BCCI yet to discuss men’s central contracts

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: PTI

Almost halfway into the new annual retainership cycle, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to even begin discussions about the men’s central contracts for 2024-25.

“We have had some deliberation on the women’s central contracts, but the men’s contracts is not on the agenda in the near future,” Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, told The Hindu on Thursday.

The Hindu also understands that the BCCI office-bearers are likely to discuss the central retainer list informally with chief selector Ajit Agarkar on the sidelines of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL’s) opening game in Kolkata on Saturday.

The BCCI awards central contacts to men (since 2004-05) and women (2015-16) for the cycle starting in October and ending in September to maintain the consistency along with its AGM cycle. However, seldom have the annual contracts been officially announced before December.

The last cycle saw the men’s annual retainer list being out on February 28, five months into the cycle while the women’s contracts list was never officially announced. Conventionally, the BCCI president, BCCI secretary and chief selector meet to finalise the contracted players’ lists.

Last year, the retainership announcement was highlighted with Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan not being considered due to ignoring domestic cricket commitments for their respective sides.

The BCCI insiders attribute the constant delay in the last few years due to the legal issues the body found itself in since the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.

The delays have also paved a demand from certain sections of players for the contract cycle to be restructured from April to March. “With no international cricket commitments for the Indian team in April and May, the gradation can be finalised during the IPL and the players will be more secure at the start of a new international cycle,” said a player, citing anonymity.

This time around, the expected elevation of Jay Shah from the post of BCCI secretary to ICC chairman meant the meeting was not convened in November. Thereafter, with Agarkar being away in Australia with the squad and Saikia taking over as secretary only on January 12, the central contracts’ issue was put on the backburner.