Disability cricket in India finally has a cause for celebration. In a landmark move by the Physically Challenged Cricket Association of India (PCCAI), the top 20 players have been rewarded with central contracts as reported by Hindustan Times.
It is the first time in the history of disability cricket that the grading system has been introduced and contracts have been awarded accordingly.
As per the grading, Grade A players would be eligible for a sum of Rs 30,000 annually while Grade B & C would be eligible for Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.
Though the grading has been done on similar lines as that of the BCCI, the amount is far less than what the BCCI offers its centrally contracted players.
This is just the beginning. It was in the pipeline for quite some time, but we are happy it has finally materialised. This is the best we could start with and we will increase the contract fee as we play more tournaments.Ravi Chauhan, PCCAI’s General Secretary.
The PCCAI-affiliated players are set to play against their Afghanistani counterparts in Greater Noida from 22 May. The tournament will have three ODIs.
The report states that Chauhan’s continuous endeavours have resulted in a great hospitality deal with a five star hotel for all the domestic matches of the PCCAI.
Our intention was to provide some basic assured source of income to these cricketers as most of them don’t have regular jobs. A lot of them hail from poor backgrounds, so it will help them fund their academics or their cricket.Ravi Chauhan, PCCAI’s General Secretary.
The report added that former BCCI chief Shashank Manohar had once tried to bring all the associations in India devoted to disability cricket cause under one umbrella. Former India skipper Ajit Wadekar was proposed to head the venture. But the conversation hit a dead end when Manohar exited the BCCI.
Except India, every national board supports disability cricket. Even Afghanistan, who is not even a full member of the ICC yet, wholeheartedly promotes disability cricket. Our appeal to the BCCI is to take these disabled cricketers (under) their wings.Ravi Chauhan, PCCAI’s General Secretary.
Though disability cricket in India is yet to gain the recognition it deserves from the Indian cricket board, we can still hope that this move paves way for greater developments in the days to come.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)