BAHAWALPUR: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf on Monday revealed that Pakistani cricketers will be allowed to play in only one league apart from the Pakistan Super League (PSL), reported ARY News.
Speaking to reporters here, the PCB chief admitted that Pakistani cricketers preferred to play in international franchise leagues as they “paid less”.
“Our cricketers get very little money,” Zaka Ashraf lamented, noting that the PCB was considering increasing the payments to happily sign contacts.
Earlier, the PCB announced moderate contracts, for the first time for a period of three years, with significant increases in monthly retainers and match fees in all four divisions.
As many as 30 cricketers will be offered a significant deal that will include a portion of the ICC’s revenue. Unlike last year, the national contracts for the red ball and the white ball are combined.
The player list will be divided into four categories with the biggest increase in savers every month. The income from the ICC will be included in the monthly salary.
- Category A (3 players): 202 %
- Category B (7): 144 %
- Category C (4): 135 %
- Category D (16): 127 %
Sports fees for players will increase significantly: 50% increase in Test, 25% in ODI and 12.5% in T20I. Medium contract players playing domestic cricket will be paid 50% of the international match fee.
Read More: PCB announces list of three-year men’s middle-order contracts
Zaka Ashraf – while talking to journalists – revealed that there is a proposal that Pakistani cricketers will be allowed to play in only one league other than the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Answering a question, Ashraf said that he had invited former chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq to the meeting but resigned before it.
The former cricketer resigned from his position last month after allegations of a “conflict of interests”.
He also spoke about the issue of the call to the Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, saying that he had no discussions with the batsman.
Ashraf also expressed his best wishes to Babar Azam, saying that he had a phone conversation with the captain following the win against New Zealand.
Thanking the players, he said the Pakistani players played well in the previous match of the 2023 World Cup against New Zealand. “I spoke to the captain and announced a reward of Rs1 million for Fakhar Zaman,” he added.
When asked if Babar will be removed as the captain of Pakistan if the team fails to enter the semi-finals, Ashraf said that the decision will not be taken only as the technical committee is there to deliberate on the matter.
Separation from the group
Meanwhile, Zaka Ashraf also opened a case of misunderstanding between the Pakistan men’s cricket team, which is participating in the 2023 ICC World Cup.
The PCB chief categorically denied any rift between the players and accused the “enemies of cricket” of spreading false rumours.
“There is no fighting in the group,” said Ashraf. “The whole team is united. These baseless stories are created by the enemies of the game.”
For those who don’t care, it was reported in late September that Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi had a fight when the captain expressed his disappointment with the senior players in the dressing room, after losing to Sri Lanka in the Super Four of the Asia Cup. which led to their exclusion from this continental event.
Reports also suggested that things were tense between Babar and Shaheen after a heated argument before wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan intervened to bring the situation under control.
All seemed to be going well for the Green Shirts but their losing streak in the ICC World Cup 2023 has brought back rumors of rifts, especially among the top three of the national cricket team – Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan.
