Former First-Class cricketers request BCCI to raise monthly pension

The monthly pension paid to cricketers, who have played 25 First-Class games by 2003-04 has not been revised since 2015 despite the matter being brought to Committee of Administrators' (CoA) attention. The players seeking a hike in their monthly pension have written to BCCI president CK Khanna, who has highlighted the matter and brought it to the CoA’s notice. Jagdale, who has 53 First-Class games for Madhya Pradesh under his belt, has also served as the BCCI secretary. Danni and Lamba have featured in 49 and 76 First-Class games respectively for Delhi.  

“BCCI keeps the welfare of its cricketers in mind, and the former cricketers are reaching out to BCCI with a hope that the areas highlight by them will be looked into and implemented. While discussions have been held over the revision of pension of retired international cricketers and domestic cricketers who played at least 25 first-class games by 2003-04 and that the amount was revised in 2015; the players are waiting for the revision of pension,” Khanna wrote in his e-mail to the CoA, reported PTI. 

BCCI recently awarded cricketers with more than 75 First-Class games under BCCI’s one-time benefit scheme. But multiple requests have been made to include players with less than 75 games in this scheme without much of a success.  

“The former players’ demand is a valid one and should be addressed at the earliest. The BCCI’s chief financial officer has been told to work on it but there is no clarity over the reason for delay,” a board official revealed.