The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : `Central Contract System': Indian team in a tight spot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

`Central Contract System': Indian team in a tight spot

By G. Viswanath

MUMBAI, JULY 12. The Indian cricket team finds itself in a tight spot mulling over the salient features of the Cricket Board's pioneering `Central Contract System' that would ensure a fixed remuneration for them over a period of 12 months.

Opinion is clearly divided among the players and a section of them likely to be offered contracts have expressed unhappiness over the quantum of annual retainership apportioned under the `A', `B' and `C' group heads. Two years ago, the Working Committee had approved in principle a four-category retainership with the `A1' group players being awarded Rs. 75 lakhs, `A' group, Rs. 60 lakhs, `B' group, Rs. 30 lakhs and `C' group, Rs. 15 lakhs.

After several meetings between the representatives of the Board and senior players, it was agreed upon to discard the `A1' category. Senior players like Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid represented the team, but the Board President Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya made it a point to ascertain the views of the recently established players on the contract system.

So it was like a bolt from the blue for the Board when the players decided to hold the matter in abeyance and requested for more time during the preparatory camp in Chennai for the Asia Cup.

According to a senior official of the Board, a section of team has conveyed a message to him that there exists a disparity in the annual retainership and that it should be corrected. They have informed the official through an intermediary (a very senior player) that reducing Rs. 10 lakhs from the `A' group (down from Rs. 60 lakhs to Rs. 50 lakhs) and redistributing the sum on a fifty-fifty ratio to `B' group (up from Rs. 30 lakhs to Rs. 35 lakhs) and `C' group (up from Rs. 15 lakhs to Rs. 20 Lakhs) would appear to give the system of sense of balance.

The upcoming players also want the match fees (for the reserves) raised from 50 per cent to 75 per cent of what the playing XI members would receive. The amount is Rs. 2 lakhs for a Test match and Rs. 1.60 lakhs for a one-day international. The Board has decided to keep the bonus for winning matches at home and away outside the purview of the contract.

They have been conveyed to the Board official that they would be willing to sign the contract before the team's departure for Colombo on Wednesday, July 13, but after the anomalies are corrected. Another senior player has told the Board Secretary Mr. S. K. Nair that the team will get time in Sri Lanka to thrash out matters and would revert to the Board after the Asia Cup.

``The players want more time and we are prepared to wait,'' said Mr. Nair.

Responding to a question if he was disappointed by the developments, the Board President Mr. Dalmiya said: ``It's not an impasse like situation. We are moving forward. We have no misunderstanding with the players; in fact we have an excellent relationship. It is not a situation wherein we have to expedite it. The final draft copy of the agreement has been given to the players and they have to revert to us. It's a priority, but not in the sense that they (the players) have to leave everything else like going for practice and training. It's for the first time we are proposing a central contracts system and hence it's taking time.''

Taking the matter a little further he said: ``We have a system now in place and we are attempting to introduce a new system. Players have their own lawyers and agents. They might be apprehensive on one or two points. One group could be complaining. Since its' a first time attempt, we have to go through the trial and error method and become practical by experience.''

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