Why ICL may still stump BCCI

Even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a rise of nearly 40 per cent in the match fees of domestic cricketers, it may still not be able to level its challenger-body, Subhash Chandra's India Cricket League (ICL).

That's despite the fact that Indian cricket's governing body plans to allocate Rs 55 crore (a 30 per cent increase over last year) as match fees for domestic cricketers in 2007-08.

Star cricketers in the ICL will earn more than BCCI cricketers primarily because of the way the contracts are structured. That is despite the fact that their estimated fees per match day, at Rs 33,333, are lower than the BCCI's Rs 36,000 per match day fees in 2007-08.

Yesterday the BCCI announced domestic cricketers would be paid Rs 36,000 per match day in the current financial year, from around Rs 26,000 per match day in the last fiscal.

Each senior cricketer plays up to 45 match days in domestic cricket (if his team notches up a stellar performance), taking the annual match fee earnings of local players up to Rs 16.2 lakh.

However, the ICL, according to industry estimates, has signed three-year contracts with local players that are worth between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 90 lakh, with each ICL player to be seen in action for 45 to 90 match days per year.

Assuming that a player earning an annual fee of Rs 30 lakh plays for 90 days, each player will earn Rs 33,333 per match day.

The advantage for ICL players is that the amount in the contract is a guaranteed sum, as opposed to BCCI fees, which require that players be in the team for the match in question.

Therefore, factors like being dropped from the team and injuries could impact the fees of players affiliated to the BCCI. The prize money, however, at Rs 4.2 crore is the same for both sides, though the BCCI revised it yesterday.

Despite having incurred an additional expense of Rs 26 crore under the head "player fees", BCCI executives say the bottom line of cricket's richest governing body will not be severely hit.

The steep increase in income from broadcasting rights has resulted in more income for the board. Overall income for the BCCI in 2006-07 was Rs 650 crore against Rs 430 crore in 2005-06. BCCI executives say 80 per cent of that income is from broadcasting rights.

"The BCCI's income has increased considerably due to the revenue earned through selling media and sponsorship rights. Therefore, we can now share more with our players," said Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer of the BCCI.