Pakistan’s top cricketers get huge pay rise in new contracts

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wednesday announced new central contracts that will see some of the top cricketers get 200 percent pay rises.

The deal comes after four months of deadlock between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and players, and for the first time will see them get a share of the country's payout from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"PCB has successfully negotiated a three-year central contact deal with its senior players that will run from July 1 2023 to June 30, 2026 in which 25 cricketers will be offered a deal," the board said in a statement.

According to the agreement, players will be divided into four categories with skipper Babar Azam, star batter Mohammad Rizwan and spearhead bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in the top flight.

Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan are placed in category B with a reported salary of Rs3 million, while Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique are in category C on Rs1.5 million.

Category D players -- Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Saim Ayub, Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan -- will be on Rs750,000 a month.

The PCB said player match fees will also be hiked by 50 percent for Tests, 25 percent for one-day internationals and 12.5 percent for Twenty20 matches.In a departure from the previous year, red-ball and white-ball national contracts have been amalgamated.

The list of players, along with their respective categories, who are beneficiaries of these contracts includes: Furthermore, players have been granted the liberty to participate in two foreign leagues each season.

The financial model for the three-year contract will be locked, with player performance reviews scheduled every 12 months. Speaking on the occasion, PCB Management Committee Chairperson, Zaka Ashraf, emphasised the commitment to improving players' financial well-being, acknowledging their dedication to the game. Pakistan captain Babar Azam described the deal as historic, signaling a new chapter for players and Pakistan cricket. —with input from