AFG vs PAK: Issues Between Pakistan Players And PCB Over Central Contracts Yet To Resolved - Reports

In what has been the latest development as per the reports in PTI, it is learned that the deadlock between the PCB and the players of the team is yet to be resolved. With Asia Cup 2023 around the corner, the reports have suggested that there are a number of issues to be solved. 

Recently Shaheen Afridi was not given the NOC by the PCB to play in the International League T20. Following that the pacer didn’t agree to sign the new central contract and it created havoc. A source close to PCB has revealed that the fast bowler has expressed his desire to play as a freelancer. 

“Shaheen got so frustrated at the board’s refusal to issue him a NOC that he made it clear it would be best if he didn’t sign any contract with the board and played as a freelancer,” a source said, as quoted by PTI. 

Shaheen Afridi acquired a whopping amount of USD 400,000 contract for two or three years and an additional USD 150,000 for the league by marketing his NFTs online. After this saga, the PCB, granted NOC to other players to avoid similar sort of situations with other players. 

The reports also suggested that PCB chief Zaka Ashraf also recently visited Sri Lanka to meet with Pakistan players before the start of the series with Afghanistan. But the source revealed that cricketers wanted a proper share of the revenues that the governing body gets annually from the ICC along with digital rights sale of their NFTs including images, clips, and sound bites. 

“The senior players are adamant they should get a proper share from the revenues the PCB gets annually from the ICC as its share from ICC events and secondly they want a bigger share or say in the digital rights sale of their NFT’s including images, clips and sound bites,” a source said. 

AFG vs PAK: The board has promised them big enhancements in their monthly central contract – source close to PCB 

The source also revealed that PCB has decided to offer big enhancements to monthly central contracts to players along with increments with match fees/bonuses. But the players aren’t keen to get that as they want a proper share of the ICC revenues and also from NFTs and individual endorsements. 

The source added that PCB is facing issues that if players will play as freelancers then they won’t be able to bind them. He added: 

“The board has promised them big enhancements in their monthly central contract retainers and match fees/bonuses but the players are insistent on getting a proper share from the ICC revenues and also from NFTs and individual endorsements. The problem is that players have become more aware and sharper now of their opportunities to earn good money which is why the board has even relented to allow them to play in two foreign leagues every year besides the Pakistan Super League. 

“The problem for the board is that if a top player decides to go freelance, the PCB will not be able to bind him to any clauses of their contracts and he will be free to do or sign contracts as he likes on other platforms,” he concluded.