Despite repeated promises by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and J&K Cricket Association (JKCA), the match fee and Daily Allowance (DA) of J&K cricketers has not been paid for the past three years.
JKCA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) had recently said that in his meeting with BCCI higher officials, the Board assured that pending match fee and DA of JK cricketers would be released soon. However, the promises have not been fulfilled yet and the cricketers remain high and dry.
Though some match fee of senior cricket team was released earlier this year but even their DA of last three years is yet to be released by BCCI.
According to rough estimates around Rs 5 to 6 crore of total match fee and DA is pending with BCCI. While BCCI has released all the match fee and DA of other States on time, the JK players have been ignored.
Infact recently BCCI directly released the contract money of J&K cricket coach, Mithun Manhas to the tune of Rs: 75 lakhs but kept amount of all J&K cricketers withheld.
While seniors have got some match money, junior and women cricketers’ haven’t received single rupee from last three years.
“Our match fee and DA of 2015, 16 and 17 has not been paid. We have to spend from own pockets while on tour. Recently we were on a long tour and it was really hard to sustain daily expenses,” said a junior cricketer.
“Normally DA used to be released quickly but since JKCA got involved in various scandals and court litigations it is the players who have been made to suffered,” he added.
A senior women cricketer said that they too have not received match fee and DA of last three years.
“Some pending match fee of previous years was released recently into our accounts but there is no word on DA. Also it was previous pending match fee and there is still no word on last years,” said a senior cricketer.
“Some cricketers who come from well off background do manage but the cricketers who belong to poor families have to face lot of problems while managing their daily expenses on lengthy tours,” he added.
A JKCA official said that there is a chance that the money shall be released shortly. “We are hopeful that process will start from Monday,” he said.