BCCI to clear one-time payment to 13 former Test cricketers

After initial reluctance, the Board of Control for Cricket in India accepted the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators' decision to give one-time benefit of Rs 35 lakh to 13 former cricketers, including Atul Wassan and Lalchand Rajput, who have played between one and nine Tests for India after 1970.

A source in the BCCI told PTI that acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, during the meeting in New Delhi on Monday, assured the COA that the decision will be approved at the Board's Special General Meeting on June 26. Choudhary had attended the meeting vi Skype.

In March, the COA's decision to provide one-time benefit to the former cricketers did not go down well with the BCCI officials who argued that it was a policy matter of the Board and therefore did not need clearance from the Vinod Rai-led

panel.

"Since the COA had already made the decision earlier, it will be approved by the BCCI this time. Going forward, the finance committee of the Board will take a call on matters like these," said the source.

The former players who fall in the bracket will get Rs 35 lakh. However, in the case of Wassan, who has already got one time benefit of Rs 25 lakh for playing 80 First-Class games, will only get an additional Rs 10 lakh. Wassan played four Tests and nine ODIs for India.

The one-time payment is over and above the monthly pension the former players get from the BCCI.

In the meeting, it was also decided that former Indian women cricketers, who played between one and four Tests, will get a monthly pension of Rs 15,000.

The women cricketers, who have played 10 or more Tests, already get Rs. 22,500 per month.