The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday that it will revert to its previous model of issuing one-year central contracts to national team players, based on their performance. Despite the team’s poor showing in the T20 World Cup 2024, the board decided not to reduce the players’ salaries.
After failing to advance past the Super 8 stage, the players’ monthly salaries and overall income were reviewed. However, the board decided to maintain the current pay structure. The PCB’s statement clarified that the central contract’s duration would be one year, with annual reviews of players’ performance and fitness. The categorization of players will follow a defined process.
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The PCB also mandated quarterly fitness evaluations and compulsory participation in domestic cricket. Currently, Category A players, like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi, earn Rs4.5 million monthly. Category B players, including Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah, receive Rs3 million per month. Category C players, such as Imad Wasim, earn between Rs750,000 and Rs1.5 million, and Category D players, like Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, and Saim Ayub, are paid similarly to Category C.
These salaries exclude match fees, win bonuses, and sponsorship income. Last year, the PCB granted three-year central contracts starting July 1, 2023, under then-chairman Zaka Ashraf, who faced player pressure for higher pay.
The PCB will also establish a technical process for issuing non-objection certificates (NOCs) to players for participating in foreign leagues, a significant income source. Top players like Babar, Naseem, and Rizwan have recently struggled to obtain NOCs for overseas leagues.
PCB Chairman Naqvi emphasized that players’ promotions would be based on fitness and performance, with no tolerance for those failing to meet criteria or compromising on discipline. Naqvi highlighted the need for team unity and warned against internal groupings, threatening severe consequences for undisciplined behavior.
Naqvi also mentioned recent discipline issues, like fast bowler Shaheen Afridi’s argument with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during Pakistan’s tour of England. Naqvi reiterated a zero-tolerance policy for lack of discipline and internal conflicts, insisting on unity within the team and no leniency for disruptive players.
