Cricket: A contract system has to be there for the domestic players: VVS Laxman

At the point when vulnerability poses a potential threat over the eventual fate of the homegrown cricket season because of the continuous COVID-19 pandemic, former India batsman V.V.S. Laxman trusts that the state affiliations should give out contracts to first-class cricketers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Indian top-of-the-line cricketers hard. Around 700 players the country over were affected as the pandemic constrained the cancellation of India's first-class cricket the Ranji Trophy.

“I have been telling this for a long time, that first-class cricketers should get contracts from their state associations keeping in mind that they are sacrificing everything and they are dedicating themselves to this game. It is very important that a contract is handed over because what happens to a player if he suddenly gets injured?" - he said in an interview withSportstar.

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"Suddenly there is no income for that player, and if that player doesn’t have a job, then how is he going to look after himself and his family? A contract system - like it is there for the international players - has to be there for the domestic players. It is very important. Especially in the current situation, I believe that it is mandatory and definitely the need of the hour. It is very critical to look after the domestic players’ well-being” - he added.

Sourav Ganguly assumed responsibility as BCCI president in 2019. He had recorded the agreement framework for homegrown players as one of the needs, yet nothing has appeared at this point. Supposedly, the state affiliations are anticipating an explanation on this issue from the BCCI.

Nonetheless, VVS Laxman clarified that relatively few players are fortunate on this front as cricket has progressed to be a pro game. He added:

“A compensation has to be made to these players. In the past, a lot of players used to have good jobs in a central or state government organization or private companies.

Unfortunately, now the jobs that the players are getting are very scarce. A lot of them have taken up cricket as a professional sport, it is no longer an amateur sport" - he said.

"The moment professionalism comes, it means they have to get paid, and unfortunately last year, because of the pandemic, some of them were not paid like they would if the entire season would have taken place,” added Laxman, who further stated that the players neither having IPL contracts nor playing for the national side are the worst hit" - he added