BCCI working group hopes to address domestic cricket issues

The BCCI annual general meeting on December 1 last year had authorised the office-bearers to form a working group for planning the compensation package for cricketers and officials for a curtailed 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 outbreak.

Interestingly, the BCCI letter to its affiliates on July 10 informing of the formation of the group has no mention of the compensation package.

Despite the delay in its appointment, the newly-formed working group for domestic cricket by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is hoping to address the priorities of various stakeholders in domestic cricket. The BCCI annual general meeting on December 1 last year had authorised the office-bearers to form a working group for planning the compensation package for cricketers and officials for a curtailed 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 outbreak. The working group, appointed earlier this week, includes Rohan Jaitley (north zone), Yudhvir Singh (central), Jaydev Shah (west), Devajit Saikia (north-east), Avishek Dalmiya (east), Santhosh Menon and Mohammed Azharuddin (south). Interestingly, the BCCI letter to its affiliates on July 10 informing of the formation of the group has no mention of the compensation package. “It has been verbally discussed and I am sure we will be involved in devising the details. From what we gather, the package that is being worked out will be to make up for the loss of tournaments that could not happen last season,” said a member of the group, preferring anonymity.

Besides the compensation package, the group will also be tasked with executing the forthcoming season. Even before the formation of the group, the BCCI has announced a full-fledged domestic season starting September 21. “Yes, the BCCI has announced the schedule but besides finalising the venues, we will also have to see if the format requires any tweaks to minimise risks," said another member of the group. In its letter to the associations, BCCI secretary Jay Shah noted that the working group comprised representative of “member associations, including former cricketers”.

Former cricketers and officials are hoping that the cricketers will think more as cricketers than donning their hats of ad administrators. Azharuddin, the former India captain, is the president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association. Jaydev, besides being the Saurashtra Cricket Association chief, holds the record of being the most-capped captain in India’s First Class cricket.