The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has increased monthly pay and match fees of domestically contracted players.
In 58th meeting of Board of Governors (BoG), the PCB got approval for increase in domestic contract retainers up to 46 percent. According to the new monthly retainer structure, the PCB will again offer 192 leading domestic players (32 from each of the six Cricket Associations) performance-based contracts, but instead of paying a flat monthly retainer of PKR50,000 to all players, this season slab-wise payments will be made.
The new monthly retainer structure is:
• Category A+ = 10 players, PKR 150,000 per month
• Category A = 38 players, PKR 85,000 per month
• Category B = 48 players, PKR 75,000 per month
• Category C = 72 players, PKR 65,000 per month
• Category D = 24 players, PKR 40,000 per month
In addition to the revised monthly retainers, the players will also be paid match fees as per the following structure:
1st XI FC 4-day
1st XI FC 3-day
2nd XI 50-over
1st XI 50-over
2nd XI T20
1st XI T20
2nd XI 3-day
1st U19 50-over
U19
Playing XI (PKR) – 60,000 25,000 40,000 15,000 40,000 15,000 10,000 5,000
Reserves (PKR) – 24,000 10,000 16,000 6,000 16,000 6,000 4,000 2,000
Approval of Budget
The BoG approved a PKR7.76billion operating expenditure budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year, which is a 10 per cent reduction from the 2019-20 budget as part of the PCB’s austerity, robust financial management and belt-tightening exercise.
Without compromising and reducing any activities from the 2019-20 activities, the PCB has allocated 71.2 per cent of the overall budget for cricket-related activities. This is to ensure that despite tough financial situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, cricket remains unaffected and the PCB continues to invest in the future.
The allocated 71.2 per cent cricket budget includes 25.2 per cent for domestic cricket (events and players/match officials/player support personnel contracts and High Performance Centre costs), 19.3 per cent for international cricket (home/away series and player contracts), 5.5 per cent for women’s cricket (home/away cricket and player contracts), 19.7 per cent for HBL PSL 2021 and 1.5 per cent for Medical and Sport Sciences.
While forecasting shortfall in revenues due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has left the fate of revenues from international events hanging in balance and may also affect PCB’s commercial programme, the BoG has agreed to continue investment on infrastructure development by approving a PKR1.22billion budget for capital expenditure, a reduction of approximately PKR800million from 2019-20.
Pakistan Super League
The BoG congratulated the PCB management for the successful staging of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 until it was postponed on 17 March due to Covid-19 pandemic. The 30 completed matches were played over four venues with more than 500,000 spectators crossing turnstiles to watch live action.
The BoG was informed that the PCB was planning to stage the remaining four matches later in the year, while it plans to add a fifth venue in Peshawar for the 2021 edition, which is scheduled to be held in February and March 2021.
The BoG approved to set-up a dedicated HBL PSL Department by separating it from the PCB’s Commercial Department. PSL Project Executive Shoaib Naveed will head the department as part of the PCB’s drive to improve stakeholder relationship and deliver top-quality event. There will also be an oversight group, which will comprise the Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director Commercial.
The PSL General Council meeting is scheduled in the first week of July with more details to follow in due course.
