While the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) is yet to implement several reforms suggested by the Lodha committee, Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) has found out that the Indian cricketers are not being paid the amount they deserve to be paid for revenue from broadcast rights.
According to a report in The Times of India, even though players are eligible to receive 26% of BCCI's gross revenue from broadcast rights, in reality, they get just about 8% of BCCI's gross revenue as salaries and bonuses.
The 26% revenue-sharing formula was cleared by a resolution passed by the BCCI general body in 2001, which was later put into place in 2004 by BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya. This 26% is meant to be split three ways -- 13% for international players, 10.6% for domestic players and the rest for women and junior cricketers.
However, sources told TOI that BCCI is doling out a whopping 70% of its gross revenue to state associations and it pays the 26% of the remaining 30% amount to the cricketers which is extremely less. The committee also added that the amount left over is used for stadium construction, infrastructure maintenance and running of the board administration.
According to the TOI report, the Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators has also found that the players are being paid a small percentage of earnings from sponsorship rights and for participating in ICC events.
"The CoA has been trying to change the formula for a long time to give players more, but the members are not willing. The cricketers are making a small share. The bigger problem is that the board members who are spending the 70% are unwilling to share details with the CoA. Whenever the CoA points fingers at them, they keep saying that it their money," a top source told TOI on Sunday.