Harbhajan pleads Kumble to ask BCCI to revise domestic cricket pay structure

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has requested his former spin partner and current Indian head coach: Anil Kumble, to raise the concern of low match fees for players in domestic cricket. Harbhajan was a regular member in all formats of the game for India till the end of 2011. The advent of Ravichandran Ashwin has made it difficult for him to play for the country. Since then, he has bided time in domestic cricket and has felt the harsh realities of how lowly the cricketers are paid.

Kumble is set to deliver a presentation to the Supreme Court appointed CoA on May 21 regarding the issues of player’s contracts. All top cricketers were given new contracts with a hike of almost 200% but Kumble and Kohli said that they are being paid too less, despite the substantial hike. Through this presentation, the former Indian captain will advise on the pay structure Team India expects to get for their efforts.

According to the latest payment structure, a Test cricketer will receive Rs 15 lacs per Test match whereas a domestic cricketer gets only 10 per cent of it i.e. Rs 1.5 lacs per first-class game. Harbhajan recently raised the issue and wrote a letter to Kumble about the financial insecurities of a domestic cricketer.

Bhajji’s letter

“It’s been last 2/3 years (that) I am playing Ranji Trophy. I hate that I’ve found constant struggle around me in the financial situation of my first-class teammates. Even though Ranji Trophy is hosted by the richest cricket board in the world, I appeal to you as a player, who is an inspiration and role model for all Ranji players,” Harbhajan wrote to Kumble.

“I request you to please take this up with the top brass of BCCI and players like Sachin, Rahul, Laxman, Viru to ensure that a change is brought about in the pay structure, in the amounts they get paid,” Harbhajan wrote.

‘Bhajji’ underlined the fact that the pay structure of the domestic cricketer has not been revised since 2004. He said that a domestic cricketer can’t plan their life because they are paid at the end of the season.

“I am willing to help/assist in any way to help bring in a change. It’s shocking to say the least that the payment system hasn’t been changed since 2004. Imagine the value of 100 rupees then and now. It is so different. Imagine in today’s day and age how can you call yourself a professional if your ‘job’ doesn’t even tell you how much you will earn yearly? How can you sign up and commit your life to a job which doesn’t promise you a fixed income every year. And that too, you are paid one year after you complete your work,” he stated.

“The guys can’t even plan their future because they don’t know whether they would earn Rs 1 lakh or Rs 10 lakh in that year and it leads to huge issues in their lives and families and (affects) state of mind. Anyway, let’s try and gently make a change for our brothers,” he concluded the letter.

Speaking to PTI, Harbhajan said that he was lucky enough to play for India for a long time and hence is financial secured. He is concerned about his teammates at Punjab and other players from various states who compete in the Ranji Trophy every year.

“If I wouldn’t have played domestic cricket during last four-five years, I wouldn’t have known what an average domestic cricketer goes through. Not everyone has a job. By God’s grace, if they get an IPL contract their lives improve. I have achieved enough because of cricket and I have been fortunate to play close to 400 international matches for India. I am not talking for myself but those who are grinding it out at the domestic level.”

India’s most successful off-spinner, Harbhajan, said that not all domestic players get an IPL contract. Every year more than 400 players play in domestic cricket and only a handful of them get picked by franchises in the IPL.

“But how many get IPL contracts? There will be hundreds of domestic cricketers who will not play for India or have an IPL contract but they are also cricketers just like any top India cricketer. They also have families, dreams, aspirations. This is a request that these domestic cricketers are also looked after,” he concluded.