BCCI CHANGES FROM THE WORKING COMMITTEE!!

Mr. Niranjan Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI, has announced decisions taken at the Working Committee meeting of the BCCI held on April 7, 2007.

1. With a view to strengthening domestic cricket, efforts will be made to ensure that all Test / ODI Cricketers play Irani, Duleep, Challenger and some Ranji Trophy Matches.

2. Every Association will be directed to prepare fast and lively wickets for domestic tournaments.

3. The BCCI will do away with home and away rotation and allot venues for Irani Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, Ranji Trophy semi-finals and finals and one-day all-India knockout.

4. It was decided that all affiliated units should start their own state academies by April 2009. These academies would be linked to the National Cricket Academy for the purpose of uniformity in coaching.

5. It was decided to scrap the present zonal representation in the senior and junior selection committees. BCCI will appoint selectors on a full time basis based upon the eligibility criteria which would include stature as a player, selection experience etc. They will be remunerated suitably and appointed for a two-year term. The BCCI will take steps to propose necessary amendments to the Constitution to give effect to the above decision.

6. Regular and frequent Under-19 and India A tours to Australia / England / New Zealand / South Africa / West Indies will be undertaken.

7. The Working Committee has directed the Selection Committee to send a young team to Bangladesh under an experienced captain. The selection committee, after discussions has appointed Rahul Dravid as captain for India's tour to Bangladesh, Ireland and England.

8. BCCI will appoint a permanent manager for the Indian team for a two-year term. The Board will also appoint a permanent Media Manager for a two- year term.

9. Notice will be issued to Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh under Rule 38 of the Memorandum and the Rules and Regulations of the Board asking for an explanation for their comments made to the media.

10. Working Committee approved the Performance-based Payment to the players and decided to do away with the present gradation for Retainership. Apart from the payment, the following points would form a part of the contract.

ANTI PLAYERS!!! Anti-Players, is all how I can sum up these changes. I am asking instead of catering to the players who are the ONLY people to which all this boils down to, why are they treated so shabbily??? What the BCCI has done is sidestep the players and cater to the uneducated, fickle minded cricketing fans of this country… who are more fans of cricketers than cricket itself. That exactly why we have so many people copying Dhoni's hairstyle than copy his cricket.

The players endorsements is that MAIN cause and by Banning/Restricting them they habe solved the problem? What is the problem with their ads? Other than them making money, which we feel they don't deserve the only issue out here? Doesn't the board have the sense to see the basic point that they will be given those ads only if they perform? If they don't perform, You think the Advertising world would care to give them a second look? Even the players know it is only when they perform they can demand a certain contract price. The advertising world aren't fools to invest on any tom, dick and harry. How much of time goes into making one ad? How sure are we to say they are compromising on their cricket to shoot these ads? Arent the players entitled to a day off in a week atleast? What they do in that one that day and how they utilize it shouldn't be any of our concerns. Will u hold Sachin and Sourav guilty if they go to attend their kids annual school day meet or a parents-teachers meeting? Are a Sachin, Sourav entitled only to be cricketers and are not entitled to think of themselves or their family? Why are we so harsh on our players? Why is it so difficult to understand all is not rosy in the lives of a cricketer just because they get loads of money… they leave their family for days, they miss their kids growing up, any idea of how much wear and tear happens on their body playing in an out for so many days? Why is it that the cricketers winning ONLY matters to us?

And this restriction on 3 endorsements to make sure they don't concentrate on things apart from cricket is probably the biggest joke the board could make. Endorsements restricted to 3 endorsements/brand ambassadors, right? How will they check each sponsor coming out with 10 different ads? Technically they are still doing one single endorsement! What difference is it going to make to the so called 'Concentrate only on cricket' purpose? Why is the fact that a sachin makes 40-60 crores be a bother at all? We are so sadly mistaken if we think we can get cricket back to where it should belong by treating the players so insignificantly.

