BCCI shells out Rs 109 crore to former Test and first class cricketers

The BCCI today announced a one-time payment (OTP) to retired Test cricketers and a select group of first-class cricketers. The total compensation paid out to 237 former cricketers totalled over Rs. 109 crores.

While all former test cricketers were eligible for BCCI's one-time compensation, retired first-class cricketers with more than 75 matches at the end of the 2003-04 season were eligible for it.

A total of 105 first-class cricketers including the likes of Amol Mazumdar, Sairaj Bahutule, Vikram Rathour etc. were eligible for the OTP. The list also included compensation paid to the widows and remaining kin of deceased ex-cricketers, the notable ones being Eknath Solkar, Dilip Sardesai, the Nawab of Pataudi and Lala Amarnath.

The highest compensation on offer was paid to cricketers who had played 100 or more Test matches. This list had a total of 11 names, Gavaskar, Shastri, Venkataraghavan, Srinath, Kapil Dev, Kumble, Vengsarkar, Kirmani, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid the chosen ones.

While the total compensation shelled out totalled Rs. 108.35 crores, tax paid on foreign payments took the total past Rs. 109 crores. Details of the payment were made public on the BCCI website.