LAHORE - After a delay of almost five months, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wednesday announced the revision in the ‘national team players central contracts’ which will now see players getting a raise of 25 per cent in their monthly retainers of the previous year, in all categories.
Previously, players in the A category were receiving Rs 360,000 per month and will now receive Rs 450,000 as per the new raise put in place. Meanwhile, the B category athletes will pocket Rs 315,000 which is far better than the previous Rs 251, 562 given for a moth. As far as the cricketers in C category are concerned they are likely to fetch Rs 180,000 instead Rs 143,750.
Furthermore, the stipend category has been removed and no player will get benefit in that form, including those who previously were taking this. As many as 22 players have been awarded with central contracts.
This increase will be in addition to a further 25 per cent increase in Test match fee and 10 per cent increase in One-day International match fee for the players. The system of bonuses has also been revised to incentivize outstanding individual performance and series wins.
The new central contracts and revision in payments will become effective from January 1, 2014. The revisions have been finalised in consultations with senior players of the Pakistan team. The names of the players who will be offered contracts and their categories will be finalised after the conclusion of the ongoing camp in Lahore.
The cricket board will be releasing up to 50 per cent of those players’ remunerations who have represented Pakistan in international matches since January 2014.