The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has significantly increased player salaries in recent years across all levels – both international and domestic, for men and women alike.
These efforts to enhance player earnings have received acclaim not just from Indian cricketers but also from players and experts around the globe. However, the same cannot be said for match officials, as the salaries of BCCI umpires have remained stagnant for the past seven years.
A recent report has pointed out that BCCI currently has a pool of 186 umpires, categorized into four distinct groups.
According to a report from Cricbuzz, BCCI umpires are divided into four categories – A+, A, B, and C – mirroring the grading system applied to centrally contracted players. The current distribution includes nine umpires in A+, 20 in A, 58 in B, and 99 in C.
Regarding match fees, umpires in the A+ and A categories earn ₹40,000 per day, while those in the B and C categories receive ₹30,000 per day. Importantly, these rates have not changed in the last seven years.
The report also disclosed that the BCCI’s Umpires Committee has proposed a revision of the current pay structure.
The suggestion involves consolidating the four-category system into just two categories and establishing a uniform daily fee of ₹40,000 for all umpires. Although this recommendation was submitted to the BCCI Apex Council, the board has postponed a decision for the time being and has chosen to create a separate committee, which is anticipated to present its findings at the next Apex Council meeting.
With the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy recently completed, the Indian domestic calendar has now transitioned to the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Once this tournament concludes, the second phase of the Ranji Trophy will commence.
In addition, the domestic schedule features Senior Women’s One-Day and T20 competitions, along with various junior-level tournaments. All these matches are officiated by the same group of 186 umpires appointed by the BCCI.