Pruning down the contracted players list appears to be a smart move Trust the Board of Control for Cricket in India to provide a surprise element in anything they do. The latest surprise is pruning down the list of contracted players. <table style="width: 105px; height: 42px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="105" align="right" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="/imagedata/2010/nov/irfan.jpg" border="0" /></td></tr> <tr> <td> Discarded all-rounder Irfan Pathan </td></tr></tbody></table>Some of the prominent names missing in the new contracts' list released earlier this week are Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthik, S Badrinath, Shikhar Dhawan, RP Singh and Sudeep Tyagi. A BCCI official told SUNDAY MiD DAY that it was unnecessary to reward fringe players financially through the year. Hence, the board decided to get rid of Grade 'D' in the contract system. Last year, Javagal Srinath told this writer that good remuneration helps improve the mindset of a player and allows him to bring out his best on the park. He also said players in 'Grade D' - which was discarded in the new list - are most likely to benefit since they sense trust of the national selectors. "Handing a contract to a player is an investment. The youngster must look at upgrading himself and work towards becoming better because the board has decided to entrust faith in him," said Srinath. No play, no cash In the news system, if Irfan is picked to play for India, he would be given a Grade 'C' contract on a pro rata basis and paid only half the amount that a contracted player would get. In a nutshell, BCCI has affirmed that only the privileged few are eligible for a contract which may not be a bad way to go about things. Fast bowler Rudra Pratap Singh is a case in point. The left-arm swing bowler didn't represent India in a single match in the last 12 months, but took home an annual income of Rs 40 lakh. Likewise, Wasim Jaffer and Mohammad Kaif were contracted all through the 2009-2010 season without playing a single Test or ODI. Irfan reckoned that being handed a contract does not affect a player.u00a0 "These things don't really matter. The commitment level will remain the same. Grade A, B or C or even no grade doesn't make a difference when you are playing for the country. I am still hopeful of making the World Cup squad," said Pathan. Getting fit The 26-year old all-rounder paid a number of visits to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore over the last two months. "They tell me that currently I am out of the team, but will be back soon if I work hard," said Irfan, who has been out of top-flight cricket for the last few months. "Right now, I am just training to get fit. Hopefully, I can start bowling in full steam by next month. These contracts don't matter," he said. Before signing off, he applauded the media. "It is good to see Ranji Trophy getting good coverage. With no IPL before the World Cup, this is a good stage for youngsters to get noticed by selectors," said Irfan.

Pruning down the contracted players list appears to be a smart move

Central contracts: BCCI in save mode

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Central contracts: BCCI in save mode

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