Retired cricketers wait for the enhancement of their pensions

When the one-time benefit scheme was launched five years ago, the board had decided to reward players who had played at least 75 first-class matches. The CoA, with Vinod Rai as the chairman, had first raised the matter in April 2017, when it noted that BCCI working committee meeting in 2015 had thought about extending the benefit to players who also played between 50-75 matches, which was further revised to 25-75 matches. 

CoA is apprehensive of the financial impact of the benefit being extended to so many players. 

“The board was not clear of the financial abilities in 2015as there are so many legal matters to deal with. A couple of months ago the CoA had referred the issue to the office bearers for more clarity. However, none of the professionals hired by the board bothered to contact the office bearers. The matter is still in limbo,” a BCCI official told TOI.

The CoA has also discussed the revision of pension of retired international cricketers and domestic cricketers. The board gives pension to players who played at least 25 first-class matches by 2003-04. The amount was revised in 2009 and 2015. 

“The CoA isn't sure of the time period for any revision, going by BCCI’s policies. The committee is also mulling an option of outsourcing the payment of pension to state associations. The state association cannot pay for their income because this is a sum given as benefit to cricketers by the board. There are a lot of issues pending before the CoA. Now, with the new constitution coming in, there is more confusion in the implementations of such initiatives. The CoA also has to keep an eye on the impending BCCI elections,” the BCCI source said. 

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