Graded system of payments – Out with it…

One of the decisions taken in the April 06 review meeting of BCCI has been that of scrapping the existing player contracts. These contracts were won by players that insisted that some players receive more money than the rest based on some criteria, mainly experience.

Now on the surface, alls fine. The players argued, how a Sachin or a Rahul get the same money as say a Suresh Raina or Venugopal Rao? A corporate parallel would be that, how can an entry level manager get the same salary as a vice president of the company?

The board gave in and the Indian team was divided into three grades.

By afternoon on April 06, 2007 these contracts no longer existed. Even though there is no denying the fact that the overall efforts of BCCI post our world cup exit have been a complete sham, eyewash with the behavior bordering on that of an uncouth bully, the one thing that perked me up was that the with the scarpping of existing player contracts, out went the graded system of remuneration to the contracted Indian cricketers.

Bringing in corporate principles in other areas like sports and films is one thing but trying to run a sports outfit like a corporate entity is another. In my opinion, the job of the selectors is to pick up the best team. A team that represents the best batting and bowling talent and who are fit to play a cricket match on the day of the selection. The secondary (albeit of paramount importance) are skills like fielding and over all mental attitude which also come into play.

Now, when we do select a team on the basis of talent on that particular day, it means everyone is on an equal footing and has an equal responsibility of contributing to the team doing well.

Someone like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid (since I have used these names earlier) are there in the team because the selectors feel they can score runs, but so are Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao! They are in the team because of precisely the same reasons as S and R. Unlike a corporate set up where a Vice President of a company has a wider role and impacts the organization in a much larger way than a green horn management trainee, here all the 15 have an equal responsibility.

Does a grade system of payment imply that Venugopal Rao has lesser responsibility than Rahul Dravid to see Team India win? Why should be Sachin Tendulkar more accountable than Suresh Raina, in case the team performs badly?

Also, Sachin and Rahul are in the team on that given day because there are no better players on that given day to compete at the highest level. Experience is required, but only if it makes you a better player and probably offset the limitations that advancing age brings on you. Today Sachin is still amongst the top 5 batsmen in India. Youth for the sake of youth and experience for the sake of experience is not an answer to our performance woes. It is talent that comes first, and an Indian cap should only be given to a player who according to the selectors can stake the claim to be amongst those top 15 chosen to represent the country on the day of the selection. The problem is lack of bench strength and all those other problems the BCCI has been reminded of by all and sundry ad-nauseam from times immemorial.

The point here is if the senior players are making the cut by the fact that they are the best on that given day, i.e. they can score more runs or take more wickets than the ones that have been left out of the final 15, then why should they earn more than the others who are also a part of the team because of the same criteria applied? Grade A players cannot form a team to play on a cricket field. You need 11 players to go out there. All these 11 players have one objective, of combining well with their individual talents and make sure that the team wins, so why on earth a graded system?

The thing that bothers me is that the players themselves have pushed for this system. Is it not putting additional pressure on oneself?Aren't the cricketers themselves not responsible for the demi God status? Are these players in some way contributing to the myth of infalliability?

The cricketers by their own choice have opted a life in sports. It is they who should stick to the principles of sports and the game they play. Yes money is important, but it is the players who have to ensure that it remains a sport. It is they who have to set an example and hope that everyone follows it like one.