New player contracts to come only in Oct?

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has initiated discussions on handing out fresh central contracts for the men’s national team in Oct. The existing contracts ran out in mid-2024 but the board is yet to announce a fresh list of centrally contracted cricketers.

According to BCCI policy, a player’s central contract runs from Oct to Sept, meaning the exisiting contracts ran out as far back as Sept 2024. Usually, the board has been known to announce fresh lists only in Feb-March of the following year for the last four-five years, which hasn’t happened this time.

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The contracts this year have been withheld because of the team’s shoddy Test performance and a question mark over Rohit Sharma’s future. Board officials plan to sit with the selectors to discuss the road ahead for Indian cricket. It is also learnt that head coach Gautam Gambhir too has shared his ideas on the contracts issue.

Usually, players are given central contracts based on their performance in the preceding year. “If one looks at the performances in the year 2023-24, India have won the T20 World Cup besides being consistent in the other formats. In that case, the likes of Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja don’t deserve being pushed down (in the gradation system of the contracts).

“The Test series loss to New Zealand at home and the debacle in Australia happened after Oct. The board doesn’t mind giving the payouts as per the last contracts. If the board gives fresh contracts in Oct, it will give a better idea of vision of the future,” a BCCI source said.

Debate over size of support staff It is learnt that the BCCI is considering trimming the support staff. Currently, there are six coaches travelling with the Indian team.