The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to increase its compensation for players, signifying a significant rise in central contract remuneration for the national team players.
The central contracts of the national cricketers expired on 30 June 2023 and negotiations are ongoing regarding the demands put forth by the players. Some top officials have also recently held meetings with senior players during the team’s tour of Sri Lanka.
Regarding the matter, PCB Chief Zaka Ashraf said, “The players are the essence of the board, they deserve good compensation so that they play with more dedication for the team.”
It was revealed by insiders that the PCB is ready to significantly increase the players’ compensation. Top cricketers playing all formats, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, have been offered a monthly retainer fee of Rs. 4.5 million.
Under the previous contract, red ball players received a monthly compensation of Rs. 1 million while white ball players received Rs. 900,000. Compensation for players in other categories is also set to increase substantially.
Talks are underway to allow Category A players to participate in one foreign league per year. Category B and C players will be allowed to participate in two and three annual leagues respectively. However, demands for a share of the income received from the ICC or the PCB contracts were not accepted.
The board is looking to establish a three-year agreement to avoid annual renewal disputes. There is also a proposal for a significant increase in test match fees to encourage players to stay interested in this format, with other incentives also being provided.
Last year saw a 10% increase in fees: the test match fee was Rs. 838,530, One Day International was Rs. 515,696, and Twenty20 International was Rs. 372,075. All categories of players received the same fee, which is now set to increase.
The authorities are aware that Pakistani cricketers are unable to earn as much as other top international stars due to non-participation in the IPL. While the gap cannot be entirely eliminated, the Board wants to increase players’ income substantially to alleviate financial stress.
Sources informed that Misbah-ul-Haq, the head of the Cricket Technical Committee, is also in talks with players and is hopeful for positive progress soon.
It is to be noted that separate agreements were made last year for red and white ball players. Only Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi were included in Category A for both red and white ball formats.
Hasan Ali was in Category B for red and C for white ball, while Imam-ul-Haq was in Category C for red and B for white ball. Azhar Ali was only in red ball, whereas Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan were given Category A contracts for white ball.
Source: ProPakistani