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| April 08, 2007 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 19, 1428 |
Indian stars pay heavy price
MUMBAI, April 7: India's cricket chiefs on Saturday introduced performance-linked payments to the national team, saying wins will earn them more money but defeats will hurt the pockets.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also scrapped gradation in the annual contracts for players following the team's first round exit from the ongoing World Cup in the Caribbean.
“There will be no A, B, or C grades in contracts as it was till now. All players will have the same grades,” BCCI treasurer N. Srinivasan told reporters at the end of a two-day review of the World Cup debacle. Winning a series will be rewarded with bonuses.”
Srinivasan, however, did not reveal what the new fees for international matches will be. “The parameters have yet to be finalised,” he said.
Indian cricketers were previously paid $3,400 for a One-day International and $4,500 for a Test, in addition to annual contracts ranging from $110,000 to $45,000.
Players will also not be allowed to endorse more than three sponsors, a move that had been recommended by a group of former captains on Friday.
“There was a unanimous view by the ex-captains that some cap should be present, even while they were not against players earning money,” said Srinivasan.
Indian players are much sought after by companies for endorsing their products in a country where cricket is the most popular sport.
Superstar Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the world's richest cricketers, reportedly has sponsorships worth $400 million.
The system of having five honorary selectors will also be abolished and they will be replaced by full-time paid selectors drawn from the vast pool of former players, said Srinivasan.
The domestic system will also be made stronger with the international calendar being adjusted so that star players play six to eight weeks of domestic matches every year.
The captains' recommendation that sporting pitches be prepared around the country so that batsmen do not struggle when confronted by fast wickets abroad was also accepted.
The second-string ‘A’ teams will tour Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies on a regular basis so that younger players get a chance to play on good wickets before being drafted into the national side.—AFP
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