BCCI Player Contracts: More Questions, Less Answers

There has never really been a ready explainer on how annual contracts really work.

File picture of MS Dhoni (L) and Virat Kohli.

(Photo: Reuters)

The BCCI and the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) are basically battling over who should take credit for the new player contracts. While the two sides are busy taking credit, it is actually time to take an objective look at the new format of contracts.

Since annual contracts were introduced in 2004 – after seven years of protracted discussion – there has never really been a ready explainer on how they really work.

Till about 2011, things seemed fine because you had a pantheon of champions who were a natural fit in the top bracket, with the second line filling up other grades. But since the champions have left the scene, there has been much talk about how the whole thing works, because there is no clear hierarchy anymore.

1. Why Do So Many Players Need to Be Given Contracts?

World over players who are given contracts do not exceed a minimum of 12-15. Agreed the BCCI has a lot of cash on offer, but 26 players is a bit much. There are certain players on that list who may not play another game of cricket for India, because there are many outside the contract list who are also in the running. So it is a bit unfair on those unheralded/unrecognised players to be left out.

Back in 2004-05, in the very first year, Aakash Chopra virtually played nothing for India in those 12 months, yet ended up earning the contract money. Such scenarios need to be avoided completely. Instead, players can be incentivised to work harder by aiming to be a part of a smaller elite group of contract holders.

2. White Ball Specialists in Top Bracket?

The introduction of the top bracket of A+ is perfectly fine. But why are Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan part of that group? The CoA chief has said that certainties in all three formats have been given primacy in A+ bracket. But the last time we checked, both Rohit and Dhawan were no longer certainties in the Test match format. Both had been dropped in South Africa.

It is quite obvious that their showing in the ODI/T20Is that followed has dictated their presence in the A+ category. In fact, both have been away from the Test format for a reasonable length of time for varying reasons. So questions must be asked about this.

3. Cementing the Superstar Culture

Ramchandra Guha commented about the presence of the “super star culture” in Indian cricket. It is, therefore, interesting to note how his erstwhile colleagues have okayed a system which sort of justifies Guha’s criticism. Vinod Rai has come out and explained that these new contracts were drafted after taking Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni’s suggestions.

This has essentially been the bane of the player contracts annually. A creamy layer basically decides what the rest of the group gains or loses. Ideally, it needs to be an unbiased, transparent system which should decide the whole process, but that is clearly not the case in India.

Sadly, 15 years on we have still not come up with a viable system.

4. Need More Information About the Process

There is one thing that India can be proud of. We are the only cricketing nation which clearly spells out what each player, member of support staff, or even what our IPL franchise pays or earns. Indian players’ contract, match fees and every other financial details – minus their endorsement deals – are publicly available.

But this is where the CoA should have set the stage and held a press conference to clearly explain the process. It is very important that details such as how did Rohit/Dhawan make it to the top grade, or what defines the A+ grade, are disclosed to the world at large.

We are clearly trendsetters when it comes to making money or generating revenue, so we need to set a benchmark on this as well. In most other countries, they barely issue a release and hide behind legal clauses to not reveal the amounts. We can take that big step forward.

5. Women & Domestic Cricketers Gain. But Can They Earn More?

Clearly, India’s performance at the Women’s Cricket World Cup last year has led to a change of heart within the BCCI.

India is among the last countries to introduce player contracts for female cricketers, but here again it is the creamy layer which stands to gain.

There are a lot of girls who are toiling away in domestic cricket and need a viable career option to be able to play the sport. Some thought need to be paid to their plight. Also the domestic cricketers who are ignored during the IPL need to be rewarded.

The likes of Priyank Panchal, Abhinav Mukund, R Samarth, Faiz Fazal or even Vidarbha’s match-winning bowler Rajneesh Gurbani are without IPL contracts. While the manifold increase in their daily match fee is welcome, there is still no security for them. They will watch from the sidelines as the unknowns make hay during the IPL. This was the perfect opportunity to introduce annual player contracts at the domestic level too.