The BCCI has announced a "Test Cricket Incentive Scheme" that will increase a player's match fee by 300% if he features in 75% or more Tests during a season.

"This scheme is not only designed to encourage players to engage in the purest format of the sport but also addresses the evolving dynamics of the cricketing landscape, ensuring parity with match fees in other formats and league cricket," the BCCI said in a statement, with president Roger Binny saying, "This initiative aligns with our vision of promoting Test cricket as the pinnacle of the sport."

ESPNcricinfo understands the move has been recommended by the Ajit Agarkar-led senior men's selection panel to encourage cricketers to give importance to first-class cricket. The scheme has been backdated to include the 2022-23 season as well. This means that someone like Cheteshwar Pujara, who featured in seven of the nine Tests (77.7%) India played in the 2022-23 season, will earn INR 45 lakh per Test in addition to his match fee of INR 15 lakh per Test. This amounts to an increased sum of INR 4.2 crore (including incentives), as against the INR 1.05 crore he would have earned, as a reward for "prioritising" Test cricket.

According to the new scheme, players featuring in 50-75% of Tests in a season will stand to earn INR 30 lakh per Test (in addition to their match fees), while those who play in less than 50% of the games will not be eligible for the scheme. This incentive, however, isn't linked to BCCI's annual retainers, which is a separate component.

"This pioneering initiative is intricately aligned with our broader vision, which is focussed around the promotion of Test cricket as the undisputed pinnacle of the sport," Shah said. "As we embark on this journey, we are not only recognizing the invaluable contributions of our players but also fostering an environment that values and prioritizes the essence of the traditional format of the game. This scheme is designed to inspire our cricketers to contribute their absolute best to the longer format of the game. It is a recognition of the unique challenges and demands that Test cricket poses, and through this initiative, we seek to not only reward excellence but also cultivate a renewed passion for the purest form of the sport."

Late last month, while announcing the annual retainers for 2023-24 that increased the player pool from the existing 26 to 30, the board hadn't mentioned the amounts for the four contract categories, but ESPNcricinfo has learned that they are likely to go up. This, however, wasn't part of Shah's announcement on Saturday. Last year, players in the A+ bracket earned INR 7 crore, A earned INR 5 crore, B took home INR 3 crore, and C got INR 1 crore.

Additionally, the board announced fast-bowling contracts to five players - Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, V Kaverappa and Yash Dayal - to ensure they have access to BCCI's NCA facility all year round, apart from being eligible to avail the board's insurance scheme to cover for surgeries and recuperation from injuries.

This came in the wake of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer choosing to skip the Ranji Trophy for their respective teams despite not being in the national team.