BCCI to introduce player contracts

India's cricketers will soon be on par with their counterparts in Australia, New Zealand and England, once the system of player contracts is put into practice by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The new pay structures could be in place as early as end-July, long before New Zealand arrive for a two-Test series.

Under the present system, the fringe players earn as much as established internationals when it comes to match and logo fees. As a result, players like Sanjay Bangar, Ajit Agarkar and Parthiv Patel - who didn't play a single World Cup match - managed to bank as much prize money (Rs 75 lakh) as those who played every game.

Under the formula that Dalmiya has proposed, the top 20 players will be offered contracts, and within that group, there will be four different grades - based initially on experience, and later, on performance.

Senior Indian players first started lobbying for central contracts after Anil Kumble missed out on the entire 2001 season as a result of a shoulder injury that required surgical intervention. If they have their way, it'll be those on the fringes - along for the ride, for the most part - who end up with noses out of joint.