Former India batsman Suresh Raina expressed his gratitude toward The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after the board increased the monthly pension of retired cricketers and umpires. This gesture by the board has been well received and has garnered praise from all corners.
The monthly pensions of all the retired cricketers, men and women, alongside former umpires, have been significantly increased from 75% to even 100%.
Here are the details of the increment:
“A total of around 900 personnel will get the benefit of the scheme with more than 75% of the beneficiaries getting a 100 % raise,” BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.
Among men, former first-class players, who earlier got INR 15,000 per month, will get INR 30,000, while former Test players, who got INR 37,500, will now receive INR 60,000. Those with INR 50,000 pension will get INR 70,000. Women international players, who got INR 30,000, will receive INR 52,500 from now, while first-class cricketers who retired before 2003 and were getting INR 22,500 will now get INR 45,000.
For whom this pension increment is most important?
Taking to Twitter, Suresh Raina thanked the BCCI for this move. He further explained that this pension increment is important for those former cricketers who didn’t play in the IPL or didn’t bag lucrative IPL deals. Also, he added, this is a key added income for the former Indian women cricketers.
The increase in the pension of former players by BCCI is worthy of praise. These will be of great benefit to those cricketers who have not played IPL. It is also good for women cricketers. Jay Shah ji deserves congratulations,” Raina tweeted (translated from Hindi).
बीसीसीआई ने पूर्व खिलाड़ियों की पेंशन में जो बढ़ोत्तरी की है, वह प्रशंसा के योग्य है। इनका फायदा उन क्रिकेटरों को बहुत होगा जिन्होंने आईपीएल नहीं खेला है। महिला क्रिकेटरों के लिए भी यह बढ़िया है। जय शाह जी बधाई के पात्र हैं।@BCCI @JayShah @ShuklaRajiv @BCCIWomen https://t.co/uDh1peIvQC
— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) June 14, 2022
The Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA) welcomed this decision by the board, and expressed its “immense gratitude” to the BCCI.
“The announcement by the BCCI yesterday has been very well received by our members, many of whom have benefitted with this move in these days of rising prices and falling interest income, all of which has become a world-wide phenomenon,” an ICA statement said, as seen by ESPNcricinfo.
“That this 75 to 100 percent rise in pension comes on the back of the increase in medical reimbursement from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for those who have played 10 and more First-Class matches makes it even more welcome.”