A significant deal on core contracts has been agreed
between the PCB and the members of the Pakistan men’s squad, putting an end to
months of stalemate and uncertainty. Three-year contracts, as opposed to the
usual 12-month ones, have been implemented for the first time in Pakistan,
along with a large rise in player pay and a fixed percentage of PCB profits
from the ICC.
After the most current central contracts ended on June
30th, the deal was reached over three months later. Since then, Pakistan’s
athletes have competed without getting any retainers or other payments.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB offered the players the chance to maintain
the existing contracts’ payment schedules up until a new agreement was reached,
but they declined the offer.
The agreement that has been reached is the most
benevolent in recent memory for players, despite the fact that the players and
the board were at odds about what they were willing to accept for the majority
of the past three weeks. The amount of the monthly retainer, which was
increased by more than four times over the previous year to PKR 4,500,000 (USD
15,590), was never truly a source of contention. The PCB agreed to enable all
centrally contracted players, regardless of contract type, to participate in two
more T20 competitions after initially only allowing type A players to compete
in one T20 league in addition to the PSL.
But the prospect of revenue sharing was by far the
biggest obstacle. The board was reluctant to acquiesce to the players’ demand
for a portion of the money the ICC provides the PCB each year. In the end, the
parties agreed that the players would receive a 3% share of revenue, or roughly
$1 million (the PCB is expected to start collecting USD 34 million annually as
a piece of ICC revenue from next year). Players will receive this in addition
to their monthly retainers and match payments, which will also rise by 50% for
tests, 25% for ODIs, and 12.5% for T20 internationals. Although it differs
greatly from Cricket Australia’s centrally contracted players’ 27.5%
revenue-sharing agreement with its centrally-contracted players, or the BCCI’s
26%, the Pakistan players were keen to agree to any percentage, however small,
to set a precedent.
“This deal signifies our commitment to improving
the financial health of our players, acknowledging their hard work and
dedication to the game,” Zaka Ashraf, the PCB management committee
chairperson, said. “We firmly believe that a financially secure and
motivated team is more likely to excel on the field.
“As we move forward, the entire nation stands
behind these players to do well in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup. We have
faith in their abilities, and we are confident that they will make the nation
proud with their outstanding performances.”