Some players are unhappy with their categories and feel that certain players, including Babar Azam, may have secured their own remunerations without considering the welfare of others
28 October, 2023
PHOTO: AFP
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in September announced the successful negotiation of a three-year central contacts deal with senior players, effective from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026. The player roster was categorized into four tiers, accompanied by substantial increases in monthly retainers. Furthermore, revenue from the International Cricket Council (ICC) would contribute to the overall monthly remuneration.
Despite these promising developments, there have been complications in the execution of the contracts, leading to a delay in players receiving their due payments for several months. Initial hopes of releasing pending payments before the World Cup were dashed, as, surprisingly, no player has seen any remuneration yet.
One player, confirming the lack of payments, also revealed that the contracts themselves have not been officially signed. Some members of the World Cup squad expressed discontent with their placement in Category D, while others voiced dissatisfaction with the categorization they were assigned.
Sources indicate a lack of consensus among players regarding the central contracts, with suggestions that certain players, including Babar Azam, may have secured their own remunerations without considering the welfare of others.
In response to the situation, a PCB official emphasized the necessity of signed contracts for payment processing. The players were informed to express their consent through email, but an official has now gone to India with physical contracts for signing, aiming to facilitate the release of payments.
According to sources, PCB has provided copies of the contracts to the players, who will sign them after consultation. Once the signed contracts are returned, the pending four-month dues will be released, with funds directly transferred to the players’ accounts.
It's worth noting that the PCB recently made adjustments to Sarfaraz Ahmed's category and introduced some new players to the contract list.
Below is the updated list of players with categories who have been 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, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shadab Khan
Category C: Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Noman Ali
Category D: Aamir Jamal, Arshad Iqbal, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan
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