The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has implemented a new ‘Test Cricket Incentive Scheme’ for its players in order to reward those who prioritize red-ball cricket. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has stated that this scheme will particularly benefit players like Cheteshwar Pujara who are not part of any IPL franchise and focus on playing Test cricket.
Understanding the Test Cricket Incentive Scheme
The essence of this scheme is to provide higher pay for players participating in Test matches. This allows non-IPL contracted players to earn a respectable amount by engaging in Test cricket. Players who feature in less than 50% of matches in a season will receive only the match fees, which amount to Rs 15 lakh. For those involved in over 50% of the matches, they will receive an additional Rs 30 lakh if in the playing XI and Rs 15 lakh if in the non-playing XI. Players appearing in more than 75% of the matches will receive incentives of Rs 45 lakh and Rs 22.5 lakh respectively.
Beneficiaries of the Incentives
The scheme will be initiated by BCCI during the 2022-’23 season, where India played six matches. Players who participated in fewer than 3 matches will not be eligible for these rewards. For example, Pujara played all six Test matches in the 2022-’23 season and will earn Rs 3.6 crores for that season. Umesh Yadav, who played 4 Tests in the same season, will be eligible to receive a total of Rs 3.15 crores.
Reasoning behind the Incentive Scheme
Following instances of players like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer opting out of Ranji Trophy to prepare for IPL cricket, the BCCI and team management felt the need to financially reward players committed to red-ball cricket. The top players in the Indian team also advocated for a review of the pay structure in Test cricket, highlighting the significant disparity compared to IPL earnings.
Current Pay Structure for BCCI Players
Currently, BCCI pays Rs 15 lakh per Test match (Rs 7.5 lakh for non-playing), Rs 6 lakh per ODI (Rs 3 lakh for non-playing members), and Rs 3 lakh per T20Is (Rs 1.5 lakh for non-playing members) as match fees. Additionally, centrally contracted players receive retainers with Grade A+ earning Rs 7 crores, Grade A Rs 5 crores, Grade B Rs 3 crores, and Grade C Rs 1 crore.