The subject of player contracts, which we touched on yesterday, seems to resonate with the reader, judging by the response. Today, the Diary presents a cross-section of reader opinion.

We will round this one off, tomorrow, with our own in-depth take on what we think makes a good system, and why it is vital that Indian cricket think on the contract lines asap, if not sooner. Here, meanwhile, is what you had to say about it....

Name:Sandeep
Message:Cricket, as it is played today, is a professional sport. There is no room for amateurs/honorary posts in team as well as administration. No corporation can succeed with honorary/part time senior management. So, for real changes to take place in the India cricket system, the changes have to start from the top, i.e. the board and the management of cricket in India. This way, everyone will have to EARN his or her positions in the organization.

Name:Vishnu
Message:Hi, I just have one doubt - when will the players get their priorities right? Why can't they simply form a player's union and then talk about various things like contracts, better pitches, tour schedules etc. Instead of complaining about the board's attitude, why can't they form a union? I read that there is no unity amongst the players to form a union - well , in my opinion Sachin alone is enough to form a one man union and bring the board to its knees - why isn't he doing that? Is he afraid that he'll lose some centuries and some more....

Name:Swarna Basu
Message:A contract system is what India needs. I think this article sums up the whole issue well. Players have so-called jobs, but how much time do they actually spend there? They are engaged in international cricket for at least 9 months out of the 12. If senior players come forward and speak on-the-record on this issue, I'm sure the BCCI won't have the guts to take any action against them. The BCCI can ill-afford to "drop" players for letting their views known and the average cricket fan wants to see that the players are treated well and in return, they give their best on the field. It's no surprise that Australia and South Africa are the best teams in the world and England, with their newly implemented contract system, is improving. The players need some job security. After all, they are performing for their country.

Name:Jags
Message:I think we should give the BCCI( The bunch of complete cricketing incompentents) a copy of Ayn Rynd's Atlas Shrugged. Remember her arguments in favour of merit? To assume that Sachin gets same pay as a Sujit Somasunder (remember that guy with Fevicol footwork?) is absurd. But then why do we expect anything from BCCI? Have they got anything right yet? I think the players must revolt saying contracts else we don't play, esp. people like Sachin, Rahul, Ganguly, the BCCI can do. Hey! Aussie tour is a good idea.

Name:Rahul Deo
Message:There is something very special about BCCI : They can do everything wrong, all the time. They have enough egos to defend their wrongdoing. They are blind enough not to follow strategies of the other cricket boards. And Importantly, THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO VALUE FOR THE PLAYERS. Unless a few players come together and talk to press openly (nothing would happen to them if they were together), Dalmias and Leles will prevail.

Name:Vivek
Message:I am totally for two things : 1) the contractual approach to players' salaries and incentives 2) the ousting of the so-called honorary board members and getting professionals who have been there and don't that as far as the game is concerned. I mean let the cricket be run by cricketing brains and not by businessmen. I have a gut feeling that cricket will die in the heart of the Die-Hard cricket fan like yours truly. I might have made it to the big league, I MIGHT have, but now I am happy I did not. I really am.

Name:Jagan V
Message:And regarding the privatisation of domestic cricket, the earlier it is done, the better it is for the country and for Indian cricket. Corporate entry into cricket will metamorphosize the current decaying system and will infuse it with fresh vigour, prompting for excellent performances from the players from the junior-most level and in turn, Indian cricket will be the Gainer! Of course, people like Dalmiya and Lele will crib about this, as they tend to loose a lot! Hope this happens soon!

Name:Sameer Chivate
Message:For the information of Mr. Morarka, even though BCCI puts 25 players under contract, the selection committee retains the right to choose a player from outside this pool, and reimbursement to such a player can be decided upon previously, along with the contract system. Thus, even if a contracted player loses form, the board only stands to lose the basic salary of that player. Well, we can call it professional risk, can't we? The case of Michael Vaughan can be cited here. When England last toured SA, Vaughan was picked from outside of the pool-contracted players. Still he was picked, in the middle of the season. He proved himself on the tour, and English and Wales Cricket Board awarded him the annual contract next season. Please Mr. Morarka, don't give us the bureaucratic, civil service replies... (BTW, if anyone is interested, refer to Yes Minister. You will find that Mr. Morarka's answers are typically in line with the bureaucratic replies of Sir Humphrey!)

