PCB announces major budget revisions with 37% hike in central contracts

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has significantly increased its budget for central contracts, with the annual retainer pool for national cricketers rising by 37% to approximately Rs 1.173.49 million. The new central contracts, set to be announced in the coming days, will include 30 players, up from 25 last year.

In contrast, the budget for men’s domestic cricket contracts has been slashed by 34%, dropping from Rs 684 million to Rs 450 million.

The women’s international cricket program is also receiving a notable boost. The number of centrally contracted women players will increase from 16 to 24, with their collective retainer amount rising by 121% to Rs 69 million. The women’s domestic contracts budget has been slightly increased by 4%, now totaling Rs 37.2 million.

To enhance the standard of domestic cricket, the PCB will assume management of 12 additional first-class grounds. Maintenance and pitch preparation will be overseen by newly appointed staff, with Rs 93.6 million allocated for this initiative.

The board has also set aside Rs 444 million in its human resources budget to cover new appointments, salary adjustments, and staff benefits.

Meanwhile, Rs 6 billion has been earmarked for ongoing infrastructure development at three major stadiums: Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore), National Stadium (Karachi), and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Preparations are also underway to finalize the budget for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11, with the overall PCB financial plan currently showing a surplus of Rs 2.5 billion.