With its senior players, the Pakistan Cricket Board successfully negotiated a three-year PCB central contract deal that will last from July 1 of 2023 to June 30 of 2026.
PCB announces men’s central contracts: Up to 25 cricketers might receive a historic deal that includes a share of ICC earnings.
Red-ball and white-ball national contracts have been combined, unlike last year. The central contract committee offered this choice as a way to rank players based on their ability to win games and to encourage an impartial, open hiring process.
Four groups will be created from the players’ list, each with much higher monthly retainers. The monthly total of compensation will include ICC revenue.
A Category (3 players): 202 %
B Category (6): 144 %
C Category (2): 135 %
D Category (14): 127 %
The list of athletes that have received contract offers is as follows:
A Category: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
B Category: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan
C Category: Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique
D Category: Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan
Players’ match fees will increase significantly as well, by 50% for Test matches, 25% for ODIs, and 12.5% for T20I.
Centrally contracted domestic cricket players will receive 50% of the international match money, and they will also have permission to participate in two overseas leagues each season.
The PCB central contracts’ three-year period will have a locked-in financial mechanism. However, player performance will be evaluated once every 12 months. The current agreement will start to take effect on July 1st, 2023, after the previous central contract cycle terminated on June 30th.
Zaka Ashraf, the chair of the PCB Management Committee, said, “I am happy to inform that after protracted negotiations, the PCB has arrived to a financial deal with the players. Our top priority is to ensure that we take care of our players and provide them with the best services because we believe that they are the greatest assets of Pakistan cricket.
“This agreement shows our determination to enhancing the financial security of our players and recognises their commitment to the game and to practising hard. We truly believe that a motivated squad with stable finances would perform better on the pitch.
“As we proceed, the whole country supports these athletes to do well in the next ICC Men’s World Cup. We have faith in their talents, and we know that they will perform admirably and bring honour to the country.
“Pakistan Cricket Achieves Historic Central Contract Pay Deal”
Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, said: “It is by far a historic transaction. The fact that we have come to an arrangement with the PCB makes me incredibly happy and contented. I think we’ve come to a fair and advantageous agreement after a protracted and occasionally difficult bargaining process.
“Chairman Zaka Ashraf deserves a special thank you for personally supervising and assisting these agreements. He showed a genuine interest in Pakistan cricket, and his dedication is genuinely admirable.
Additionally, This deal marks the beginning of a new era for Pakistan cricket and the players. Further, We are now fully prepare for the ICC Men’s World Cup, thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the players to the game.
“We’ve not only signed a historic central contract pay deal, but we’ve also taken a monumental step towards realising the true value of our cricketers both on and off the pitch,” said Usman Wahla, PCB Director of International Cricket Operations.
“I would want to express my gratitude for the senior management at PCB’s visionary leadership, as well as the cooperative attitude displayed by Babar Azam and the senior players involved.
With this unified contract agreement, we’ve “written a new chapter in Pakistan’s cricket history, a testament to teamwork both on and off the pitch.”