<p>Indian Cricketers' Association (ICA) president Ashok Malhotra on Tuesday expressed satisfaction at the BCCI's decision to release an additional funding of Rs 3 crore to run the players' body and hoped their pending demands will be met "sooner than later".</p>.<p>Malhotra, who has been critical of BCCI in the past for not addressing their demands, was pleased that at least one of their requests -- increase in former players' medical insurance from Rs five to Rs 10 lakh -- have been approved.</p>.<p>"We are thankful to the BCCI and secretary Jay Shah for addressing our demands. We had asked for Rs 5 crore initially but had got Rs 2 crore. Now the rest of the amount has been released," Malhotra told PTI.</p>.<p>"Medical insurance cover has been doubled which we wanted. I am confident our other demands will be met sooner than later. I am also told that a committee has been formed to look into revision in players' pension," he said.</p>.<p>The demands, which have not been met yet, include pension for former players, who have played less than 25 first-class games, pension for widows of former cricketers and a benevolent fund to Manoj Prabhakar, whose BCCI ban ended in 2005 for match-fixing charges against him.</p>.<p>ICA, India's first ever players' association formed as per recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha panel, was granted Rs 2 crore by the BCCI in February to kickstart its operations.</p>.<p>The cricket board decided to release an additional Rs 3 crore to ICA at its AGM on December 24. However, it is expected to sustain itself in the long-run.</p>.<p>"We are fine if we get Rs one crore per year from the BCCI. By raising more than 70 lakh for the former players hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year, we have shown we can generate funds through other channels," added Malhotra.</p>.<p>ICA's AGM was also held earlier this month.</p>
<p>Indian Cricketers' Association (ICA) president Ashok Malhotra on Tuesday expressed satisfaction at the BCCI's decision to release an additional funding of Rs 3 crore to run the players' body and hoped their pending demands will be met "sooner than later".</p>.<p>Malhotra, who has been critical of BCCI in the past for not addressing their demands, was pleased that at least one of their requests -- increase in former players' medical insurance from Rs five to Rs 10 lakh -- have been approved.</p>.<p>"We are thankful to the BCCI and secretary Jay Shah for addressing our demands. We had asked for Rs 5 crore initially but had got Rs 2 crore. Now the rest of the amount has been released," Malhotra told PTI.</p>.<p>"Medical insurance cover has been doubled which we wanted. I am confident our other demands will be met sooner than later. I am also told that a committee has been formed to look into revision in players' pension," he said.</p>.<p>The demands, which have not been met yet, include pension for former players, who have played less than 25 first-class games, pension for widows of former cricketers and a benevolent fund to Manoj Prabhakar, whose BCCI ban ended in 2005 for match-fixing charges against him.</p>.<p>ICA, India's first ever players' association formed as per recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha panel, was granted Rs 2 crore by the BCCI in February to kickstart its operations.</p>.<p>The cricket board decided to release an additional Rs 3 crore to ICA at its AGM on December 24. However, it is expected to sustain itself in the long-run.</p>.<p>"We are fine if we get Rs one crore per year from the BCCI. By raising more than 70 lakh for the former players hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year, we have shown we can generate funds through other channels," added Malhotra.</p>.<p>ICA's AGM was also held earlier this month.</p>