Reports: Pakistan players unhappy with PCB over delay in monthly retainers

Recently, a source with intimate ties to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed the growing dissatisfaction among Pakistan cricket squad members for a variety of reasons. Some of the main causes include the ongoing delays in sponsor share payments, player retainer payments, and the release of the players’ central contract list.

In the last central contract deal agreed by the PCB and the players, the players received a significant boost and other advantages from the board. The players in the top tier, including as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan, are paid retainers of 4.5 million rupees every month in accordance with the current arrangement.

Interestingly, this does not include taxes other than the percentage that the PCB receives from brand sponsorships and the three percent that it receives from the International Cricket Council. Separately, a source close to the ruling body reported that administrative difficulties and the PCB’s failure to obtain its full share of revenue from various sources were the reasons behind the salary delays.

According to a person close to the PCB, “the players have been waiting for their payments and an announcement of the central contracts list” for the past three months, as reported by PTI.

“In addition to other cricket-related costs, the PCB is heavily investing in the three venues in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi for the ICC Champions Trophy. Players’ dues would be paid off this month, according to a second source.

Some players are becoming increasingly apprehensive and uneasy: from PCB

The source added to the growing amount of scepticism among participants by illuminating both historical and current events pertaining to the distribution of cash. As to the agreement, the ICC’s portion was expected to increase over the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons, amounting to 2,070,000 rupees for Category A, 1,552,500 for Category B, 1,035,000 for Category C, and 517,500 for Category D, with each category’s share being represented monthly.

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The central contract announcement was postponed until just before the World Cup in India last year, and the news of contracted players is being postponed even longer this year. Some players are becoming more and more apprehensive and restless,” the source stated in closing.