New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) has approved a series of major administrative and structural reforms during its Apex Council meeting held on Sunday, with decisions ranging from abolishing the long-standing culture of complimentary passes to introducing equal prize money in women’s cricket and upgrading infrastructure for players and fans.

Among the headline decisions taken during the meeting was a proposal moved by DDCA president Rohan Jaitley that the Apex Council and their members shall not accept complimentary passes as a matter of practice. The proposal was accepted by the majority of members.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, a DDCA official said the association was aiming to strengthen its financial position while ending a practice that had existed for years.

“One major decision that has been made is that DDCA will completely end the long-standing practice of accepting complimentary passes. In the IPL, (team) giving away passes does not cause a financial loss because it is a franchise event, but it can still result in a financial gain if those passes are sold (by association) instead

“Keeping that in mind, it has also been decided not to take complimentary passes even (from the franchise) during the IPL. And in our bilateral matches, if we do not accept passes, we can earn a profit of around ₹1 crore, especially if it’s a high-profile match. Therefore, keeping DDCA’s financial health in mind, it has been decided to completely abolish the culture of accepting complimentary passes,” the DDCA official told IANS

Despite the change, DDCA clarified that members would continue to receive match access under a revised ticketing arrangement.

“Members of DDCA will receive two complimentary tickets each. The DDCA will no longer accept passes from the teams for catering authorities; instead, it will provide two tickets to every member in order to maximise fan engagement as much as possible.

“Regarding the regular passes that our members used to receive, it has been decided that for our bilateral matches, members will continue to get two passes each. Earlier, money used to get spent on obtaining other premium and better-category passes, or sometimes the franchise would not provide them. So now, an arrangement has been made to ensure that members receive two passes,” the official stated.

In a significant step towards gender parity, the Apex Council also approved equal prize money for men’s and women’s competitions conducted under the DDCA.

“The prize money of our women’s league (Women’s Delhi Premier League) has been made at par with the men’s league. So, the prize money given for the women’s league will now be the same as that given for the men’s league,” the official said.

The association further resolved to conduct league matches in central parts of Delhi, wherever possible, to reduce travel burden on young cricketers. To support that plan, DDCA will actively participate in auctions to secure grounds on long-term leases, including venues such as Jamia Millia Islamia and Hamdard Jasola.

“The current situation is such that DDCA’s grounds are very far from each other. So, now it has been decided that we will participate in active auctions to procure grounds, on a yearly or tri-yearly basis, which will be located in Central Delhi so that the children who have to travel do not have to commute much for long hours,” the official mentioned.

The Apex Council also proposed introducing a biometric entry system for members during matches to streamline access to the stadium.

“We have proposed a biometrics system to see whether it is possible, whether it is workable or not. For members, biometric entry should be provided during matches so they participate more. Okay. Whether it is workable or not at this moment, we don’t know, but we will have to work it out,” they said.

Another major decision taken during the meeting concerned match officials, with the DDCA approving a 30 per cent increase in match fees for umpires and scorers from this season onwards, along with an annual increment plan.

“A very good decision which Mr. Rohan Jaitley himself has made, in that, our scorers and umpires, the remuneration they were getting per match has been increased by 30%. And his exact words were that ‘They are umpires and scorers, they stand in a match in scorching heat, they are the foot soldiers of the association.’ Hence, 30% has been increased from this year, and 10% will be increased every year,” the official stated.

The Apex Council also approved a series of measures aimed at strengthening Delhi’s domestic cricket structure, improving player development pathways and upgrading facilities for both cricketers and spectators.

One of the key decisions focused on expanding participation opportunities in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), with the association deciding to create a broader platform that allows a larger pool of players to showcase their talent. In another major structural reform, it was unanimously decided that all DDCA squads, across all age groups and formats, will now be restricted to 16 players.

The Apex Council also stressed the need for timely appointments ahead of the domestic season. The formation of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), along with the appointment of selectors and coaches, will now be treated as a priority to enable longer-term monitoring and evaluation of player performances before selections are finalised.

On the infrastructure front, DDCA confirmed that work on its new building project will commence soon. The proposed facility is set to include 30 residential rooms, indoor practice pitches, a swimming pool and a multi-cuisine restaurant.

The council further approved renovation and modernisation plans for existing dressing rooms and corporate boxes at DDCA venues. Keeping spectator comfort in mind, DDCA also decided to install canopies and additional bleachers at venues to provide relief to fans attending matches during Delhi’s intense summer heat.

–IANS

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