The BCCI is mulling on an interesting idea to reignite passion for red-ball cricket in Indian cricketers. As per a report, the board is deliberating the value of annual retainership contracts and it will be revised with an eye on raising the value for red-ball cricketers.
In Wednesday's press statement, while announcing the central contracts for 2023-24, the board didn't mention the value of the various grades.
The BCCI has been in discussions with Team India head coach Rahul Dravid, captain Rohit Sharma, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar on how to rekindle player enthusiasm in red-ball cricket. According to reports, the board has received a suggestion to increase match fees/player salary - both at the Test and domestic levels - to match the pay of the mid-level IPL contracts.
The board identified that the status and quality of Ranji Trophy has dropped substantially in the past three seasons with a host of players citing niggles and workload during the red-ball season. The BCCI has realized that the interest in the Ranji Trophy goes down once the IPL auctions are done.
This has resulted in the resource pool dwindling significantly.
"The board has asked for recommendations from the Indian team management. They are taking a very aggressive approach towards maintaining the sanctity of the longest format of the game. It is imperative that players, who are committed to first-class cricket, are rewarded at a similar level as IPL cricket. That would mean that existing remuneration has to be multiplied," a BCCI source told Times of India.
"The recommendations are on the lines of increasing the Test match and first-class fees by three times. The idea is that if a player plays the entire Ranji Trophy, he should be able to make around Rs 75 lakhs which matches an average IPL contract. It has also been suggested that if a player plays all Test matches in a year, he should be able to make Rs 15 crores which is at par for any marquee IPL contract," the source added.
This means that a player can earn about Rs 25 lakhs if he plays all 10 Ranji matches in a season. The base price of a player in IPL auctions is pegged at Rs 20 lakhs. The board has noted that players, particularly fast bowlers, do not want to subject their bodies to the rigors of first-class cricket for an amount comparable to the base price at IPL auctions.
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BCCI's four grades in retainership contracts were valued at Rs 7 crore, Rs 5 crore, Rs 3 crore and Rs 1 crore. While the proposals from team management and selectors are being reviewed, it is learned that the board is considering allowing a significant salary increase.
"The board may not agree to increasing the remuneration by three times at one go but they are considering meeting the players at mid-point. Even that should be a hefty raise. This is why the board has not announced the value of contracts. The board will have to decide if it wants to raise the match fees or make specified contracts accordingly," the source said.
The Times of India report further detailed that apart from giving contracts to fast bowlers, the BCCI wants to create a pool of bowlers in red-ball cricket. It will also work towards a set of wicketkeepers and spinners who can endure the rigors of first-class cricket.
The report stated that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will hand-pick the pacers. Despite missing first-class cricket for years, they pushed Khaleel Ahmed to play Ranji Trophy for Rajasthan. Delhi's Mayank Yadav was identified but he missed the Ranji Trophy due to a side strain.
Arshdeep Singh has also been urged to focus on red-ball cricket more.
(Times of India inputs)
