Two World Cup-winning blind players allege they have been dropped from state teams for refusing to pay administrators a 30 per cent cut from their prize money
What do you call a situation where cricketers are made to part with a percentage of their prize money, while earning laurels for the country, to the cricket bodies they represent? It's called 'just not cricket'. That's exactly what is happening with blind cricket in India. More stunning is the fact that players who don't contribute their hard-earned rupees are in danger of not getting picked for their state teams.
India's blind team with Anish Baig (extreme right)
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Mumbai-based Anish Baig revealed to mid-day yesterday that he is not part of the Maharashtra team playing the 24th national cricket tournament for the blind in Mumbai because he did not contribute 20 per cent of his World Cup T20 prize money and other earnings to the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and 10 per cent to the Cricket Association for the Blind of Maharashtra (CABM). Baig was richer by Rs 10 lakh for his exploits in the T20 World Cup held in Bangalore earlier this year when they beat Pakistan by nine wickets in the final on February 12.
Ketan Patel (left) and Anish Baig
"I want to play for Maharashtra and of course for India again, but since I had not paid a total of 30 per cent of my prize money and earnings to the associations, I was not included in the Maharashtra team for this event," Baig told mid-day yesterday. Baig also revealed that India's all-rounder Ketan Patel is not in the Gujarat team for the Nationals due to a similar reason. However, when mid-day spoke to Patel in Phaladra, near Valsad, he said: "I wanted to play the Nationals in Mumbai, but I have some problems at home. However, I am ready to part with some of my World Cup prize money and earnings."
Except Baig and Patel, all members of the World Cup-winning team have contributed to their respective associations and are playing in the tournament held at various grounds in Mumbai. "The Boards have given us a platform to play cricket by raising money and we too contribute to the Board. I have contributed Rs 1.5 lakh from my earnings to CABI and R1 lakh to the Cricket Association for the Blind in Andhra Pradesh," said India's World Cup-winning captain Ajay Reddy.
When mid-day asked Ramakant Satam, the CABM secretary, about Baig's absence from the state team, he initially said he is injured. "He is unfit and didn't even attend the selection trials. That's why he is not part of the Maharashtra team for this national tournament," said Satam. However, he later said that Baig was unreachable. "After the World Cup triumph, we helped him get Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh, but later on, he was not in contact with us. Even though there is a regulation that a player has to give 10 per cent (of his prize money) to the state association and 20 per cent to the national body, we told him not to give a single rupee to us, but continue to play cricket."
While Satam indicated it was mandatory for players to share some of their prize money and earnings to the associations, CABI president GK Mahantesh said it was up to the players. "The players had a meeting and decided to contribute to their state as well as the national association. I have to check, but I think except Anish and Ketan all others from the World Cup-winning team put in some amount. Both (Baig and Patel) have some issues with their state associations. They are very good players and I am happy to talk to both players and resolve the matter," said Mahantesh..
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