Amid rising concerns over the Indian cricket team’s recent performances, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly planning to introduce a system linking players’ pay to their individual performances.
Under the proposed scheme, players who fail to meet performance expectations could face variable pay cuts. This initiative comes in the wake of disappointing Test series outcomes against New Zealand and Australia. The BCCI appears to be adopting a corporate-style approach where both rewards and penalties are directly tied to performance.
The board has already implemented a performance-based reward system. Players participating in over 50% of Test matches in a season since 2022-23 are eligible for incentives of ₹30 lakh per match, while those playing in at least 75% of games earn ₹45 lakh per match.
This policy is designed to motivate players to prioritize Test cricket. However, there are ongoing concerns about players undervaluing the longest format of the game compared to white-ball cricket.
An anonymous source noted discussions about whether some players were indifferent to India’s Test match losses.
While the team management acknowledges the importance of Test cricket, many players seem to place less emphasis on it.
The management has urged the BCCI to address this issue to ensure that future players regard a Test cap with greater reverence than a white-ball career.
In addition, following India’s underwhelming Test performance against New Zealand, the BCCI has decided to reinstate restrictions on cricketers’ families accompanying them on tours. The move aims to enhance team focus and performance.
This decision follows India’s 0-3 home defeat to New Zealand and their 1-3 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.
The decision was made during a review meeting in Mumbai, attended by BCCI officials, head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and captain Rohit Sharma, according to reports by the Hindustan Times.
The reintroduced policy, which had been scrapped during the COVID-19 pandemic, limits family members from traveling with players on tours.
Under the revised guidelines, families will only be permitted to join the players if a tour exceeds 45 days, with a maximum stay of two weeks.
For shorter tours, family visits will be restricted to a week. This policy stems from concerns that family presence during international tours may negatively impact players’ concentration and performance.