Against the backdrop of the Indian team's poor performance in the Champions Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is considering a carrot-and-stick policy of rewarding performance for the players when it revamps the match fee structure.
"The minimum match fees for the players would in all probability remain the same as it's at present," said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah on Wednesday.
"Only a lot of board members feel that performance-linked bonus payments should be introduced that will be disbursed among the various players as part of the 13.5 per cent distribution of the board's revenue to them every year.
"Those who perform well will get more from this share."
The board has formed a panel consisting of secretary Shah, Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty, Vice President Shashank Manohar and Treasurer N Srinivasan to finalise the modalities of this scheme in a couple of days.
"I don't think the senior players can object to this incentive. But this has nothing to do with the annual contracts (with three grades A, B and C).
"That's separate and we hope to finalise it after sitting with the senior players and coach Greg Chappell before the team's departure for South Africa (on Nov 13)," Shah said.
At present the cricketers contracted with the board get Rs 2.5 lakh per Test and Rs 1.6 lakh per ODI, while those not contracted get Rs 3.2 lakh and Rs 2.2 lakh respectively.
Asked whether the implementation of the incentive scheme would mean that the match fees will get reduced, Shah said "I don't think so".
"But the committee formed to go into the details will discuss and come up with the formula," he added.
