Pakistan Cricket Board gives hike to centrally contracted players

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to increase the monthly retainership of senior national teams (men and women) from 10 to 25 percent from the next cycle. The PCB is due to announce new central contracts for the men in a few days time. The Board of Governors of the PCB which met virtually on Thursday also decided that in the future there will be equality in terms of match fees for the men’s side. Presently, the PCB has always awarded retainers and paid match fees category wise based on the seniority of players. The BoG also approved an activity-based annual budget of 8.997 billion rupees for the 2021-22 fiscal year which includes retainership increase, an inflationary adjustment to its staff salaries, the production cost of home cricketing series and COVID-19 related protocols. The PCB expenses show an increase of roughly around 2 billion rupees in spends from last year. A statement from the board said that the PCB has budgeted a total spend of 8.997 billion for its cricketing and operational activities that revolve around home and away international series by its national sides, domestic cricket operations, operational expenses of the newly formed six Cricket Associations, Pakistan Super League (PSL) and its administrative expenses. The BOG members were also informed that the PCB has submitted expressions of interest for six ICC Events in the 2024-31 cycle. Of these six events, the PCB is keen to host the three-venue ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and 2029 on its own, while it has offered to host the remaining four events, two eight-venue ICC T20 World Cups 2026 and 2028, as well as the two 10-venue ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups 2027 and 2031, in partnership with other Asian countries. The ICC’s evaluation committee will now examine the expression of interests sent by other member nations before the second phase commences in September.