The support staff of the India cricket team may not get much attention when the players of the national team perform, but they play an important role in the background before any match or a series. Hence, there is a serious need for them to be paid well for their efforts, but that has not been happening with the support staff including batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar.
The support staff has been left disappointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, who only offered a 25 percent hike despite promising a 100 percent raise. However, one has to remember that a lot has changed within the BCCI after the battle with the Lodha panel.
With BCCI failing to adhere to the recommendations suggested by the Lodha panel, the apex body decided to remove president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke. The situation has changed in the BCCI with the newly appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) taking some strict measures as well. The new proposal of 25 percent is said to have been brought forward by BCCI CEO Rahul Johri.
This is unfair on Bangar, who joined as the batting coach in 2014 when Ravi Shastri was the Team Director. Since then, Bangar's salary has not been raised, and this 25 percent hike has not gone down well with the coaching staff.
"The problem is that a few members of the support staff, such as Bangar, have been there for more than three years now and still they are working for the same salaries they were drawing when they joined. Later, a physio is appointed and he is being paid a similar amount as the two coaches," Indian Express quoted a source as saying.
"It has been a case of discrimination and even the Indian team coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli felt that the support staff need a good hike. They were earlier promised that the BCCI will take care of their salary correction, but till date it hasn't happened. And now with this 25% hike, the support staff is not happy."
With the BCCI known as the richest cricket board in the world, known to make their players happy with huge incentives and bonuses, they have to look deeper into the impact on Bangar and the rest of the coaching staff. They have to be rewarded handsomely for spending time in the background for long hours in the nets and helping players improve in their respective departments.
The support staff are the backbone of any team, and Bangar and co. deserve a better pay day in the immediate future.
