The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly cut down the fees of the country’s domestic players despite spending an unprecedented amount of money on other things related to the administration.
The PCB spent millions of dollars recently on the renovation of the three stadiums in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi where the Champions Trophy was played. However, the cutting down in domestic players’ fees raises questions over their preference.
Also read: ICC destroys PCB on Champions Trophy presentation ceremony protest; shows them a brutal mirror
PCB cuts down domestic players’ match fees
According to PTI, the PCB has slashed down the match fees of the players taking part in the upcoming National T20 Championship, which is a domestic 20-over tournament in Pakistan. The tournament will begin from March 14 in Faisalabad.
Match fees have been cut down from PKR 100,000 per match to just PKR 10,000 per match. The reserve players will be paid PKR 5,000 per match now and the players won’t be pleased with their salaries being cut down this way and it remains to be seen if any action takes place against the board.
The report also states that Abdullah Khurram Niazi, who is the head of domestic cricket in Pakistan, has been reducing the facilities for domestic cricketers constantly over the last few months.
A source also claimed that the players’ staying accommodation has also been changed and they are now living in cheaper hotels as compared to living in five-star hotels before.
“The players who were first being offered accommodation at five-star and four-star hotels are now being offered cheaper accommodation. Air travel has also been reduced for them, besides fees,” a source was quoted as saying by PTI.
Mentors and administrators continue to be paid heavily
While the players’ salaries have been cut down, the mentors of the five teams of Champions Cup and the national selectors continue to enjoy huge perks from the PCB. The five mentors Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq are believed to be paid PKR 5 million per month.
Last season payments of domestic cricket are yet to be cleared for the players and the umpires. The Pakistani board is yet to implement an annual pension scheme for the country’s former Test cricketers.
Bad times for Pakistan cricket
Pakistan cricket is going through one of its worst times currently. The team bowed out of the Champions Trophy in just four days after losing their first two matches to New Zealand and India.
Their failure to qualify for the semi-finals despite being the hosts drew plenty of ire from the country’s former cricketers and the fans. The players were brutally slammed for their performances and the board also faced scrutiny for the fall of Pakistan cricket.
A controversy also emerged recently after the Champions Trophy 2025 final when no representative from Pakistan was present on the stage for the presentation ceremony after India’s win. The PCB decided to lodge a complaint to the ICC regarding this matter and were clearly upset with this behavior.
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