Why is commercial endorsements the only issue? How about including the free of cost endorsements that the players do for a social cause in the3 endorsement limit? How about asking Sachin to stop his Polio campaign, how about asking Ganguly to stop his involvement towards children rights, Stop Dravid from campaigning against AIDS, put a stop to Kumble's rally for the rights of the physically & mentally challenged… how about asking the team not to support a concert by the blind? How about asking the players not to be ambassadors of peace and communal harmony in the country. How about asking the players not to indulge in service to the nation when a calamity like Kargil, Earthquake or a Tsunami happens. Stop them from patronizing an orphanage, a hospital. How about stopping them from auctioning their personal belonging to gather money for a cause? Stop them from playing charity matches. How about stopping them from attending diplomatic dinners as representatives of your country, how about stopping them from promoting our country in terms of tourism? God this really takes up too much of time! They have a higher purpose, they need to be utilizing their time towards constructive cricket! Fighting against Polio, AIDS, campaign for UNCIEF is nothing when compared to winning a world cup, I guess! Why is there no issue when they do endorsements for charity and there is a huge public anger over their commercial endorsements? What is our problem? That those guys make more money than us? If that is not the case and it is in the 'Pure Interest' of Indian Cricket, then I will call it double standards, totally characteristic of Indian cricket fan, who laps up success like there is no one better, but will leave their cricketers high and dry when they need the support the most.

How right is it to stop them from endorsements when what u pay them is nothing, absolutely NOTHING! U pay them 1 lakh for an ODI, that makes it 5 lakhs for a series a ODI series. Tell me is that money sufficient for the preparation of a tour? U ask for fitness, level of fitness to be at the zenith… fair enough. How about providing them with an allowance to get them those gym equipments? They have to shed down their own money to get the best of training equipments and trainers… and all they get is 5 lakhs for a tour. 5 lakhs? That is what a software executive will make in 2 months in this country! And we are talking about world class competition. Where does the money come from if u cut down on their endorsements?

The reason to cut down on their endorsement is so juvenile that with the same reasoning very some cricketers will be banned from signing autographs. Because everytime they make an appearance, they are halued down for autographs and photographs... instead of the hour of delay that fan frenzy would cause, the players would have analysised Ricky pontings foot work and designed a stratergy to get him out along with figuring out how to hit Murali for a six!

Another arguement in favour of the restriction of endorsements are the fact that there is a sponsor syndicate working influencing the team selection! WHO needs to the whip for this allegation? The board which gets influenced by the sponsor syndicate because it is alone the authority of team selection or the players who have no say in the team selection? Any kid whould say it is the board's mistake... why are the players paying for it? How about asking the board to account for this allegation? They surely will defend themselves... if they can defend themselves why not even give the players a chance to be heard in this matter before slamming the decision on them? Double Standards yet again!

Why is the board so low on self esteem? I am not as ashamed of India's early departure from the world cup as much as I am ashamed of the Board, which at the drop of the hat mentions they are doing like the Australian Cricket does. Why do they want to turn India into Australia? I want India to a champion on its own right and not be a wannabe Australian side. It is demoralizing when you get constantly compared with the others and been showed down upon. Wouldn't we feel demoralized if that happened day in and day out to us? Why is the Board, for that matter the Whole country so stuck up about wanting to be Australian? Why cant we be Indians and make a niche for ourselves? Why don't we be self dependant, identify our potentials, dare to be innovative and build up on our own strengths and make an INDIAN statement than reading up the Australian contracts, getting Australian coaches and be an imitation of Australia? Why is India so low on self esteem??? The trick is not in aiming to be like the Best, the trick is in wanting to be the BEST! Until we learn to respect ourselves and respect our players… nothing is going to work because at the end of the day despite everything… it is our players who walk into the field to play the game.

