PCB and players reach agreement on contract issues

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and members of the men’s cricket team have reached an agreement to resolve their recent dispute over central contracts for cricketers.

According to Geo, although the PCB has yet to make an official announcement, it has been revealed that disagreements arose between the players and the board regarding certain provisions in their central contracts.

The media reports have indicated that the dispute has now been amicably settled through mutual understanding. Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq is reported to have played a pivotal role in facilitating the resolution.

Read More: Skipper Babar Azam confident and ready for World Cup 2023 challenge

Meanwhile, the PCB is expected to make an official announcement regarding the new central contracts in the near future, as reported by Geo.

During a press briefing earlier today, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, commented on the ongoing contract negotiations, stating, “As far as the contracts are concerned, they are still being negotiated, but we are hopeful they will work out as the PCB always has our interests at heart.”

It’s important to note that the previous central contracts had expired on June 30, leading to a one-month extension to finalise the new terms. The outstanding payments owed to the cricketers will be settled in accordance with the updated terms and conditions in the new contract.

Previously, the PCB had announced the discontinuation of the red and white ball category from the central contracts. The new contracts will be categorised as A, B, C, and D, with varying compensation levels for the players.

The board has also decided to reduce the number of players included in the central contract from 33 to 25 or 26.

Additionally, players can expect a significant increase of approximately 50 per cent in their match fees under the new contracts.

Notably, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi are among those included in category A, earning a monthly retainer of Rs4.5 million, almost four times higher than the previous year.

Category B players will receive around Rs3 million, while those in categories C and D can expect payments ranging from Rs0.75 million to Rs1.5 million.

The Pakistan men’s cricket team is set to depart for India early Wednesday morning to participate in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The tournament will feature a round-robin format with all participating teams competing in 45 league matches.

Pakistan’s warm-up matches are scheduled as follows:

– September 29 – vs New Zealand in Hyderabad

– October 3 – vs Australia in Hyderabad

The main round matches for Pakistan are scheduled as follows:

– October 6 – vs Netherlands in Hyderabad

– October 10 – vs Sri Lanka in Hyderabad

– October 14 – vs India in Ahmedabad

– October 20 – vs Australia in Bengaluru

– October 23 – vs Afghanistan in Chennai

– October 27 – vs South Africa in Chennai

– October 31 – vs Bangladesh in Kolkata

– November 4 – vs New Zealand Bengaluru (Day match)

– November 11 – vs England in Kolkata

Day matches will commence at 10:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST), while all other matches will be day-night fixtures starting at 01:30 pm (PST).

In the event that Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals, the match will be held in Kolkata. However, if India qualifies for the semi-finals and faces Pakistan, the match will be played in Kolkata.

The Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup 2023 includes: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha.