Play all, win all, earn 200 per cent more, claims BCCI

As per the new contracts system proposed by BCCI, a player can earn close to Rs 5 crore within October 2008 — 200 per cent more than their current earnings.

As per the new contracts system proposed by BCCI, a player can earn close to Rs 5 crore within October 2008 — 200 per cent more than their current earnings.

But this hike will happen only if they win all the 49 ODIs and 28 Tests they play till October 2008 as per the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP).

BCCI vice-president Shashank Manohar told The Indian Express: “Who says the BCCI is not parting with the money? If India end up winning all their one-dayers in the coming season and even the Tests, you think the Board will still be able to pay them these kind of bonuses only through the limited 26 per cent of its income reserved for players? There’s no limit, it can go up to 35 or even 40 per cent of the board’s income, or even more, provided they win. And what’s wrong with that?”

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Manohar, along with BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan, was yesterday named in a two-member panel that will negotiate with the players on the BCCI’s behalf.

According to BCCI sources, the match fees for players, as per the new contract, will be Rs 1.5 lakh for an ODI and Rs 2.5 lakh for a Test, regardless of a win or a loss. But if the team happens to win all its matches, each player would be entitled to a bonus of Rs 6 lakh per Test victory and Rs 4 lakh per ODI win (including bonuses for the series victory), apart from the stipulated match fees and the retainership.

According to BCCI estimates, if the team manages to win an entire Test series out of the country, it would earn an additional bonus of Rs 1.5 crore — nearly Rs 70 lakh. It will earn Rs 75 lakh for an ODI away series win — an ODI series win in India would fetch the team a bonus of Rs 50 lakh. Which means, each player — if he plays all matches — could earn Rs 3.64 crore as bonus and Rs 1.43 crore as match fees.

But realistically, even if India manage to win 20 ODIs, each playing member gets to earn a total of approx Rs 80 lakh. And if they manage to win 10 Tests, each playing member would earn approx Rs 60 lakh. “This is still better than what they were earning from their previous contracts,” said a BCCI official.