The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has substantially raised player salaries in recent years across all levels – international and domestic, men’s and women’s cricket alike.
These moves to improve player earnings have drawn praise not only from Indian cricketers but also from players and experts worldwide. However, the same cannot be said for match officials, as the salaries of BCCI umpires have remained unchanged for the last seven years.
A recent report has highlighted that BCCI currently operates with a pool of 186 umpires, classified into four different categories.
How Many Umpires Does BCCI Have and How Much Do They Earn?
According to a Cricbuzz report, BCCI umpires are grouped into four categories – A+, A, B, and C – similar to the grading system used for centrally contracted players. The distribution currently stands at nine umpires in A+, 20 in A, 58 in B, and 99 in C.
In terms of match fees, umpires in the A+ and A categories are paid ₹40,000 per day, while those in the B and C categories receive ₹30,000 per day. Notably, these rates have remained static for the past seven years.
Umpires Committee’s Recommendation to BCCI
The report further revealed that the BCCI’s Umpires Committee has recommended a revamp of the existing pay structure.
The proposal suggests reducing the four-category system to just two categories and implementing a uniform daily fee of ₹40,000 for all umpires. While this recommendation was presented to the BCCI Apex Council, the board has deferred a decision for now and opted to form a separate committee, which is expected to submit its findings at the next Apex Council meeting.
Vijay Hazare Trophy Season Gets Underway
With the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy recently concluded, the Indian domestic calendar has now moved on to the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Once the tournament wraps up, the second phase of the Ranji Trophy will begin.
Alongside this, the domestic schedule also includes Senior Women’s One-Day and T20 competitions, as well as several junior-level tournaments. All these matches are officiated by the same group of 186 BCCI-appointed umpires.
