Sunil Gavaskar goes berserk in latest demand from BCCI; wants Jay Shah to take strict action after Shreyas Iyer-Ishan Kishan episode
Published - 16 Mar 2024, 01:29 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:27 AM
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Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar praised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for implementing a new Test incentive scheme. However, Sunil Gavaskar urged the Indian board to also provide incentives for domestic cricketers, particularly first-class players.
Under the new scheme, Indian cricketers who participate in at least 75% of matches, equivalent to seven or more in a nine-game season, will receive a match fee of Rs 45 lakh. Meanwhile, non-playing members will be compensated with Rs 22.5 lakh per match.
For instance, those engaged in five to six Tests in a nine-match season will receive Rs 30 lakh per match, with non-playing members compensated with Rs 15 lakh per match. However, the scheme excludes players involved in fewer than four Tests in a season.
Wonderful Thing By The BCCI – Sunil Gavaskar
At the CHAMPS Foundation’s 25th anniversary, Sunil Gavaskar emphasized the need for prioritizing the development of players in domestic cricket. Gavaskar proposed increasing the fees for participating in the Ranji Trophy to reduce player pullouts.
“That is a wonderful thing by the BCCI to reward those who would be playing, but I would also request the BCCI to ensure that the feeder to the Test team, which is the Ranji Trophy, is also looked after,” Gavaskar said.
“If the Ranji Trophy fees can be doubled or tripled, certainly there’ll be a lot more people playing the Ranji Trophy, and a lot less pullouts from the Ranji Trophy because if the fees of playing a Ranji Trophy match are a good fee, there will be fewer people pulling out for various reasons,” he added.
In 2021, the BCCI updated the match-fee system for first-class cricket, offering Rs. 40,000 per match-day for 1 to 20 matches, Rs. 50,000 for 21 to 40 matches, and Rs. 60,000 for over 40 matches.
Would Request The BCCI To Look At That Aspect – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar echoed Rahul Dravid’s view of the BCCI’s announcement as rewards rather than mere incentives for red-ball cricket. Gavaskar highlighted the importance of adequately compensating Ranji players to minimize recent withdrawal issues.
“I think what Rahul Dravid said, when it was announced in Dharamsala, that he would like to call it a reward. They will all be wanting to play with a slab system – every 10 first-class matches you get that much more so I would request the BCCI to look at that aspect as well,” Gavaskar said.
Should Probably Be A Little Bit Of A Gap – Sunil Gavaskar
The cricketer-turned-commentator endorsed the idea of extending the intervals between Ranji matches. Gavaskar suggested that such breaks would provide players with enough time to seek medical assistance and ensure they are in optimal condition.
“In the three-day gap, what happens is that there’s probably a day in between for travel. During travel, there’s no time to visit the physio and maybe take his help to get fit from a niggle. So, there should probably be a little bit of a gap so that the player has got adequate time,” Gavaskar further stated.
India and Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur recently voiced concerns about the Ranji Trophy schedule. The right-arm pacer emphasized that playing 10 matches with only three-day gaps between games could significantly impact player fitness and performance.
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Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) India National Cricket Team Rahul Dravid Sunil Gavaskar
