BCCI extends pension scheme to first class cricketers also

Mumbai, Apr 28 (UNI) The Finance Sub-committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), continuing with their effort of putting the money earned back into the game, today proposed to extend its pension scheme to first class cricketers who have played a minimum of 10 Ranji matches.

Earlier, the Indian cricket board had approved a pension scheme for Test and international cricketers.

The Board's finance committee, which met here today, has recommended that the pension scheme be extended to Ranji Trophy cricketers too and the suggestion would be taken up at the next Working Committee meeting of the Board, BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah told reporters here today.

''As per the recommendations, all those cricketers, who have played more than 75 Ranji Trophy ties before 2003-04 season, would get Rs 15,000, those who have played between 50-75 matches would receive Rs 10,000 and those who have played 10 matches before the league system was introduced in 1958-59 would also get Rs 10,000 per month,'' Shah said.

Shah said no concrete decisions were taken at the meeting of the Constitution Review Committee, also held today, and the discussions would continue for some more days.

''The main discussions are on making the term of office bearers to a uniform three years without the need of being re-elected at the end of one year and over prescribing eligibility criteria, such as a minimum number of AGMs attended by a member for becoming an office bearer,'' the board secretary added.

All these recommended changes in the Board's constitution would have to be approved at the special General Meeting to be convened on May 20.

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