Young talent, fresh blood is always a need. But it will be foolish to compromise on experience for the sake of younger players. Lets take this situation, lets pack our senior players home. Lets get a fresh team, lets make Dinesh Karthik the captain (You see Mr. Chappel thinks he has the capability of a great leader) Send Karthik to face a Ruthless Ricky pointing, Karthik is young and inexperienced but for the need of fresh blood a few mistakes he makes are forgiven. By the time he has learnt from his mistakes, it is time to send him home… u see he has become a senior now and you need FRESH blood! How foolish does that sound? Well that is exactly how foolish young blood over experience sounds! You need a balance… u need youth and experience, the seniors are indispensable especially at this stage when the cricket is in neck deep crisis. U need wise men to pull it through... do u think a 19 year old has that capability?

And the Board has a nerve to issue notices to Sachin and Yuvraj for defending the team in the media against unfair allegation made by Chappel? If Sachin & Yuvraj and previously Harbhajan and Sehwag were issued notices how about issuing a notice to Chappel? Let me guess… Chappel will get away on terms of technicality, u see he never spoke to the media, he only leaks info and the sources publish it! What is Sachin and Yuvraj's fault? That they didn't leak their messages through a close source, preferred to stand up and make their point publicly?

I personally feel Dravid been given the captaincy at this point isnt a wise decision. Because the players out there who Dravid is expected to lead aren't in favour of him. And I think the players should have been consulted in this matter, because at the end of the day they too have a right to chose their leader… like all of us have a right to chose the Govt of India or the College/labour union. It doesn't matter who the fans prefer as the captain… it is those 14 players who should accept him as the captain. I hope for the good of cricket, Rahul can reach out to the TEAM.

I surely am defending the players, but i am NOT blind to the fact that there is something drastically gone wrong in the way they are playing. I am rallying for players being understood and their problems being addressed to... than making healdlines about their endorsements.

I don't want to comment on the rest of the suggestion because I am not qualified in the technical aspect of it. Only time will decide how successful or not this revamp will be. Personally I feel we are going down hill, no one measure can come close to success by degrading your manpower. The main problem isnt being addressed to at all! The main problem is the power at the helm of the Indian Cricket has no clue about the game itself!

Originally posted by: maragathm

wow amu682 that was some interesting points you made. Yeah it is sad to see that the board has to sink to restricting players salary and endorsement deals to get them to play. but i really feel if a player is endorsing like 20 different products, it has some effect on the performance on the field. i also know it is a short career and they have to make money fast to have a secure future, nobody is naive, money does make the world go around and there is nothing wrong with making more money. but the current status quo is not working so obviously changes have to be made. we want to win that second world cup, anything and everything that can improve our game needs to be done even if it means swallowing a bitter pill. at the end of the day i selfishly will say that i care if india wins and i dont care what players bank balance is.

All of us want the WC and more importantly the players. The Bank Balance of the players isnt the only issue at all. I am more than sure even if the ban continues, the sponsors will be more than willing to raise their contract price to feature in the top 3 list of the palyers... the loss might not be too much, and the players are business men themselves they have restaurants and investments to take care of it. It is the reason behind the ban that will hurt them the most. u are questioning their integrity and no individual will take it well. Esp not those men who have given up their eductaion, families for the passion of the game and for the honour of wearing the India cap.

Yes there is no one above the country. Everyone wants India to win... the logic is simple... if India has to WIN, it has to be the PLAYERS who will be able to do that. There cant be anyone else who can get u victory otherthan the 11 men who enter the feild. They will have to go put their mind, heart soul into the game. How is it possible to give ur hundered percent when ur pride is hurt, when ur integrity is questioned, when ur capabilities are targetted by all sundry? They could very much get disillusioned... that state of mind is worse than any betting mafia out there!

You can have the best of infrastructure... but it is manpower and their will power that will get u anywhere on the field. So before anything... the players have to the first and main concern of the board and everyone else. When i mean players i mean the existing ones, the future generation and the legends of the game. Time has proven in all feild of lives it is the Human Resource that is of prime importance... and if we want to have a chance, it is our players who will give us that chance😃 I am not asking for anything more than basic human respect for those players from the board and the country irrespective of the result of the game.