BCCI should immediately pay ‘salaries’ to First-Class cricketers: Vid players

 

 

By Paritosh Pramanik

THERE is a general perception that cricketers in India are the highest paid sportspersons among all disciplines, individual as well as team. But that’s not the case in entirity. Only those who are regulars in Indian team and those who have played successive seasons of Indian Premier League (IPL) have their coffers ringing. There are many First-Class cricketers who depend on their Ranji Trophy earnings for the entire year. If not selected in the side for a season, their income gets dried up and they find it very difficult to make ends meet for the entire year.
The deadly COVID-19 virus forced BCCI to cancel Ranji Trophy, its premier multi-day national-level cricket tournament, for the first time in its 87 years history, in 2020. The worst affected were the First-Class cricketers who were unable get their ‘salaries’.
BCCI, world’s richest cricket governing body, till date, has not paid the cricketers, despite promising to help its players.
There are hundreds of cricketers in the country who survive on the match fees they get by playing Ranji Trophy in a season. On an average, a First-Class cricketer manages to earn around Rs 15 to 17 lakh in a season, provided he plays maximum Ranji Trophy matches.
Those playing IPL are taken care of by their franchise. But for those not playing the lucarative league are in dire straits. The delay in BCCI’s compensation is making the matter worse for these cricketers.
Cricketers from Vidarbha, the two-time Ranji champions, and Irani Cup winners, too, are sailing in the same boat. Barring India international Umesh Yadav, there is no other cricketer who regularly plays in IPL. They are under a burden of financial crisis due to non-payment of their compensation for the year 2020.
Vidarbha senior player Akshay Wakhare feels BCCI should compensate players on priority as it will only help the cricketers who are dependent only on this ‘salary’.
“The players are finding it very difficult to run their homes as well as maintain their cricketing equipment due to cancelled Ranji Trophy last year.
“For those who are employed with State or Central Governments, it is not that difficult. But there are many cricketers who survive only on match fees. They have to feed their families apart from maintaining their kits,” said Wakhare.
Wakhare is hopeful that BCCI would release funds at the earliest. “I have heard that BCCI has formed a committee to compensate the cricketers.
“Hope they take a decision at the earliest,” said the premier Vidarbha spinner.
Wakhare said that even though BCCI used to pay the match fee, they got it in ‘part-payment. “It (the money) is paid in instalments. It takes several months till we get full payment of the season. This does not help us. Players have to look after their families. Apart from that, cricketing gears are needed to be replaced time and again. If the players get their ‘salaries’ in one go, that would be of immense help,” felt Wakhare.
Rajneesh Gurbani, the architect of Vidarbha’s maiden Ranji Trophy title echoed same view. “The cancellation of Ranji had an adverse impact on our cricketers. Their earnings have stopped and at the same time they are unable to play cricket due to lockdown. Their minds are now getting distracted. They are getting frustrated as they have no income for the past one year,” worried Gurbani.
The lanky pacer said the players should be ‘compensated’ immediately by the BCCI. “There are many Vidarbha cricketers who are finding it very difficult to manage their daily expenses. Sooner BCCI releases funds, the better for the players.”
Vidarbha all-rounder Aditya Sarvate said that those relying on match fee are in a ‘very bad condition.’ He was also of the view that BCCI should take the payment matter on priority basis.
“The COVID pandemic has played a havoc in everybody’s life. There are many Vidarbha cricketers who depend on
match fees.
“If a cricketer is picked by an IPL franchise, he gets a minimum of Rs 15 lakh, irrespective of his incluion in the playing XI. But those First-Class cricketers who are not part of IPL, it’s like a loss of job for the entire year. On an average a player can earn around Rs 10-12 lakh, depending upon his performance and upto which round the team reaches in the leauge. That is a big amount for cricketers surviving only on Ranji Trophy. I think they should be compensated as early as possible,” said Sarvate.
Another Vidarbha cricketer Akshay Wadkar said that though BCCI was taking time in compensating the players, the cricketers would get at least 70 per cent of what they would have got in a regular season.
“It is a difficult time for cricketers. But BCCI is working on it. I have heard that players would get at least 70 per cent of their match fees as compensation for the unwanted break. They are working out on how to disburse the money to all the players,” said Wadkar.
Wadkar said cricketers’ expenses are very high and they should get the money immediately. “Players have to keep updating their kits, equipments. Then there are healthy diet supplements which costs in thousands. With no ‘salary’ for one year, our players are compromising on that aspect. Once a cricketer starts earning, he doesn’t wants to put burden on his parents.
“But this pandemic has forced some of the cricketers to seek help from their parents, though reluctantly,” Wadkar, the Vidarbha middle-order bat concluded.