BCCI to shortlist players for central contracts

The gradation committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India is scheduled to meet in Kolkata today to identify the players who will be awarded central contracts. The four-member committee, headed by Jagmohan Dalmiya, is to slot the players into the three different grades.

The meeting would be attended by Dalmiya, SK Nair (the board secretary), John Wright, the national coach, and Syed Kirmani (the chairman of the selection committee). Sourav Ganguly would also be consulted on the allocation of grades.

The contracts were ready to be signed before the team's departure for the Asia Cup in July, but differences among the players, which involved some juniors being unhappy about the huge difference between grade A and the other two grades, caused a postponement.

However, the players then came to an agreement among themselves and suggested that the three grades should provide annual retainerships of Rs 5,000,000 (US$110000 approx), Rs 3,500,000 (US$76000 approx) and Rs 2,000,000 (US$44000 approx) respectively.