Players' contracts to be delayed

The renewal of contracts for the Indian cricketers is set for delay at least till early next month, a top BCCI source said on Tuesday.

With many of the top players unavailable for the October 19-21 preparatory camp ahead of the one-day home series against Sri Lanka, the committee formed to review last year's contracts has shelved plans to talk to the cricketers' representatives at the camp.

As per earlier plans, BCCI joint secretary Goutam Dasgupta and executive secretary-in-charge Ratnakar Shetty were scheduled to hold meetings with players' representatives on October 19 before submitting a report to the Board on the contracts for the 2005-06 season.

Dasgupta and Shetty, along with BCCI treasurer Jyoti Bajpai, figure in the review committee formed to go into the effectiveness of last season's contracts and suggest changes.

However, the plans went haywire after the committee realised that captain Rahul Dravid, who is yet to return from Australia, the injured Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly and V V S Laxman -- who has been dropped -- would not be in the camp.

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Last season, 17 players were given contracts by the Board after dividing the lot into three groups, with their annual retainership pegged at Rs. 50 lakh, Rs. 35 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh per player respectively depending upon which grade they belonged to.

But with the review panel not having the jurisdiction to decide on the promotion or demotion of a player from one grade to the other, the BCCI would have to form another committee to finalise the individual contracts after the three-member panel places its report.

The new committee would comprise the Board chief, secretary (also its convener), team coach and selection committee chairman.

"But the players have nothing to worry. Irrespective of when the new contracts are signed, they will be given retrospective effect from October 1," the source said.

The BCCI is mulling changes in the new players' contracts to include clearcut provisions on the amount payable to cricketers who sit out with injuries.

Apart from the injury clause, several other grey areas in the last contract would also be discussed thoroughly with players' representatives, before the fresh contract takes shape.