BCCI brings in cosmetic changes

India's cricket chiefs on Saturday introduced performance-linked payments to the national team, saying wins will earn them more money but defeats will hurt the pockets.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also scrapped gradation in the annual contracts for players following the team'sfirst round exit from the ongoing World Cup in the Caribbean.
"There will be noA, B, or C grades in contracts as it was till now. All players will have thesame grades," BCCI treasurer N. Srinivasan told reporters at the end of atwo-day review of the World Cup debacle. Winning a series will be rewarded withbonuses."
Srinivasan, however, did not reveal what the new fees forinternational matches will be.
"The parameters have yet to be finalised," he said.
Indian cricketers were previously paid 3,400 dollars for a one-day international and 4,500 dollars for Test matches, in addition to annualcontracts ranging from 110,000 dollars to 45,000 dollars.
Players will also notbe allowed to endorse more than three sponsors, a move that had been recommendedby a group of former captains on Friday.
"There was a unanimous view by theex-captains that some cap should be present, even while they were not againstplayers earning money," said Srinivasan.
Indian players are much sought after by companies for endorsing their products in a country where cricket is the mostpopular sport. Superstar Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the world'srichest cricketers, reportedly has sponsorships worth 400 million dollars.
The system of having five honorary selectors will also be abolished and they will bereplaced by full-time paid selectors drawn from the vast pool of former players,said Srinivasan. The domestic system will also be made stronger with theinternational calendar being adjusted so that star players play six to eightweeks of domestic matches every year.
The captains' recommendation that sportingpitches be prepared around the country so that batsmen do not struggle whenconfronted by fast wickets abroad was also accepted.
The second-string 'A' teamswill tour Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies on a regular basis so that younger players get a chance to play on good wickets before beingdrafted into the national side.