The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the new central contract for men's players, which brings a staggering 202% increase in players' salaries.
This three-year contract is set to run from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026, and marks a significant step forward in recognizing and rewarding the country's cricket talent.
Category A
In a major boost to the leading players of the national team, Category A includes three players - Captain Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi. Their remuneration has seen a remarkable surge of 202%.
Category B
The six cricketers in Category B - Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, and Shadab Khan - will enjoy a substantial pay increase of 144%.
Category C
Category C consists of two talented cricketers, Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafiq, who have seen their remuneration rise by 135%.
Category D
A total of 14 cricketers have been placed in Category D, where their salaries have seen a commendable growth of 127%.
Meanwhile, Cricketers like Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Nouman Ali, Abid Ali, Yasir Shah, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdal Shah, Usman Qadir, and Zahid Mehmood have been omitted from the central contract.
Read also: PCB listens to players' concerns, settles central contract issue
However, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Haris, who were previously in the emerging category, have been promoted. The emerging category itself has been eliminated in this revamped central contract.
Performance-based increments
The PCB is emphasizing performance evaluation during the three-year contract, with player reviews scheduled every 12 months. Test match fees have been increased by 50%, ODI fees by 25%, and T20 fees by 12.5%.
In a move that encourages players' participation in domestic leagues worldwide, those included in the central contract will be allowed to play in two foreign leagues.
Additionally, they will receive 50% of the international match fee for participating in domestic cricket.
