CoA holds ‘productive’ talks with Kohli & Co.

Player retainership policy, player retainership fee and the Future Tours Programme were discussed in the meeting.

Virat Kohli had led the calls for pay rise for Indian cricketers on Tuesday.

A “path breaking initiative” in the form of a meeting to discuss player retainership policy, retainership fee and the Future Tours Programme was held between the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and the Indian team management - represented by M. S. Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri - on Thursday in New Delhi. According to Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, as quoted by a BCCI communique, the meeting was “productive” and the parties concerned have “aligned our thoughts on the betterment of the game.”

VIDEO - Vinod Rai: Team 'in agreement with the FTP'

He said, “It was a productive meeting. The team management was very forthcoming with their recommendations and their thoughts on various issues. This was a path-breaking initiative, we feel we’ve found a common ground and aligned our thoughts for the betterment of the game – be it the policies under which the player remuneration and FTP will be worked upon.”

Kohli, the India captain, had subtly raised the subject of scheduling a week ago when pointing out the lack of preparation time for the upcoming tour of South Africa. He had suggested it had compelled the team to request for seamer friendly pitches in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka.

The issue of FTP has been under consideration by the Indian board for other reasons, too; it has found the new FTP, for the 2019-23 cycle, contentious due to lack of primacy given to cricket fixtures at home.

Kohli had also batted for a better remuneration for Indian players.