While a wide range of issues related to domestic cricket was discussed during the BCCI’s annual domestic captains and coaches conclave on Monday, it also saw a few interesting suggestions. The one that made heads turn was the one about advising State associations to set minimum wages for coaches of domestic teams.
The Hindu understands that at least four coaches from multiple zones raised the need to create a minimum annual pay for coaches of domestic teams.
Not too responsive
The BCCI big men were not too responsive since the coaches are employed by the State associations, but it was a vociferous demand.
So varied are the domestic coaches’ fees that senior team coaches are paid anywhere between ₹3 lakh to ₹50 lakh per annum.
The coaches pointed out that while those experts who enter into a professional contract by moving out of their respective State association are paid well, the local coaches are underpaid generally.
“When players, umpires, match referees and scorers are paid directly by the Board, why not set the basic standard for coaches?” said a coach supporting the demand, preferring anonymity.
Ranji format
While virtually all the associations which attended the meeting — barring Delhi, which went unrepresented for the second year in succession — supported the reversal to the home and away format and addition of neutral curators, the number of Ranji Trophy groups was a big point of discussion.
Many teams voiced that the new format of dividing the 28 teams into four groups of seven teams each didn’t work on many counts: lesser number of matches per team and also even one washed out game could become crucial.
A few captains and coaches demanded that the BCCI either returns to the three-group league stage or increases the number of qualifications to three or four, thus making it either a 12 or a 16-team knockout stage.
The Board officials pointed out that with the sword of Supreme Court-directed reforms lingering over the BCCI, the total number of teams for the next season is still undecided.
So far the apex court has directed Bihar’s return to the First Class fold and at least a couple of north-eastern teams are likely to be inducted into the domestic circuit, so the issue was left unresolved.
Chief national selector M.S.K. Prasad, who was a special invitee for the meeting, hoped that the workload management model of fast bowlers effectively adopted by the Indian team management in consultation with the selectors should be adopted by the State teams.
However, multiple captains and coaches who attended the meeting confided later that the suggestion seemed “impractical” since it would affect the teams’ chances.
