Harbhajan Singh Asks Anil Kumble To Take Up Domestic Cricket Fees With Administrators

Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh on Wednesday wrote a letter to Indian cricket team coach Anil Kumble regarding the financial condition of an average Indian domestic cricketer and has requested Kumble to raise the issue of their match fees with the Committee of Administrators (CoA). Kumble will be giving a presentation to the CoA regarding the revised pay structure of the contracted Indian cricketers on May 21. The grades for the BCCI contracted players are Rs 2 crore, Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakh.

While the elite Indian cricketers are a sorted lot along with a handful of first-class players, who have IPL contracts, an average domestic cricketer still gets a match fee of Rs 1.5 lakh (first XI player) for a first-class game (Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy) compared to the Rs 15 lakh for a Test match.

"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," said PTI, quoting excerpts from Harbhajan's letter.

"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.

"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," the letter says.

"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.

"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."

Asked about the letter, Harbhajan told the news agency, "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 in India. I am not talking for myself but those who are grinding it out at the domestic level."

Talking about the IPL contracts, Harbhajan said, "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."

(With PTI Inputs)