The big news: Indian Test players get pay hike

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has doubled the Test match fees for Indian players to make the format financially more attractive. Currently, the Indian players get Rs 7 lakh per Test. The board has decided to increase it to Rs 15 lakh per game. The reserve players' fees have reportedly also been doubled to Rs 7 lakh per game. There was a BCCI working committee meeting in Mumbai on September 30, where the decision to double the fees was taken.

“We have doubled the match fees as we think Test cricket has to be given priority," said BCCI President Anurag Thakur in an interview. "We have had discussions to make Test cricket popular and lucrative among the new generation. If we need to keep the players' interest in Tests alive, we'll have to ensure that Test players are better paid. We can't shy away from the trend [of being attracted to well-paying T20 leagues] that we are witnessing among new cricketers."

However, the Supreme Court can roll back this decision on the match fees, considering the apex court-appointed Justice Lodha Committee had asked the board to not take any decision concerning 2016-'17 season till the recommendations on restructuring its functions were in place.

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