Finally, First class

IT8217;s an inequity that has long cried out to be redressed. At long last, the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI is doing just ...

IT8217;s an inequity that has long cried out to be redressed. At long last, the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI is doing just that: Giving domestic cricketers a pay packet to guarantee them security and a better lifestyle.

For too long, first-class cricketers have been the very poor cousins of the international bunch; the pay gulf between the two sets 8212; accentuated over the past decade, when the cricket boom really took off here 8212; was a perfect reflection of the gap in standards and appeal.

One fallout of that was the stars8217; reluctance and even that of fairly average players to participate in domestic tournaments. And youngsters could no longer depend on the game as the sole source of income throughout their lives; consequently, their game suffered.

That, though, is set to change following BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya8217;s announcement to bridge the gap between the remuneration of international cricketers and first-class cricketers. The latter, he admitted, were 8216;8216;getting peanuts.8217;8217;

Dalmiya8217;s formula gives 26 per cent of the gross revenue of the Board to be distributed among all cricketers: 50 per cent to international cricketers, 40 per cent to first-class cricketers and 10 per centto junior cricketers.

This, a senior BCCI official said, would work out to approximately Rs 35,000 per player per match in the Ranji Trophy. Junior cricketers will get almost double the amount of what they receive at present, he added.

The Board currently pays Rs 1.50 lakh to each association per match for distribution among players; that works out to about Rs 10,000 per player, from which a certain amount approximately Rs 4,000 is deducted as a sort of provident fund. That, patently, is not enough. 8216;8216;The life span of a cricketer is very short, 5-6 years on an average. What does he do once he quits the game if he doesn8217;t earn enough during his playing days?,8217;8217; asks Rajeev Vinayak, who played for Delhi and Services a decade ago.

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8216;8216;Most first-class cricketers come from average or low-income families. Unless they are given sufficient remuneration during their playing days, they will languish once they quit the game. The only remedy is for corporate institutions to provide jobs to the needy,8217;8217; argues Vinayak, who himself got a government job in the mid-80s.

Indeed, there are any number of first-class players in almost all states who are struggling to make a living, despite a 8216;degree8217; to their name. There was a time when several corporate offices gave jobs to first-class cricketers. Now, barring ONGC and Indian Airlines, no other corporate institution takes a first-class cricketer on the strength of his sporting skills.

The current Delhi Ranji squad has more than half-a-dozen members 8212; including world cup probable Gautam Gambhir 8212; who are still on the lookout for decent jobs, despite being graduates in some course or the other.

Prior to the hike, a top-notch first-class cricketer used to get roughly Rs.1.54 lakh for playing all the games from the league phase to the final of Ranji Trophy and other games up to the Challenger. But now a cricketer who makes his appearance in just seven league games of the Ranji Trophy would get a minimum of Rs. 2.45 lakh. If he goes on to play till the final and other games, the sum could be really mind-boggling.

8216;8216;Now young cricketers need not go hunting for jobs any more if they are assured of handsome money for playing cricket. There8217;ll be greater competition and players will have to be more professional8217;8217;, says Sanjeev Sharma, a former India fast bowler now playing Ranji Trophy cricket with Rajasthan.

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It8217;s good news for junior cricketers too. Gyaneshwar Prasad, a former Delhi cricketer and current coach of the state8217;s under-19 team, says: 8216;8216;Equipment has become very expensive that whatever a junior player gets for playing a game is just not enough. The minimum amount the boy has to spend on his kit per season would come to around Rs 5,000. He would be able to purchase better equipment if he gets more money,8217;8217; he says.

Junior cricketers u-17, 19, 25 currently get Rs 1,500 for three-day games plus Rs 500 as conveyance allowance. They also get a journey allowance of Rs 75 for 12 hours travel and a further Rs 75 if the travel time is more than 12 hours.

But even among the celebrations there8217;s a note of caution. Hari Gidwani, who represented Delhi, North Zone and East Zone in the 1970s, feels that the pay hike 8216;8216;will be worth only if it helps in improving the standard of the game. Otherwise, it will be a mess.8217;8217;

Gidwani, who was paid Rs 100 for representing Rest of India against Bombay in 1975-76 at Delhi, says: 8216;8216;Money was never the consideration then. We were looking for opportunities to show our skill and get into higher class of cricket. We had the junoon to perform. That, I am afraid, may vanish as cricketers only look for more money.8217;8217;

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8216;8216;I8217;m afraid, with so much money coming in, the commitment towards the game may decline,8217;8217; he added.