Boost to domestic cricket: PCB to incentivise Pakistan players who play first-class matches

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board, in a bid to upgrade its domestic events and improve financial benefits for players, has decided to award 50 percent of their international match fees to all the centrally contracted players who appear in domestic matches. According to PCB officials, the domestic cricket committee has also recommended a 100 percent hike in match fees for all players who are not centrally contracted to the board. “The recommendations of the committee were approved by the Board of Governors at its last meeting in Lahore which also gave approval for having at least 10 matches of the first class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy under lights,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_2837326” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “The purpose of having 10 matches including the semi-finals and final of the premier first class competition under lights is to allow players to get used to playing with the pink ball and also to the concept of day and night first class matches,” the official added. Another official said the decision to have 10 day and night first class matches had come since Pakistan is due to play two day and night Tests against West Indies and Australia this year. Pakistan was among the first cricket playing nations to experiment with the orange and pink balls and has thrice held the finals of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy under lights. The official said it had also been decided to use quality kookaburra and duke balls in domestic cricket. He said for some time now it had been felt that players in domestic cricket were not getting enough financial incentives. “So in order to make domestic cricket more rewarding for the contracted players they will be paid 50 percent of the match fees they get for international cricket whenever they appear in domestic matches. For four day games they will get 50 percent of their test fees, for ODIs 50 percent fees of ODIs and similarly for T20 matches.” The official said other players will be given a 100 percent increase in match fees. Presently domestic players who play for regional teams get between 10,000 and 25,000 Pakistani rupees per match.