The ICC is looking at a dedicated fund of at least USD 15 million for Test cricket, as a way of increasing the players' match fee and arresting the migration of talent to lucrative T20 franchise leagues. It's an initiative of Cricket Australia, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India Secretary Jay Shah—who is the front-runner to become ICC Chairman—also supports it, and so does the England and Wales Cricket Board, according to a report in 'The Sydney Morning Herald'.
It would increase the minimum match fee for Test players and be used to fund teams' overseas tours. It would help underpin national boards such as the West Indies, who struggle to keep up with wages offered in global T20 competitions.
A fund would guarantee a minimum Test payment of USD 10,000 for all players and also bear the costs of overseas tours for countries in dire need, the report said.
"Great to see some momentum behind the Test match fund," said CA chairman Mike Baird, who floated the idea in January.
"We need to take away the barriers and encourage Test cricket to be the best of the best. To retain that history and that legacy, which goes alongside the newer forms of white ball cricket," he added.
The fund is unlikely to benefit the three wealthiest cricket nations -- India, Australia, and England -- since they already offer substantial salaries to their players.
However, how much money is available for Test cricket from the ICC is also likely to depend on a dispute with broadcaster Star, the report added.
The Star network wants to renegotiate a 2022 broadcast deal with the ICC and reduce its value to half of the original cost of over USD three billion.
The incentive system was brought in by the BCCI for India's men's Test cricketers at the beginning of the year, providing a focus on Test cricket and rewarding consistency for players in the longest format of the game.
Under the new scheme, a player who features in at least 75 per cent of India's Test matches in its annual cycle from October to September will now get a whopping Rs 45 lakh per match apart from the Test match fees of Rs 15 lakh.
Those players who feature in the 50-75 per cent games bracket will be paid Rs 30 lakh per game. The amount is halved for non-playing members when they are selected in the squad.
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