It’s been 18 days that the England cricket team is in India and the squad members are yet to receive daily allowances from the BCCI since the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which covers this payment, is yet to be signed by the two Boards.
While the Supreme Court has sanctioned Rs. 58.6 lakh (approximately) per match for the organisation of the first three Tests, it does not include the daily allowance, which is subject to clauses of the MoU.
While there hasn’t been major inconveniences for the England team but the recent demonetisation drive by the Indian government has indirectly affected them as the limited supply of legal tender (notes) they have with them is drying up.
“Yes, England team is yet to receive any allowances from the BCCI,” said an England insider on conditions of anonymity.
Every England squad member is supposed to be paid GBP 50 per day, which is Rs. 4,200 approximately as per current exchange rate.
It has been learnt that the match officials have been paid their daily allowances as well as the Indian players.
When asked how the England team is managing, the source said: “The players and support staff are mainly doing transaction through credit card and there was some limited cash (Indian currency) that was provided to them by the manager.”
While the cash crunch due to demonetisation has affected the whole country, the England team is also facing the brunt admitted the source.
“I would not say there are major financial difficulties but there is an inconvenience of the limited cash available,” the source further added.
BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke could not be reached for a comment.
It must be recalled that Shirke had written to ECB’s manager of operations Phil Neale about BCCI’s inability to provide expenses for the England team.
“BCCI is at present not in a position to execute the MoU between the Indian Cricket Board and the ECB. This is due to restrictions on execution of contracts imposed on the BCCI by a Court order,” Shirke had intimated Neale.
The Lodha panel, in its e-mail to the BCCI, had made it clear that the proposed MoU between two boards was not in its mandate.
“The proposed MoU between BCCI and ECB concerns bilateral cricketing policy, the formulation of which is not a part of the mandate of the Committee. As far as payments are concerned, if they are to be made directly by the BCCI, no directions can be given by this Committee until relevant details are furnished by the BCCI,” panel had written in its response to the BCCI request.
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