da cassino： AC Muthiah, the BCCI president has clearly elucidated his views withregard to the contract system for Indian players
Staff and Agencies25-May-2001BCCI President favours a contract system for playersAC Muthiah, the BCCI president has clearly elucidated his views withregard to the contract system for Indian players. Muthiah welcomed therecommendations made by Sir Paul Condon in his report on match fixing.According to Sir Condon, an improvement in the pay packets ofcricketers and a contract system for players would help in instillingfinancial security that the players need badly.Muthiah said, “I personally feel it’s (increasing pay packets forcricketers) a good suggestion… and contract system is a betteranswer to regularise the income of the players,” talking to PTI on thephone from Lahore where he is attending a two-day meeting of the AsianCricket Council.Sir Condon was critical in his report partially blaming the currentsystem wherein cricketers were paid less compared to some of the othersportsmen which has been cited as one of the reasons for their beinglured into corrupt practices. Muthiah was of the opinion that thecontract system when put into practice would ensure a regular incometo the players even while they are injured. “We will work out aconsensus (in BCCI) and try to introduce such a system for Indianplayers,” he said.Muthiah also supported Condon’s idea that there should be an increasedlevel of involving players and their representative bodies in theadministration and overall management of the game. Muthiah said thatthough the report failed to mention any names, the recommendationscontained therein, would go a long way in reducing the corruption inthe game. He was quick to add, “We will try and implement some of therecommendations.”Lele puts speculations to restThe Asian Cricket Council meeting, which started in Lahore onThursday, had generated considerable interest with speculations thatBCCI president A C Muthiah and PCB chief Lt Gen Tauqir Zia may meet todiscuss the Indian government’s refusal to allow its cricket team toplay a bilateral series with Pakistan. However, talking to the PTI onphone, Board secretary Jaywant Lele said that the ACC meeting was an’informal get-together’ of the heads of the Cricket Boards of thecountries in the region and on the opening day it discussed matters ofmutual interest. “There is no meeting between Muthiah and Zia on thecards,” Lele said.The two-day Asian Cricket Council meeting in Lahore would only discussmatters relating to the development of cricket in the region,according to Lele. The meeting will decide on the proper utilisationof the $6.5 million provided by the International Cricket Council forthe development of the game in the region and finalise the schedulesfor the Asia Cup, to be played in Pakistan next year, and the AsianTest Championship.Zimbabwe will pose an exciting challenge: DravidFortified by the confidence gained from a spirited series win againstAustralia, a determined Indian team embarked on a 46-day tour ofZimbabwe early on Friday, raring to break a 15-year jinx of notwinning a Test series outside the subcontinent.The Indian team management spoke in detail about the importance of theTest series against Zimbabwe. Sourav Ganguly could not join themanager Chetan Chauhan, coach John Wright and vice-captain RahulDravid in briefing the media. Ganguly was held up in Kolkata owing topersonal reasons and joined the touring party later in the night tofly out to Zimbabwe.According to PTI, Chauhan told reporters in Mumbai on Thursday, “Theboys are aware that India has not won a series abroad in the past 15years and they are brimming with confidence to break the jinx”. Hesaid the performance in the recent home series against Australia hadgiven them “a much needed boost”.Coach John Wright echoed his views, saying that he does not have a’magic formula’ for the Indian cricket team to win a series abroad andbelieves the players have to work on their basics to get a positiveresult. “There is no magic formula in cricket. You have to do what isrequired at a particular time and play to potential”, said Wright.”Execution of genuine play, bowling a good line and length and justdoing the basic things right is all that is needed to win a match or aseries”, Wright added.Vice-captain Rahul Dravid said the important thing was for the team toput together a good performance and the rest would take care ofitself. Dravid said, “It is important to concentrate on the basicprocesses without getting unduly excited over the result. Our job isto play good cricket with a positive frame of mind and not to getpreoccupied with results. “Zimbabwe will pose an exciting challenge.They are a good side and played a good series in India last year. Theyare a good unit together”.On India’s failure to win a series on foreign soil for the last 15years, he said, “certainly the boys are aware of it but they don’tthink about it. This time we would like to win the series and turn anew page.” About the conditioning camp held in Bangalore, Dravid saidit was of good quality and added, “the guys put in a lot of hard workand surely there is an increase in their fitness level.”Asked which Zimbabwe players he considered a ‘threat’ to the Indianteam, Wright said “Andy Flower and Heath Streak might pose some threatas both are world class players. However, there is no question offearing anybody.” Commenting on the World Test Championships, bothDravid and Wright said it was a ‘good concept’ and gave a chance forevery team to play each other.