Coronavirus: Virat Kohli And Co May Expect Pay Cut if Financial Crisis Hits BCCI

Cricketers across the spectrum from international to domestic will be impacted, Malhotra says.

Published: April 1, 2020 7:47 AM IST

By India.com Sports Desk | Edited by Feroz Khan

virat kohli cricket
Virat Kohli (© IANS)

Indian cricketers can expect pay cuts should the BCCI be hit hard by the financial crisis triggered by coronavirus pandemic. With the cricket tournaments across the world either been postponed or cancelled to contain the spread of the virus, stakeholders will be hit hard by the potential loss of income.

The trend is already afoot in the football world with several top European clubs announcing reduction in wages for its entire playing staff including the likes of BC Barcelona and Juventus.

Lionel Messi on Tuesday confirmed Barca footballers have agreed to 70 per cent pay cut while Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly let go of his four month’s worth salary to help Juventus ride the financial storm.

Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) president Ashok Malhotra confirms that while it’s unfair to cut the wages, if BCCI isn’t earning as much it used to, it is bound to happen.

“The BCCI is the parent body of the cricketers,” Malhotra told The Times of India. “It’s a company. If a company is making losses, then it all filters down. In Europe, almost all the footballers, normally paid the highest among all, are taking a huge pay cut, which has been announced by their associations. This was an unexpected scenario.”

He added, “These are very tough times. So, everyone will have to try and contribute from their pocket. I know it’s not fair to reduce the salaries of the players, but if the parent body is not earning as much as it was doing before, the cricketers will definitely have to expect a pay cut.”

Cricketers across the spectrum from international to domestic will be impacted, Malhotra says.

“For example, if a Ranji Trophy player normally gets 1.5 lakh for a game, he may have to suffice with Rs1 lakh. I think everyone’s expecting it. As of now, sport has taken a back seat. If there’s no sport, no IPL, The BCCI will lose around Rs3,00 crores. If there’s no World Cup (there is a danger of the T20 World Cup in Australia in October being cancelled too), then the BCCI won’t get money from the ICC also. So, if they get a big hit, you can’t expect them to pay people normally,” he said.

India is currently in the midst of a 21-day coronavirus lockdown with the number of infected swelling to 1397 and 35 deaths so far.

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