The much awaited contract system for the Indian cricket team was finally put in place. According to the new system, players have been divided into three grades depending on seniority as opposed to performance. Thus, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag received 'A' grade status and the 'ICC Emerging Player of The Year'; Irfan Pathan was placed in group 'B'. While Sehwag and Laxman deserve to be in the top grade-their recent performances not withstanding, why should Irfan Pathan be left out just because he is only a year old in international cricket? His performance has been by far the best by an Indian bowler in many years and as such, he deserves to be among the first ones to be selected in grade 'A'.

Also, instead of marking the players on past performances, the BCCI should have given grades at the end of contract period. For now all 17 players only had to be assured by the board that they would get a minimum of 20 lakh. There ought to have been a benchmark set by the board for players to live up to in the following year and then decide upon their rankings at the end of the contract term. In this way, the deserving players would get the biggest amount followed by lesser monetary benefits for the ones who performed below par. As the contract system lay at present, it means a Sehwag will get 50 lakh for the next year even if he scores only 5 half-centuries during this period whereas Pathan would only be richer by 35 lakh no matter how many wickets he takes during the forthcoming 12 months. This arrangement is certainly unfair on some players and it is but natural for a cricketer to feel aggrieved when he gets paid less than his under performing teammates.

True, money shouldn't make much of a difference to these guys. Playing for the country must be reason enough to perform well and make the nation proud. But cricket is no longer a game in India today. It has become a profession very much like people pursue engineering and medical. What else would explain coaching clinics popping up in every nook and corner of the country? And parents forcing their children to take up this sport in the hope that their child would become the next Sachin Tendulkar. Thus, rewarding good performances monetarily would be giving an incentive to a player to perform even better in the future.

There is always a chance of complacency setting in among players when they know they are going to be paid hefty amounts. So it is important for the BCCI to keep reminding players their position in the team is not a certainty. This can be done only when strict measures are taken by the board while reviewing the annual contracts. Players must be promoted and demoted depending upon their performance in the past year. Seniors must not be ashamed of falling into grade 'B' if they do not perform well. As an extreme step, the board can even considering not giving new contracts to some star players if they haven't delivered. At the end of the day, everyone is playing for the country, and the ones who perform consistently and whole heartedly only should be given a chance to represent the nation in its most loved sport for the betterment of cricket and the enjoyment of millions of fans who deserve the best cricket team in the world.