Under-19 players caught in BCCI politics; yet to get daily allowances
India Under-19 cricketers, who are currently playing the England Under-19 team, have not received their allowances for the last 15 days, reports have emerged. The players, who have been unable to find the right authority to take things up with, have had to pay dinner bills from their pocket money.
Although the BCCI president and secretary were sacked by the Supreme Court, the problems in the board haven't stopped yet. According to a report in The Indian Express, 15 days after the start of a 30-day long home series against England, India Under-19 cricketers and support staff including coach Rahul Dravid haven’t received their entitled allowance of Rs 6,800 per day yet.
Due to the absence of official signatory after the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha committee removed the top-brass BCCI officials, the BCCI, too, aren't able to withdraw money from its account. The cash withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000 per week has further added to the players’ woes.
Due to the non-payment of the allowances, the teenaged players have had to rely on their parents to help them with pocket money to pay for their dinner every day.
The Committee of Administrators (COA) appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the board’s functioning had instructed BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to use the Board’s imprest account from a bank to pay the daily allowances of the senior team, which is in Hyderabad to play the one-off Test series against Bangladesh from tomorrow. But, no such thing has been planned out for the junior team.
A BCCI official has also said that the B
“We have decided that once the series gets over, we will send DA directly to the accounts of players and support staff. Even in BCCI, there are lots of problems, as we don’t have a signatory and we can’t pay anyone,” the official said, reported by the Indian Express.
Speaking about the issue, an unnamed member of the Under-19 team, said, “We are managing somehow. During match-days, one meal is organized by the host association and breakfast is complimentary at the hotel. But the biggest problem is dinner. We are put up in a posh hotel in Mumbai where a sandwich costs over Rs 1,500. Players have no option but to step out for a meal after a tiring day on the field.”
“Even if you want to complain, who will you complain to,” one of the players said.