New Delhi: The members of the England cricket team are yet to receive their daily allowances, despite the fact that they have been on the tour to India for 18 days now. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is yet to be signed.
While the Supreme Court has sanctioned Rs 58.6 lakhs (approximately) per match for the organisation of the first three Tests, it does not include the daily allowance, which is subject to clauses of the MoU.
While there hasn't been any major inconvenience for the England team, the recent demonetisation drive by the Indian government has indirectly affected them as the limited supply of legal tender (currency notes) they have with them is drying up.
"Yes, England team is yet to receive any allowances from the BCCI," an England insider said on conditions of anonymity.
Each of the England squad member is supposed to be paid £50 day which is Rs 4200 approximately as per current exchange rate.
It has been learnt that the match officials have been paid their daily allowances as well as the Indian players.
When asked how the England squad members are managing, the source said: "The players and support staff are mainly doing transaction through credit card and there was some limited cash (Indian currency) that was provided to them by the manager."
While the cash crunch due to demonetisation has affected the whole country, the England team is also facing the brunt admitted the source.
"I would not say there are major financial difficulties but there is an inconvenience of the limited cash available," the source further added.
BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke could not be reached for a comment.
It must be recalled that Shirke had written to ECB's manager of operations Phil Neale about BCCI's inability to provide expenses for the England team.
"BCCI is at present not in a position to execute the MoU between the Indian cricket board and the ECB. This is due to restrictions on execution of contracts imposed on the BCCI by a Court order," Shirke had intimated Neale.
The Lodha panel in its email to the BCCI had made it clear that the proposed MoU between two boards was not in their mandate.
"The proposed MoU between BCCI and ECB concerns bilateral cricketing policy, the formulation of which is not a part of the mandate of the committee. As far as payments are concerned, if they are to be made directly by the BCCI, no directions can be given by his committee until relevant details are furnished by the BCCI," the panel had written in their response to the BCCI request.
