Mandeep Singh was one of the better performers in the recently concluded DDCA Hot Weather season for eventual winners FCI. The left-arm spinner,though,is not sure of figuring in the team line-up next year. Playing for FCI on a one-year sporting scholarship which earns him a monthly stipend of Rs.5000,Mandeep hopes to find a permanent job under the sports quota. Away from the glamour of national colours,Mandeep is part of a big tribe of cricketers who struggle to survive in the sport for lack of a decent regular source of income. Most of them earn a small amount as stipend,playing on yearly scholarships that,they hope,will one day turn into a permanent job. A senior FCI official blamed government rules. There was a government policy that came into effect in 2000,according to which no hiring could be done. That restriction was eased only last year in April 2009 and we are now hopeful that we will be able to take cricketers once again. Harish,coach with Collage Club,though is not sold on the concept of sporting scholarships. How do you expect a player to survive on a stipend of a few thousand. How will that amount convince his family of his career choice. What cricketers require are permanent jobs. Without that,what is the motivation for young players? he asks. But jobs are hard to come by; instead,there is the scholarship scheme that lasts till a player turns 24 and has to be renewed every year. Also,those who play on stipend for big employers suffer lack of exposure due to the presence of bigger stars in the team. If a young player is playing for,say ONGC,where there are players who have played for the country,how is he going to get the chance to show his skills? You cannot make out the quality of a player on the basis of a few matches, Harish said. There is merit in his arguement. Salim Ansari,who plays as wicketkeeper for ONGC,has to compete with former India stumper Ajay Ratra. While Ansari is grateful for his stipend of Rs. 8000,he says he only gets to play when Ratra is away for the Ranji season. VK Mahendru,a senior sports official in ONGC,admits scholarships are not a guarantee for jobs and that players taken on board on a tenure basis for four years have a better chance of being retained. Its not like we never hire players says Mahendru,adding that India players and those who have figured in first-class games like Virat Kohli and Praveen Gupta have better chances. However,despite 21 Ranji games under his belt,Delhi fast bowler Parwinder Awana still draws a stipend of Rs. 8000 despit being on ONGC rolls for the last 6 years. If I was given an opportunity to get a job elsewhere I would take it,but I have been associated with ONGC and continue to hope that things turn out all right, Awana said. Mandeep,meanwhile,will turn 24 in September this year,and his scholarship will come to an end. The higher ups have told me they will be hiring from this year and will give preference to those who have already received the sporting scholarship, he remains hopeful.
