The long-standing issue regarding central contracts for Pakistan cricketers has finally been resolved. For the past four months, players haven’t received their monthly retainers or match fees from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
To address this problem, Zaka Ashraf, Chairman of the PCB Management Committee, authorized Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq to negotiate on behalf of the players. Inzamam’s connection with the same agent as top Pakistani cricketers helped in convincing them.
In a recent development, Inzamam brought Pakistan captain Babar Azam to a meeting at Zaka Ashraf’s home, where Babar presented the players’ demands. The main issue was the players wanting a share of the revenue the PCB gets from the International Cricket Council (ICC). After discussions with advisors, Ashraf decided to take action.
A crucial meeting on this matter was held recently, resulting in an agreement to allocate 3% of the PCB’s revenue from the ICC to the players. While this still amounts to a significant sum, it was seen as a fair compromise.
Under the new contract terms, Category A players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan will receive a monthly payment of PKR 4.5 million. Category B players will get PKR 3 million, and those in the other two categories will receive monthly payments ranging from PKR 1.5 to 0.7 million. Additionally, the board informed the players about a 10% deduction for taxes.
The players have agreed in principle to the proposed contract and promised to sign it after further review.
