HCA not against reviving pension scheme

Hyderabad Cricket Association is not against giving monthly pension to former First Class cricketers, who have played less than 25 Ranji games.

File Photo: HCA president Mohammad Azharuddin has written a letter to the BCCI to release some funds immediately.

Hyderabad Cricket Association is not against giving monthly pension to former First Class cricketers, who have played less than 25 Ranji games, but is waiting for the BCCI to release funds, which are due to it, to revive the pension policy, according to HCA secretary, R. Vijayanand.

“The issue of pension, which was given from 2014 to 2016 December by the then secretary K. John Manoj before being stopped, was raised by former Ranji players and the current players’ representative on the HCA Apex Council, Parth Sathwalekar,” Vijayanand told Sportstar on Saturday.

“In fact, at the last Apex Council in January this year we decided, in principle, to revive the pension policy to getting BCCI grants. Once that happens, all those deserving cricketers will get the pension of ₹4,000 per month,” he said.

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Corpus fund

“Our president, Mohd. Azharuddin, has even written a letter to the BCCI to release some funds immediately. Then we will create a corpus fund and the interest accrued from it can take care of disbursing the pension without a break in the future,” Vijayanand added.

However, the players’ representatives — Sathwalekar (men) and Subadhra Suri (women) — insist that HCA could have started giving pension from the ₹10 crore released the last time by BCCI.

Vijayanand, however, said that a major chunk of that, about ₹5 crore was paid as GST and the balance for payment of fees to players, coaches and support staff besides salaries to all HCA staff.

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Major hitch

“The major hitch right now is that we have to get the annual audited statement of accounts for the year 2018-19 approved by certified authority and then ratified at HCA’s Special General Meeting to be convened for this purpose. Once that is done, it will be easier for us to get funds from the BCCI,” Vijayanand added.

Importantly, he said that it is mandatory for the Players Association to have a duly elected body which should help in disbursing the pension to deserving players.