Indian team's support staff turn down BCCI's hike

What’s the story?

Lodha Committee recommendations continue to affect the Indian Cricket Team after support staff, including batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar, turned the down the 25 percent hike offered by BCCI.

They were promised a 100 percent hike by then secretary Ajay Shirke and president Anurag Thakur during the England Test series last year but their removal has meant current BCCI CEO Rahul Johri came up with the new proposal, which was rejected.

“The problem is that a few members of the support staff, such as Bangar, have been there for more than three years now and still they are working for the same salaries they were drawing when they joined. Later, a physio is appointed and he is being paid a similar amount as the two coaches. It has been a case of discrimination and even the Indian team coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli felt that the support staff need a good hike. They were earlier promised that the BCCI will take care of their salary correction, but till date, it hasn’t happened. And now with this 25% hike, the support staff is not happy,” a source told The Indian Express.

The context

Indian coach Anil Kumble currently earns Rs. 6.5 crore and the gulf in salary between him and his support staff is considerable. The fact that the support staff were promised a 100 percent hike and aren’t getting it is a result of the Lodha Committee recommendations and the revised salary announced by current BCCI CEO.

Details

Ever since Anil Kumble took over as the coach, India have been a different beast in the longest format of the game and one of the reasons for that has been the support staff, who have been of incredible help to all the players.

It is only fair that after three years of working they get a hike. The fact that they were promised one during the England series by the previous secretary and president of BCCI and aren’t getting what they were promised doesn’t reflect well on the BCCI.

What’s next?

Given the support staff have rejected the 25 percent hike that has been offered by the BCCI, it will be interesting to see the next course of action that is taken and if the support staff are given the hike that they were promised.

Sportskeeda’s Take

Irrespective of the change in the top brass of the BCCI, a promise is a promise. The fact that the support staff were promised a 100 percent hike and have only been offered 25 is an insult to the work that they have done with the Indian team. Considering the massive gulf in pay that already exists between Anil Kumble and his support staff, a hike makes sense and the sooner BCCI can reward the efforts of the likes of Bangar and co, the better it will be for all concerned.