In a dramatic turn of events, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reached a groundbreaking agreement with its players ahead of the ODI World Cup. After months of negotiations and a stalemate, this historic win ensures that players will have a share in the International Cricket Council (ICC) revenue, potentially allowing them to earn millions. However, in exchange, the PCB will retain the right to grant No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to players for participation in lucrative T20 leagues.
For the past four months, Pakistan’s cricketers have been without central contracts, leading to a deadlock between the players and the PCB. To break this impasse, PCB appointed Inzamam Ul Haq, the chief selector, as the mediator between the two parties. Representing the players in this negotiation process was none other than Pakistan’s star captain, Babar Azam.
At the eleventh hour, just before the team departed for the World Cup, the players reached an agreement in principle with the PCB. While the formal signing of the contract will occur after their return from the World Cup, this agreement paves the way for a new era in Pakistan cricket.
Under the new contract terms, players have been categorized, with Category A cricketers like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan set to receive a monthly payment of PKR 45 Lakh monthly. Category B players will receive PKR 30 Lakhs monthly, while those in the remaining two categories will receive monthly payments ranging from PKR 15 to 7 Lakhs. However, players in all categories will be subject to a 10% tax deduction.
One of the most significant aspects of this agreement is that centrally contracted players will earn 3% of the ICC revenue share allocated to the PCB. With PCB set to earn $34.51 million from ICC revenue share, this translates to $1.03 million that will be distributed among the players.
For instance, Category A players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan, will earn an additional PKR 45 lakh monthly from this revenue share.
While the agreement addresses many financial aspects, there remains a lack of clarity regarding NOCs (No Objection Certificates) for players who wish to participate in franchise leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), South African T20 League (SA20) or Big Bash League (BBL). Currently, Inzamam Ul Haq, who also runs a players’ agency, is formulating a policy for NOCs.
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Players had initially demanded a minimum of two NOCs per year to participate in these lucrative leagues. However, after Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the Asia Cup, the PCB appears to have the upper hand in negotiations.
The PCB is expected to formulate an NOC policy in the coming days. It’s worth noting that players like Shaheen Afridi have already signed lucrative contracts with franchise leagues, raising the stakes for this policy’s development.
