Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf has announced that remuneration for national players in the new Central Contracts is being doubled, the 24MewsHD TV channel reported on Monday.
Zaka Ashraf made this announcement on the occasion of the orientation of the first class of the Women Players Development Program of Lahore Qalandars.
Ashraf talked about the pool of talent in Pakistan and other important stuff.
He also confirmed that women cricketers will also be remunerated like never before.
After the increase in the new central contract, the players of the A category will receive Rs 9.0 million per month, the B category will get Rs 6.0 million and players falling in C and D categories will get between Rs 1.5 to Rs 3 million monthly.
Now, players of the A category like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Rizwan will get Rs 9 million per month. Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen, due to their roles as an all-format player, are slated to fall under Category A.
PCB Chairman said that they want the players to earn money from cricket and bring the team to the top.
“There is a lot of talent in Pakistan and we need to encourage this talent. Cricketers are our life and identity. Pakistan team have to participate in Asia Cup and World Cup. We wish the team to do well, we want to see the team at the top, this team will live up to the expectations,” he said.
“The central contract of men cricketers is being doubled, we want the players to earn money from cricket and serve the country and bring the team to the top.”
The Chairman also said that ever since he took charge of the PCB, he has consistently put efforts to improve women’s cricket. The salary of women cricketers is increasing massively. He also said that he is introducing domestic contracts.
He added that the pathway program is being organized while they will be provided with grounds that will be reserved for women cricketers only.
He also said that a women's league is also being launched in the style of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) PSL which will give opportunities to women cricketers.
Earlier, the PCB decided to end the red and white ball category from the Central Contracts.
The new contracts will now be distributed in four different categories, named A, B, C, and D, to the players, sources reported.
The PCB also decided to reduce the number of players — which was 33 in the last year — in the central contract to 25 or 26.
It must be noted that the contracts expired on June 30 but were extended for a month due to uncertainty regarding chairmanship in the PCB.