Graded payments from February 2004

The graded system of payment for Indian cricketers is likely to be introduced before India's tour of Pakistan in February 2004. Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the BCCI, disclosed this in Kolkata on Tuesday and confirmed that the system could not be implemented before the Australian tour.

Speaking to PTI, Dalmiya said, "The details of the new system are still being worked out and it will take a little more time to be ready for implementation."

The graded system of payments will be based on the experience of the cricketers and their seniority in the team. A total of 20 cricketers will comprise a national pool of players and they will be divided into three categories.

The annual contractual payment will be Rs 60 lakh, Rs 30 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively and will be based on their seniority while the match fee will be extra.