How much Pakistan team players will get under new PCB contracts?

By
Sohail Imran
Pakistans players stand for the national anthem before the start of the Asia Cup 2023 super four one-day international (ODI) cricket match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 10, 2023. — AFP
Pakistan's players stand for the national anthem before the start of the Asia Cup 2023 super four one-day international (ODI) cricket match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 10, 2023. — AFP

KARACHI: The details of the monthly remuneration for national team players under the new central contracts announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month have been obtained by Geo News.

According to sources, the national team players included in the central contract list for 2022-23 have been divided into four categories — A, B, C, and D — who will be paid as per their respective categories.

Under the central contract, the three cricketers in the A category will get around Rs6 million while players B category players to get Rs4.1 million per month.

The players included in the C category will be paid Rs1.75 million and D category cricketers will get Rs1.13 million per month.

The sources said the monthly remuneration of the players also includes 3% of the revenue received by the PCB from the ICC.

Below is the list of players with categories who were offered contracts:

Category A: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Category B: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan

Category C: Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique

Category D: Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan

Players’ match fees also witnessed a major hike: 50% increment in Test, 25% in ODI and 12.5% in T20I.

Centrally contracted players who are playing domestic cricket will be paid 50% of the international match fee. In addition, players will be allowed to play two foreign leagues in each season.

The three-year tenure of the contacts will have its financial model locked for the term. Player performance however will be reviewed after every 12 months. The previous central contract cycle expired on 30 June and the new deal came into effect from July 1, 2023.

Last month, the PCB confirmed that it successfully negotiated a three-year central contacts deal with its senior players that will run from July 1 2023 to June 30, 2026. As many as 25 cricketers offered a momentous deal that will include a portion of ICC revenue.

Unlike last year, red-ball and white-ball national contracts were merged. This decision was proposed by the central contract committee as a way to evaluate players in terms of winning matches and aimed at promoting fairness, and a transparent selection process.