Name:Rahul Vishal
Message:A very simple statement- if the government is thinking of privatising the telecom, banks and the insurance sectors, where does the cricket industry stand?

Name:Dr. Upendra Parvathaneni
Message:I think this contract system as set out in the article above is a brilliant idea and long overdue. International cricketers are professionals and should be treated as such; that is if we are to expect them to act as professionals. Of course it is another matter altogether if we expect our cricketers play "hobby cricket". Mr. Morarka obviously does not have enough knowledge or experience re; the contract system to harbor such a viewpoint.
a.A player need not quit his current job to be contracted by BCCI. More than one firm can contract the same individual as long as all the parties concerned are in agreement with each other & the contracts clearly define the expectations of a player.
b. If some thing cannot be done in our great democratic nation (no pun intended), it cannot be done any where else in the world. I beg of you to take me seriously on this point which I am making after 15 years of serious reflection & having seen a bit of the world around me.
c."Besides, what do we do if a player loses form?" Tough luck mate; you are stuck with him until the end of the season which is what you would do any way in the current "hobby cricket" system & this is actually part of the main issue itself i.e.; player security enhancing performance. That is why about 16 - 18 cricketers should be chosen for the entire season from the vast number of talented cricketers available in the country & the represented 11 are picked from the chosen lot. You don't go changing the preselected lot since that reflects poor choice in the first place. This approach will reflect on planning & organisation & not lead to chaos or heart burn since everyone concerned will know where they stand & no one is guessing & waiting & waiting & waiting &....... It is the guessing & waiting which frustrates an individual, not clear knowledge that he was not good enough (or maybe did not have sufficient connections) to have made it this time. Any player worth his salt will agree to this & will try harder for the next season. For there is always a next time for the fighter in life. & it is such spirited players who fight & get over their limitations that deserve a place in the national side. Mr.Ganguly I am sure will agree with me. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar are not born everyday & it would be an incorrect attitude to keep waiting for more like him to "happen" & carry Indian cricket on their shoulders whilst we do nothing in the mean time.
d. Finally I am surprised to hear that the disgraced individuals continue to have a voice. My reference is to Mr. Dalmia. Mr. Lele is not worth my time.

A Fan of Indian Cricket.

Name:Vinayak Nadgir
Message:A contractual system is urgently needed. BCCI needs to look at Australian Cricket Board and South African Board. Morarka's concern about a player losing form is rubbish. The board will have to ride that. Also the comments about larger pool of players in India are stupid - with that logic we should be winning more matches than anybody else. Raise the quality bar and the number will come down Morarka. To quote Michael Kasprowicz played just one match last year but was included as a contracted player and earned 160,000 A$. There needs to be a hierarchy with 6 to 7 core players at the top level Sachin, Sourav, Rahul, Srinath, Kumble to name a few. At least 12 on the next rung, players like Ramesh, Agarkar, Prasad etc Then there are the probables may be 20 in all e.g. Badani, Zaheer etc. As Zaheer improves he can move to the next rung. Again this needs to be expanded to domestic cricket. Also standards need to be improved there. The contracted players should clear regular fitness and health checks to stay contracted. Say certain amount of stretch, strength and stamina tests related to their area of the game. So if Kambli is too unfit the contract is revoked and he is automatically declined from selection. Get him to run 10 kms in an hour daily if he hopes to make a come back To BCCI - DO SOMETHING

Name:Bhanu m Viswanadha
Message:I think the contract system won't work in India, I mean Indian mentality, simply because the player is contracted and he knows he will get his money, no matter his performance, the player becomes more lethargic(yes, I mean it). Take the case of Anil Kumble, when did he get injured and where. If my memory serves me right he didn't play for India or Karnataka after he returned from England County Season. If he was feeling the PIS (Pain In the Shoulder) before the county season, why did he go. If he felt the pain during the county season, BCCI has nothing to do with it. Why is nobody writing about this? Why is BCCI paying for his SA trip. Why, I am writing all this, is, contract or no contract, anyway, BCCI is doing things as they wish. There should be total overhaul of the BCCI functioning and it should be run by the players, not by the corporate bosses and politicians.

