Mumbai players likely to lose for the benefit of coach Chandrakant Pandit

The 41-time champion Mumbai Ranji Trophy team that is playing Hyderabad in the quarter-final of the 2016-17 season has a rather unpleasant news. They had earlier in 2016 lifted the premier Indian domestic title for the record 41st time beating Saurashtra in the final and won themselves a prize money of Rs 2 crore from the BCCI. To appreciate the effort of its player the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced an equal bonus for the player. It also paid Rs 5 lakh as a bonus to all the members of the team support staff.

While everything seems quite normal and pleasing for the players thus far, they received a letter from the MCA which stated that there was a “calculation error” and they were mistakenly paid “excess” payment. To recover the same the association would reduce the amount from the fees they are supposed to be paid for logo endorsement.

MCA Joint Secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar confirmed it and was quoted by Indian Express as saying, “The managing committee discussed the issue a few months ago. It was decided that as previous coaches were considered as players, and not as members of the support staff, when it came to paying them, Pandit should also get the same share. He received the bonus which the other support staff got, but the managing committee felt the amount should match what the players received,” said Khanvilkar.

“As the money had already been distributed, it was felt that the required sum should be deducted from the next sponsorship logo amount which the MCA receives, so that Pandit would receive his share,” he said.

Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit had received Rs 5 lakh at the time of distribution of the bonus and is due to receive another Rs 25 lakh. To aid the same top Mumbai players will have to sacrifice around Rs 2 lakh each.

The letter sent to the players stated, “Please note that we have paid excess (due to calculation error) Ranji Trophy winner prize money for the season 2015-16 to you. However, the managing committee decided to recover the said excess payment made to you from the NECC logo money for 2015-16 payable to you,”

Of course, the players aren’t happy with the decision and are not willing to give away their sponsorship earning and are considering to seek details about it from the MCA. “It is unfair, if they wish to make extra payment to the coach, they should deduct it from the MCA’s coffers. Why should we suffer? This also spoils the dressing room atmosphere. The letter from MCA came as a shock and is very misleading,” a player was quoted.

Khanvilkar, when queried for the reason players were taking the cut and not the MCA said, “It was the MCA which paid the winning team. As the money had already been distributed, how could we recover it? Players are busy and may not have the time to do an RTGS transaction. So the decision was taken to deduct money from their logo sponsorship.”

IE also reported that the MCA managing committee wasn’t convinced at the start to pay an additional sum to Pandit but seeking assistance on the issue from the BCCI MCA Treasurer Nitin Dalal had written a letter to the Indian board. BCCI told them that they had to pay a bonus to the support staff from their own funds and should not use the prize money for the same.