Three former BCCI presidents claimed that player-agent nexus regarding endorsements was ruining Indian cricket and called for stern measures to check the menace.
CHENNAI: Three former BCCI presidents on Tuesday claimed that player-agent nexus regarding endorsements was ruining Indian cricket and called for stern measures to check the menace in the wake of the World Cup debacle. The former presidents said the captain should be left out of the selection process to make sure personal endorsements did not affect the team’s performance.
One former Board chief said that players’ agents had come to have a negative influence on team selections by way of leveraging their hold on the captain or senior players. “During my tenure as president, there was only one or two players involved in advertisements but not on a larger basis. At the same time, I had information that the players’ agents were instrumental in undeserving cricketers getting picked for tours,” he said.
Elaborating on the typical modus operandi of an agent, the former official said, “he charges 30 per cent commission on total contract. He enrolls a senior player, who has a say in selection and then ropes in other players (for advertisement) and shares his 30 per cent with the concerned senior player in exchange for the inclusion of the other players named by him (agent) in the team.” He also suggested that captain should be allowed only to place his views about team requirements and not be made a part of the discussion in the selection committee meeting.
“If these allegations, what I have heard, are true, the captain should be heard by the selection committee members on his suggestions for inclusion of players but he should not be allowed to sit through the meeting,” he said.
Another former BCCI president said that following the World Cup debacle, it was the right opportunity for the Board to take the bold step. “It is a God given opportunity for the Board to stop this menace. The Board should boldly ban advertisements and endorsement contracts of players who are generally under the clutches of their agents,” he said.
The third ex-president also shared the view. “In every method certain grey areas are there and it has got to be eradicated. It has always happened and this is the right time for the Board to crack the whip on the non-performing players,” he said.
They were unanimous in calling for the players’ earnings through endorsements to be shared with the Board. “The players should obtain permission from the Board and in fact share a percentage with the Board like what is prevalent in Australia and some other countries,” one of them said. “The Board is entitled to get a percentage because it is giving them the forum to play and thereby to make a fortune,” he added. The trio said the BCCI Working Committee should take a decision on these lines at its meeting on April 6 and 7 in Mumbai.
They also said that around the year 2000, the senior players formed a committee for dialogue with the Board on ‘players contract’ and they agreed to pay a percentage to the Board from their advertisement and endorsements.
“Anil Kumble drafted the agreement on behalf of players and it was to be signed by the Board but afterwards there was no light on it. When you are giving them the forum to play the game and paying them much more than other cricket playing country, the players should bide by the Board’s decision.”
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