Players, COA on same page on pay hike, FTP

Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday met with the Supreme Court appointed-Committee of Administrators (CoA) to discuss a number of issues, including the salaries of cricketers and the Future Tours and Programme (FTP).

Besides Kohli and Dhoni, head coach Ravi Shastri also attended the meeting with CoA chairman Vinod Rai, CoA member Diana Edulji and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, where issues like the player retainership policy and annual retainership fee were also discussed.

Rai said the meeting was extensive and fruitful without divulging the nature of the discussions. No decisions have yet been taken.

"It was a productive meeting. The team management was very forthcoming with their recommendations and their thoughts on various issues," Rai told reporters after the meeting, which lasted more than two hours.

"This was a path-breaking initiative. We feel we've found common ground and aligned our thoughts for the betterment of the game -- be it the policies under which the player remuneration and FTP will be worked upon," he added.

Ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Nagpur, Kohli had complained about the cramped schedule and lack of preparation time for the challenging tour of South Africa next month.

Rai had also backed the skipper, saying that the players were right in their demand, and they needed rest.

Commenting on the issue of FTP for 2019-23, which will be discussed at the ICC workshop on December 7 and 8, Rai said: "On FTP, we agree with them and will look into it so that they get enough rest."

"All the inputs they have to give us were taken and we are going to factor those in. The FTP, we bounced it off them.

"Presentations have been made, they are in agreement with the FTP so that they get enough rest etc. Number of (playing) days I can't tell you exactly because we haven't yet worked it out," he added.

Rai further said that the principles of compensation package will also be structured gradually.

"The principles on which compensation package has to be structured, that has been agreed to. It's only a question of numbers now. We will now match the revenue with compensation that each player receives," the former CAG said.

Rai also reminded that this was the first instance when representatives of BCCI were in a dialogue with the players instead of intimating them after taking unilateral decisions.

"All the discussions were very fruitful and they were very receptive as a consequence of which it's the first time that anyone is having a dialogue with them. Otherwise it used to be decisions taken and just communicated to them," Rai concluded.

Kohli is in the national capital for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday.

India are already 1-0 up in the three-match rubber having hammered the tourists by an innings and 239 runs in the Nagpur game. The first Test in Kolkata was drawn.

--IANS

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