Anil Kumble proposes hike for Grade A players

New Delhi: Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli on Sunday demanded hike to the tune of 150 per cent for Grade A players in the central contracts and substantial raise for support staff.

Kumble gave a detailed presentation to the Committee of Administrators in Hyderabad, along with BCCI office-bearers CEO Rahul Johri, joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary and treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary.

Skipper Kohli was not in Hyderabad and interacted with the panel via Skype.

As of now, Grade A players get Rs 2 crore, Grade B Rs 1 crore and Grade C Rs 50 lakh.

As per reliable sources, both Kumble and Kohli feel that players in Grade A, who are certainties in all three formats should be getting in the range of Rs 5 crore per season.

Vinod Rai and Vikram Limaye heard everything that Kumble and Kohli had to say and have instructed BCCI’s office-bearers to take note of Kumble’s presentation, it is learnt.

It will be Johri, Amitabh and Aniruddh, who will now decide on the rationale of the demands. They will prepare a report and then the CoA will take a final call in this regard.

“Although Anil and Virat spoke separately, both stressed on the fact that performers in Test cricket should be kept in the highest bracket. Also, there is someone like Cheteshwar Pujara, who is not getting IPL contracts whereas someone like Pawan Negi, who doesn’t even play Ranji Trophy gets Rs 8.5 crore for 45 days. That’s something that needs to be worked out,” a senior BCCI official said on Sunday.

Kumble also gave a detailed presentation, demanding a favourable raise for the support staff. It includes Kumble himself, batting coach Sanjay Bangar, fielding coach R. Sridhar, physio, trainer, video analyst, throwdown specialist (Raghavendra).

“I won’t quote the figure but it’s a substantial raise that Kumble has demanded for himself also. Now while raising the issue of players, whether it was prudent on Kumble’s part to demand hike for support staff of which he is a direct beneficiary is a question,” an official said.

Kumble’s contract expires at the end of India’s Champions Trophy campaign but he is likely to continue till the West Indies tour.

It will come up for renewal before the Sri Lanka series. While there is a section in the BCCI, which is “not happy” with Kumble’s role in the central contracts issue, it will not be an easy task to remove him as it would need the nod from the CoA Administrators.