The BCCI is reportedly contemplating a threefold increase in Test and first-class match fees to encourage players to focus on red-ball cricket. Discussions have taken place with captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, as reported by The Times of India.
Following the BCCI’s release of contracts for 2023-24, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer faced scrutiny for skipping the Ranji Trophy. Ishan, who took a break from cricket last year, was practicing in Gujarat. Meanwhile, Shreyas informed his team of back spasms, despite being declared fit by the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
In their situation, the BCCI supposedly believed that they prioritized fitness for the lucrative IPL over representing their state teams. Board Secretary Jay Shah had cautioned them about potential ‘serious consequences,’ possibly reflected in their exclusion from the contracts.
“The recommendations are on the lines of increasing the Test match and first-class fees by three times,” TOI quoted a BCCI source as saying.
“The idea is that if a player plays the entire Ranji Trophy, he should be able to make around Rs 75 lakhs which matches an average IPL contract. It has also been suggested that if a player plays all Test matches in a year, he should be able to make Rs 15 crores which is at par for any marquee IPL contract.”
“The board may not agree to increasing the remuneration by three times at one go but they are considering meeting the players at mid-point. Even that should be a hefty raise.”
”This is why the board has not announced the value of contracts. The board will have to decide if it wants to raise the match fees or make specified contracts accordingly,” the source added.
Presently, participating in the Ranji Trophy throughout the year yields players approximately ₹25 lakh, slightly exceeding the base price in IPL auctions. On the other hand, the fee for each Test is ₹15 lakh.
The BCCI reportedly perceives a decline in the quality of the Ranji Trophy in recent years, attributing it to various players opting out of the competition, impacting India’s red-ball talent pool.
“You come to know the players who don’t have that hunger” -Rohit Sharma’s position before the BCCI contract announcement
Discussion about prioritizing red-ball cricket reached Captain Rohit Sharma after the Test series against England. In response, he stated that his team would only consider players with a ‘hunger’ for the longest format.
“This [Test cricket] is the toughest format,” Rohit said after India won the fourth Test against England in Ranchi to take an unassailable 3-1 lead. “And if you want success and want to excel in this tough format then you need that hunger.”
“It is very important. We will give opportunity only to players who have that hunger. You come to know [easily] the players who don’t have that hunger, [or] players who don’t want to stay here [and play this format]. We come to know that,” he said.
India holds a 3-1 lead in the series against England and is set to face Ben Stokes and company for an inconsequential final match in Dharamshala on February 7.
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