Image Source: X
[Saba Sports News] Following India’s commanding victory over England in Dharamshala on March 9, the BCCI has announced a substantial INR 40 crore boost to endorse Test cricket, celebrating India’s series win and their first triumph over England in the ‘Bazball’ era. The victory, secured by an innings and 64 runs, underlined India’s dominance, concluding the series 4-1 in their favor.
In response to this success, BCCI secretary Jay Shah revealed the inception of the ‘Test Cricket Incentive Scheme’ for the senior men’s team, aimed at financially rewarding players who significantly participate in Test matches.
This scheme, starting from the 2022-23 season, intends to double the match fees for players involved in more than half of India’s Test matches annually. Specific enhancements include increased match fees up to INR 30 lakh from INR 15 lakh for players participating in five or six Tests in a nine-match season, and a jump to 45 lakh per match from 22.5 lakh for those playing at least 75 percent of the games.
Jay Shah’s announcement on X (formerly Twitter) underscores the scheme as a step towards ensuring financial growth and stability for cricketers, supplementing their existing match fees. This initiative aligns with Shah’s prior emphasis on prioritizing national over franchise cricket, echoing his sentiments expressed before the latest Annual Player Contracts announcement, which notably excluded Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, despite their commendable performances, due to their absence from the 2023-2024 Ranji Trophy.