The recent announcement by the BCCI to hike pensions prompted me to recall that 2004 function held at Wankhede Stadium’s PD Hall, where cheques of Rs 5,000 each were distributed one by one to retired Test players and umpires based in Mumbai.

There was cynicism in the room and not without reason. After all, R5,000 per month from the richest board in the world bordered on peanuts. 

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Insiders say the Board was not exactly rolling in wealth and the then president Jagmohan Dalmiya did realise that he was leaving out players and umpires who represented the country in one-day international cricket. But a start had to be made and that was part of Dalmiya’s plan for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. An exhaustive history of the Board commissioned to author Boria Majumdar was also Dalmiya’s way of celebrating the landmark. 

Prof Ratnakar Shetty, then the Executive Secretary and Joint Secretary of the BCCI, was given the task of organising the function close on the heels of his return from the historic tour of Pakistan, where he was the manager of the Indian team. Dalmiya wanted as many former Test players to attend as possible.

Polly Umrigar, who had made his debut in the 1948-49 India v West Indies Test series, was the senior-most Test player in the room, while 82-year-old Mantri was the eldest in the pack. Umrigar thanked the Board and Dalmiya vehemently for initiating a scheme that, “put so many smiles on faces of players and umpires in this hall.”

Ravi Shastri came up and started off with a quotable quote after collecting his cheque, presented to him by BCCI functionary Niranjan Shah:  “I’m here for the gesture, not the bucks.”

He pulled no punches. We listened: “It’s about bloody high time that the Board looked into the [welfare] of its former players. We appreciate that this [pension scheme] has finally come - better late than never. This is just the start, hope it carries on. I’d like to echo what Jimmy [Amarnath] said a little while ago. I think it’s the senior players who have just been forgotten. I’d like to pay my respects to all these players here. They were great role models when I was growing up. This is the wealthiest board in the world and it could do a lot more for senior players.

“As far as players before 1975 are concerned, it’s my request…with Prof Shetty at the helm. He can tell the BCCI and Dalmiya that I think players before 1975 should get another benefit. It shouldn’t be that they go out with a begging bowl to sponsors. It should be a fixed amount allotted by the BCCI and give it to all those players.”

Shastri’s wish came true years later when the BCCI initiated the one-time payment scheme for players. They have yet to do so for umpires.
Yajurvindra Singh was up on stage next to receive his cheque. He opined that 1975 could be stretched to a few years later because players were not well paid even in that era.

Umpire Piloo Reporter spoke from his heart and admitted how helpful this pension would be in “tight economical conditions” and what an honour it was to represent India as an umpire in the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. He ended his speech by saying how all in the room wished that the Board’s Platinum Jubilee would have come earlier for their benefit. That brought about a few laughs. Reporter could well be in the same jovial mood today with his pension raised from Rs 22,500 to Rs 45,000.

Balvinder Singh Sandhu told this newspaper later that evening that the scheme should encompass parents and the wives of deceased players. He cited the example of Ramnath Parkar, who would have availed of pension had he not passed away following a road accident.

Nari Contractor, the former India captain, told us: “It could not have come at a better time for us as we can no longer depend upon the earning from the interest. The interest rate has gone down from 15 per cent in 1993 to just six per cent.”

Over the years, with changes in regimes, the BCCI has enhanced their pension scheme to commendable limits. Widows were included in the scheme and so were long-serving first-class players, one-day international cricketers and women cricketers. There is suggestion to also reward groundsmen and official scorers.

Shetty, who has seen it all right from the start, was appreciative of the Board’s gesture, but wanted to see current domestic players have something to fall back on by way of a contract system. His point about how not all domestic cricketers figure in the lucrative Indian Premier League is a sound one.  

From a modest beginning with Rs 5,000 in 2004, the BCCI has made great strides in its pension scheme. The journey has not ended and it is still away from being totally fair. Yet, it’s no time to be a pessimist. Today, a commendation is merited.

mid-day’s group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello

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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper