Mumbai's Ranji Trophy players will be under a contract system from this season depending on seniority and the number of matches played, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced on Friday.
"It would be a graded system of payment by which the players would be contracted and paid varying amounts depending on the seniority and number of matches they have played," MCA joint-secretary Lalchand Rajput told reporters.
"We are trying to work out a system and this would be introduced before the new season. The senior players as well as the senior selection committee chairman [Milind Rege] are a part of the process," Rajput, a former India opener, said.
Rege, also present at the press conference, denied knowledge about any Mumbai cricketer, apart from regular captain Sairaj Bahutule, planning to leave for greener pastures.
"I have been reading media reports that some players are planning to leave us. We cannot stop anyone if they feel they would be getting better financial reward. But none, barring Bahutule who has talked to me informally, has even approached the MCA on this count," the former Mumbai captain said.
"If there's a need to change the scenario [of payment] we will do so as we are trying to do with the contract system," he said.
Local media has reported that apart from Bahutule, a few senior players are also looking out for greener pastures elsewhere, particularly towards the Pune-based Maharashtra Cricket Association.
