• Sportzyverse
• Cricket news
• 03/24/2024
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The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has taken a significant step by agreeing to implement a 100% pay raise for its senior men’s team starting from the 2024-25 domestic season. This decision, made during the MCA’s apex council meeting, aims to align the players’ earnings from domestic cricket with those offered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Doubling of Player Earnings

The recommendation approved by the MCA’s apex council will double the earnings of players representing the senior men’s team effective from the upcoming season. This move will significantly enhance the financial rewards for players participating in domestic cricket tournaments.

Currently, the BCCI pays players at the senior men’s level based on three tiers. Players with over 40 first-class caps receive INR 60,000 per day, those with 21-40 games earn INR 50,000 per day, and players with fewer than 20 games receive INR 40,000 per day.

For instance, opening batter Bhupen Lalwani, who featured in all 10 games for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season, would have earned INR 17.2 lakhs as match fees. With the proposed pay raise, Lalwani’s earnings would have doubled to INR 34.4 lakhs for the same season.

Support for Red-Ball Cricket

The decision to increase players’ earnings stems from a desire to prioritise red-ball cricket, as MCA president Amol Kale highlighted. Red-ball cricket, notably the prestigious Ranji Trophy, is vital to Mumbai cricket.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has advocated for enhancing match fees for first-class cricketers, similar to the Test Incentive scheme introduced for centrally contracted players. Gavaskar emphasised the need to nurture the feeder system and incentivise players to prioritise domestic cricket.

The MCA’s move to enhance player earnings echoes a previous proposal made in the 2022-23 season, which aimed to introduce annual contracts for players. However, the proposal was not passed at the time. With the recent approval, the MCA demonstrates its commitment to bolstering the financial well-being of domestic cricketers.

The Mumbai Cricket Association’s decision to double player earnings for the senior men’s team signifies a significant step towards recognising and rewarding the contributions of domestic cricketers.