Name:Anupam Arora
Message:I totally agree with your comments. I am glad that rediff as an electronic media is trying to expose the real issues/problems in Indian cricket. Mainly associated with administration. We can all only do our best and I can see that in this article, those printed by Prem and regularly appearing on your web site you are focussing on the incompetence of the BCCI. I hope other print and electronic media are doing the same in exposing the jokes that are running the game that we all love too dearly love. I realise that results are not going to come overnight and hope that your web sites continues its excellent work. In the meantime do let us know what can we, the fans, do? How can we assist in getting rid of these fools and getting some people to run who really care about the game and Indian cricket. I know of so many people that are sick of seeing India under perform and would like to help our team perform better, i.e. by start the process of getting rid of the current administration. In relation to the article just a point to add to the player contract. It would be good idea to put some bonus for players who provide extra value to teamwork. It might not be a 50, 100 or few wickets that might win you the game but rather playing for the team. Sticking up for your mate.... We also need to introduce some pride and recognition. For example we had Robin Singh who recently finished a marvelous career. He might not have been the most gifted player but one who gave it all. Shouldn't there have been some recognition for his service. A last match farewell? An exit that we see too often... shafted out the back door...

Name:rajiv
Message: I never thought I would say this, but I think I do agree with what Kamal Morarka says. Having a system where in you say that the player is bound to the board for a particular period of time and that he cannot take up any other jobs, I don't know how many players would be ready to sign such a contract. What happens if he is not signed on for the next year? It's the same security thing that we've been talking about.... You know how its like in banks.... All you need to do is get in, its only after you retire that you have to go out! So they have something to fall back on. But what if the banks that employs them loans them to the board? At the end of the contract with the board, they may either extend the loan period or take the player back if he is not selected. As it is I don't know what contributions are these players are making to the bank in the first place. Most of them have passed their matriculation with great difficulty and we all know that the bank employs them for they are good ad materials :-) Take care man and keep up the great work! I really appreciate you people taking such active interest in cricket and not just pointing out defects in the system but also trying to look at solutions. Rediff cricket's No 1 fan, Rajiv

Name:Anthony
Message: First off, please accept my congratulations for the new format of the diary. At least all regulars and not-so-regular readers can go through the same. It is interesting to note that you are in the forefront of campaigning for some radical change in the way our board functions and thereby, improve the condition of players and the sport as well. I agree with you that board should have a system that a corporate house follows - a gradation system. Sunil Gavaskar, I remember, used to champion this cause earlier. In any case, it is never too late. I will look forward to your 'proposal' of the contractual system. However, a little pessimism here (though i don't wish to) WRITING IS ONE THING BUT WHO WILL CHANGE BCCI. As Prem once said in his newsletter, one should take to the streets - but, do we as a nation, unless, one gets affected personally,ever poured out on the streets for a solution? All said and done, the nation loves cricket and it is a favorite past time...but no one will bother if we continue to get telecast of matches in our drawing rooms without so much of a worry. Unfortunately, the Leles and the Dalmiyas know this fact and thus, they care a damn. In any case, cheers to the rediff team - atleast our pent-up anger can be released through this feedback column! Rgds Anthony@Dubai 10.01.2001

Name:Ashok Kumar
Message:According to me, the captain should not be given the opportunity to select the team along with the selectors. Recently, for one off test against Bangladesh, Ganguly insisted Saba Karim to play, as we all now that he is not a good keeper for Test matches. next match itself he was replaced by Vijay Dahiya. So, in future I request the BCCI officials to look after into this.

Name:Chetan Bhatia
Message:I think this contract system is the best thing the board can ever do for the players...another thing I feel they should do is play under the Indian colours and not BCCI colours. We have to bring pride into representing ones country on the world stage....I read Avi's column and I fully agree with him. As on the contract system...does the board feel that all the players are equal to Tendulkar and Ganguly??? Please ask the board to grow up and become aware of a professional and corporate atmosphere adopted by almost all the boards in cricket. take care

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