BCB agreed to increase salary
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has in principle agreed to
increase the salary of the national cricketers for the second time this
year.
A total of fifteen players had earlier been given central
contracts and were also awarded a 10 per cent increase in salary for the
current year during a board meeting on January 14, but the players were
not satisfied with the increment.
The players, who are yet to
sign the contract papers, led by Mushfiqur Rahim placed their demands
during a meeting with the board high-ups on Sunday and president Nazmul
Hassan Papon agreed in principle about a further increase in salary.
“Their
demand was logical as they have been receiving less money than the
previous one because of the withdrawal of the performance bonus (a
decision taken by the previous board). One player who had earlier
received Tk 4 lakh in a year is now getting less than that because of
the withdrawal of the performance bonus. Our board president agreed in
principle that the salary will be increased to adjust the loss,” said
BCB's media committee chairman Jalal Yunus yesterday, adding that
salaries across the board have been increased by 30 per cent over the
last four years.
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim
Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Abdur Razzak and Mahmudullah Riyad are in Grade
A+ and their monthly salary reached Tk 1.50 lakh after the 10 per cent
increase while Grade B players Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam and Nasir
Hossain earn Tk 1 lakh. Jahurul Islam and Elias Sunny in Grade C earn Tk
75,000 per month and newcomers Shohag Gazi, Anamul Haque, Abul Hasan
and Mominul Haque have been brought under BCB's rookie contracts for a
monthly income of Tk 50,000.
The players also demanded a rise in
match fees. Under the existing structure a player gets Tk 1 lakh for
playing a Test match, a figure that increases to Tk 1.5 lakh if the
match rolls into lunch on the fifth day. Match fees for ODIs is Tk
60,000 per match and Tk 35,000 per T20I.
Recently there has been a
desire among the players to participate in the various T20 leagues
around the world, but during the meeting the board high-ups made it
clear that players must give national duty the highest priority. The
board however decided to give all-rounder Shakib a NOC to play county
cricket for the third successive season as his stint would not clash
with national duties.
Source: The Daily Star
