The ascendency of India as an economic world power

BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world and BCCI is so powerful that even ICC officials have to bow to BCCI at certain times. Now, the challenge has come to BCCI from within India itself. At first, BCCI officials did not want give importance to Indian Cricket League (ICL) and then threatened that any player who would join ICL would be banned for life from being selected for Indian national team. However, this threat did not help and ICL officials could manage to a number of Indian players who have impressive record in domestic cricket.

Business Standard reported:

Even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a rise of nearly 40 per cent in the match fees of domestic cricketers, it may still not be able to level its challenger-body, Subhash Chandra’s India Cricket League (ICL).

 That’s despite the fact that Indian cricket’s governing body plans to allocate Rs 55 crore (a 30 per cent increase over last year) as match fees for domestic cricketers in 2007-08.

 Star cricketers in the ICL will earn more than BCCI cricketers primarily because of the way the contracts are structured. That is despite the fact that their estimated fees per match day, at Rs 33,333, are lower than the BCCI’s Rs 36,000 per match day fees in 2007-08.

So, BCCI has decided to increase the amount of money in domestic cricket. BCCI officials are hoping that this way they can keep their good players. Well, I am not too much excited about it. ICL is offering a handsome amount of money and BCCI will find it difficult to compete with ICL when it comes to giving money to the players.