India, Sept 25: Former Test opener Anshuman Gaekwad, who represents the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) in the BCCI apex council, on Friday, said the board is set to come up with a pension proposal for former players.
The ICA’s long-standing demands include pension for former players who have played less than 25 first-class games, pension for widows of former cricketers, and women domestic cricketers.
The BCCI on Monday announced that domestic cricketers affected by the COVID-curtailed 2020-21 season will be paid a 50 per cent additional match fee as compensation for the disruption and also hiked their remuneration for the upcoming season.
Very happy to have the raise in match fees of domestic players ,men and women ,passed by the apex council today ..They are always the key to indias success in cricket at the international level @bcci @JayShah @ThakurArunS @ShuklaRajiv
— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) September 20, 2021
Gaekwad, who is also a former India coach, welcomed the move.
On domestic players’ hike, he said, “It is a welcome decision. Not all good cricketers can play for India, not all can earn the same kind of money. At least now they don’t have to worry about their livelihood.”
“A lot has already been done for domestic cricket and, it is evident with the depth we have in the national team.” Many Indian cricketers struggled financially after the Ranji Trophy was not held last year for the first time in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
