BCCI suggests pay cut for players

The Indian players' are expected to take a pay cut in their match fees once the contract system is introduced, according to the joint secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Ratnakar Shetty.

"There is a likelihood that the match fees for Tests and One-Day Internationals would be cut down by around Rs 65,000 once the contract system is put in place. But this is not final," Shetty said in Mumbai on Tuesday.

"The suggestion is that cricketers making the playing eleven would get Rs 2 lakh for a Test match, as compared to Rs 2.68 lakh they are getting now by way of fees plus money to sport logos of the team sponsors on their apparel. For ODIs the amount works out to Rs 1.60 lakh as compared to Rs 2.35 lakh they are getting now," Shetty explained.

"But as per the players' wishes the BCCI would give the same match fees for all cricketers chosen in the playing eleven and 50 per cent of the same to the reserves," Shetty added.

Shetty also made it clear that to make it to the contracted players' list, a cricketer should have represented the country in at least 3 Tests or 10 ODIs. "That's the minimum qualification needed for making the cut," Shetty said.

By this criteria 17 members of the probables list for the Asia Cup, announced in Bangalore a couple of days ago, would qualify. Those who do not conform to this norm are: Rohan Gavaskar, Ramesh Powar and Amit Bhandari.

The suggested annual retainer ship fees for contracted players remains the same as had been decided earlier; Rs 60 lakh each for the top rung players, Rs 30 lakh for the middle and Rs 15 lakh for the rest.