Pakistan Cricket Board prioritises keeping the best playing talent within the national circuit amidst the lure of foreign white-ball leagues. The focus is even sharper on retaining the big-name picks, with the likes of skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi potentially earning an equivalent of $16,000 from their annual retainers alone, stated a report in the ESPNcricinfo.
The three contemporary giants of Pakistan cricket could be part of category A of the PCB annual contracts as the board looks set to bring back the traditional four-part hierarchy and division after trialling the red and white-ball filter of cricketers last year.
“Category B players are in line to receive in the region of PKR 3 million (USD 10,600 approx), while those in category C and D will get between PKR 0.75-1.5 million (USD 2650-5300 approx),”
reported ESPNcricinfo.
The publication also stated that, if signed, the raise would be the “biggest” offered to the Pakistan men’s team players in years. One intention is to offset some of the losses and expenses players, and their families might have to face because of a dwindling national economy and the drowning Pakistani rupee in the global market.
The contractual raise also comes into the picture after the approval of ICC’s latest financial model, from which the PCB expects its annual earnings to rise up to PKR 9.6 billion (34 USD million) over the next four-year cycle spanning 2024-27. Notably, the PCB earned less than half of that across eight years in the previous ICC events rights cycle.
Over time despite no India tours available in their roster, Pakistan have put in incredible work to sustain their playing ecosystem, helped to a great extent by the success of the Pakistan Super League and the revival of regular international cricket within Pakistan.
Not much of the same, however, had reflected in the players’ pockets. But the PCB now wishes to address the issue directly and give the national team players their due rewards for keeping Pakistan cricket strong on the field and filling the board’s coffers.
