The BCCI could be "short-changing Indian cricketers on their share of earnings from broadcast rights," according to Indranil Basu of TNN. Players are eligible to receive 26% of BCCI's gross revenue from broadcast rights. But in reality, the Indian Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators discovered that Indian cricketers "get just about 8%" of the BCCI's gross revenue as salaries and bonuses. The 26% revenue-sharing formula was cleared by a resolution passed by the BCCI general body in '01, which was "finally put into place" in '04. This 26% "is meant to be split three ways" -- 13% for int'l players, 10.6% for domestic players and the rest for women and juniors. However, sources said that the BCCI doles out 70% of its gross revenue to state associations. It pays the players 26% of the remaining 30% of gross revenue, "rather than 26% of the full gross revenue." The amount left over "is used for stadium construction, infrastructure maintenance and running of the board administration." The COA also found that the players are paid a meager percentage of earnings from sponsorship rights and for participating in Int'l Cricket Council events. A source said, "The COA has been trying to change the formula for a long time to give players more, but the members are not willing. The cricketers are making a small share." The BCCI "is meant to deduct only the production cost to arrive at its gross revenue, and the players are meant to get a share of that figure." But the board subtracts 70% -- after deducting the production cost -- and this "considerably lowers" the "gross revenue" of which the players are to get 26% (TNN, 10/30).
