The Pakistan Cricket Board agreed on Monday to shorten the period of its core contracts from three to one year but chose not to lower player salaries. The board’s chairman Mohsin Naqvi convened the meeting in Lahore, where the decisions were made. Pakistan’s new red-ball coach, Jason Gillespie, white-ball coach Gary Kirsten, selectors Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, and other senior officials were also present at the meeting.
The board stated it aims to make significant changes to its policies after the national team fails in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan failed to advance to the Super Eight stage after defeats to India and the United States. An official statement has been made by one of the board’s officials which states:
The selectors have informed that the financial part of the core contracts would remain unchanged. It would now be amended into 12-month contracts, with players’ fitness, behavior, and form evaluated every 12 months,
Pakistan Cricket Board Contractual Framework
The players’ monthly salary and income were discussed after the Pakistani team failed to meet fans’ expectations and crashed out of the tournament before even reaching the Super 8 level. In a statement, the board stated that “the central contract will be for one year.” Every year, the players’ performance and fitness will be assessed. The inclusion of players in various categories will follow a well-defined procedure.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board also agreed that players’ fitness would be assessed every three months and that domestic cricket participation would be mandatory. Currently, Category A players including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and top pacer Shaheen Afridi earn Rs4.5 million each month.
At the same time, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah receive Rs3 million each month under Category B. Imad Wasim is one of the Category C players, who are paid between Rs750,00 and Rs1.5 million monthly. Meanwhile, Category D players are paid the same as Category C players, and they include Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Saim Ayub, and others.
It should be noted that the values above just show the players’ monthly pay; they also receive match fees and incentives across all three formats (Test, ODI, and T20I), as well as sponsorship advantages. Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf reached an arrangement with the players last year, and they were granted central contracts that guaranteed no changes in agreement conditions and financials for three years.
Pakistan Cricket Board Implements NOC criteria
According to the official, the Pakistan Cricket Board now requires all centrally and domestically contracted players to undergo fitness testing every three months. The two head coaches would oversee the exams. It was also determined that while examining player applications for NOCs to play in foreign leagues, strict technical requirements would be followed, with the primary goal being to ensure the fitness and availability of the national team players.
The meeting resolved that all players must play domestic cricket on a mandatory basis, and selectors have been ordered to check this before picking any player for national teams. According to the source, everyone present at the conference agreed overwhelmingly that disciplinary issues should be handled with zero tolerance. Players who join groups will face harsh fines to maintain team unity and morale.
Pakistan Cricket Board also planning to make upgrades to high-performance facilities. Particularly, across the country to strengthen grassroots cricket. Gillespie and Kirsten will oversee the establishment of new centers in Islamabad and Peshawar.
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