BCCI draws flak on endorsements issue

NEW DELHI: Former cricketers were on Sunday divided in their opinion on the Cricket Board's radical step to curtail players' endorsements and scrap the graded contract system.

While many ex-players welcomed the move saying it would bring Indian cricket back on track, there were many others who denounced the measures as "regressive". They said it was not fair only to blame players as selection committee was also equally responsible for India's disastrous show in the World Cup.

Former captain Ravi Shastri, who had taken the BCCI head on to resolve the sponsorship row between the players and the Board in 2002, surprisingly supported curtailing cricketers' endorsements, saying it would help the youngsters keep their focus on the game.

"No one wants to deny anyone a buck. But it may happen that at a very young age, at times when you don't have the backing of education behind, you can just be caught in another world," he said.

"You may lose the focus that is required to play cricket," said the outspoken former allrounder, who has been appointed team manager for next month's tour of Bangladesh.

Former opener Chetan Chauhan, however, said it was "illegal" to restrict players' endorsements, which was their personal matter.

"I do not agree with the Board's decision restricting players' endorsements. It is illegal. The criterion should be selection, if they do not perform they will themselves be out of the picture," the Delhi-based former player said.

"But I agree with changing the contract system to match fee payment although I feel retainership should be on because there is so much cricket now-a-days and players tend to get injured frequently. In such a case, they need some sort of security because they will be paid for only the matches they play," Chauhan said.

Ajay Jadeja also echoed similar views and said endorsements were linked to players' performance and the cricketers were an accountable lot.

"I think it's unfortunate the way the players have been treated... Endorsements don't come their way when they are not winning games. Nobody gives the endorsements when they are not performing. Players have always been accountable. Irrespective of the number of endorsement you will still do the same amount of work and get the same money, in fact their value will go up."

"Not that I am supporting players. But nobody is asking any question to selectors. The players are asked to become accountable. It's only players who are answerable and get affected, if they lose," he added.

Former Test player Arun Lal, who is also the Secretary of the Indian Cricket Players Association, said sponsorship, should not be blamed for bad performance but the selection process should be examined.

"I totally disagree with the Board's decision. If you feel that players are not performing well then just drop them but why blame sponsorships for this," Lal said.

"If you are offering incentives and bonuses to enhance performance then what could be a better enhancer than sponsorship. If they perform well they will get sponsorships."

Lal criticised the selection process instead. "If you think players selected are not performing well then the problem is not with the sponsors but with the selectors."

Lal also called for a collective stand by the players in the wake of the current developments.

Legendary spinner E Prasanna refused to comment on the players' endorsements curtailment by the Board but appreciated change in the contract system.

"I do not want to comment on endorsements since it is not under my purview. But in my opinion the BCCI has worked out the existing gradation of payment in a different way, perhaps in deciding to give equal payment to seniors and juniors in the team in a way reverting to the old system.

"It is a right move. At least they have decided a decent sum as retainer fee. It is a best approach by the Board to award incentive on matches won. As in the past, it might be one such experimental measure by the Board and bringing about changes again," he said.

Former Test opener Pranab Roy felt that the players would be hit hard by the Board's decision.

"In this age of rising prices when the players have no source of alternative income they will be hit hard," Roy said.

He said the BCCI should understand that all its financial prosperity was because of the toil and sweat of the cricketers.

"The huge money they rake in from cricket sales, sponsorships and by allotting telecast rights comes not because of Sharad Pawar or Niranjan Shah but because of the players' performance," Roy added.

Chandu Borde, who was among the seven captains invited to have a discussion with the BCCI's bigwigs a day prior to the Working Committee meeting, was pleased that 95 per cent of their suggestions have been implemented, including the one on players' personal endorsements.

"I was talking to a few fellow-cricketers, including Sunil Gavaskar and Bapu Nadkarni, yesterday after the Board's announcement and they were both happy with the decisions taken.

"I am also happy that 95 per cent of our suggestions to the Board have been accepted," he said.

Nadkarni, former all-rounder and left-arm slow bowler though happy with the steps taken by the Board, was a bit skeptic on how well they would be implemented.

"The steps taken are very good provided they are implanted properly. Where we fail generally is at the final stage. It has started in a good way, and let's hope it ends in the same way. We also tend to overdo things," he said.

Former Test opener Ashok Mankad felt he could see light at the end of the dark tunnel but wondered how the corporates or big business houses will react to the Board's restrictions on players vis-a-vis their endorsement deals.

"It will depend on how the corporates will look into the restrictions put on players for doing endorsements. Here one cannot blame the players," said Mankad.

Another player Atul Wassan termed the BCCI Working decision of capping endorsements as "regressive".

"There are some very regressive steps, specially the cap on endorsement. This does not exist anywhere in the world.

"I don't think that endorsement affects the performance of players. It's a perception. Players keep coming on ads and TV and whenever we lose people do not want to see them. They are all adults and they are free to spend their free time as they want. Nobody can instruct them what to do in their free time."

On scraping on gradation in contract, he said "For long it was felt the contract system was flawed, there were a lot of ambiguities. So the scraping of grading will only be fine. But it can be fine tuned in a different way.

Former BCCI Chief Biswanth Dutt said if the decision to reduce the payment was only a punitive measure then it was not right.

"I don't have details of the discussion and the reasons for the Board's decision. But I feel it is not proper to reduce the earnings of any individual," Dutt said.

The former BCCI Chief, however, hinted that the decision to reduce the players' payments have been prompted by the loss of revenue due to renegotiation of TV rights with Nimbus.

Former BCCI Joint Secretary Gautam Dasgupta said BCCI seems to have decided in a hurry.

"There should have been more wide ranging discussion before taking any drastic measures. Even South Africa lost to Bangladesh yesterday. I think the board has hurried," he said.

Dasgupta, who was part of the Jagmohan Dalmiya regime which had introduced the contract system for the players, also said the discontinuation of contract payment and reduced match fee would create financial insecurity among the players.