropriately rewarded. Domestic cricket is our backbone and we will make every effort to keep it strong and healthy so that our bench strength always remains superior.”
(With PTI Inputs)
