Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan Players All Set To Receive 'Historic' Central Contracts, Top Players To Earn PKR 4.5 Million Per Month- Reports

Pakistan players are reportedly set to earn new central contracts that will see a ‘historic’ rise in their earnings. The new central contract is also likely to have some clause regarding the players’ participation in the overseas T20 tournaments.

The new contract is also set to do away with the last contract’s format where the players were divided on the basis of the red and white-ball formats. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to reintroduce the previous formats where players were divided into four different categories – Category A, B, C, and D.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the players in the top category, which is likely to feature the likes of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan, will be earning as much as PKR 4.5 million (USD 15,900 approx.) a month as a retainer. The report stated that the new amount is four times the amount the top players earned through the last contract.

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The players in Category B will receive in the region of PKR 3 million (USD 10,600 approx), while the players in Category C and D will get between PKR 0.75-1.5 million (USD 2650-5300 approx) respectively. If the new retainer values get the official green light from all the concerned parties, it will be the biggest increase in years.

The PCB officials are already calling the hike historic. One of the reasons behind the hike is the sharp depreciation of the Pakistan rupee in the last year and the poor economic condition of the country. It will be a big boost for the players who are not the most well-paid cricketers in the world and have also been restricted from playing in lucrative T20 leagues by the PCB on several occasions.

Discussion on Pakistan players’ participation in T20 leagues:

The PCB and the players are also reportedly negotiating on the number of leagues the players can play in a year. Last year, the PCB and the players were at loggerheads after the leading stars delayed signing the contracts due to the restrictive terms around playing in leagues.

The report stated that the players in the top two categories are likely to be allowed one league other than the PSL, with those in the lower categories to be allowed more than one. The PCB, however, is likely to be more flexible on the issue.