PCB has announced a scheme, which will allow women cricketers to get 12 months of paid leave while men cricketers can get 30 days’ rest.
On Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board has introduced a parental support policy for all the players that will allow them to get paid leave during the periods of pregnancy and upon the birth of a child. Under this policy, women can get up to 12 months of paid leave, with men allowed 30 days. All players can benefit from the policy immediately. Bismah Maroof is the first beneficiary who recently took an indefinite break to prepare for motherhood.
“The PCB has a duty of care towards its cricketers and, at every turn, it has taken measures to support them. In this relation, it is appropriate that we have a player-friendly parental support policy so that our professional cricketers can feel fully supported during an important stage in their lives, without worrying about their careers,”
“To have this policy for our women cricketers was even more significant. Women play a pivotal role in the development of society and our women cricketers have brought us laurels and recognition on the world stage. Now that we have a maternity leave policy, I am hopeful that it will attract more women and girls to take up the sport as this will help them strike a crucial work-life balance,”
Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive officer, stated.
The parental support policy is a welcome change in sports. There have been cases of women players giving up on sports after motherhood because of the hazards involved. The parental support policy is a great step towards prolonging their career. The PCB central contracts don’t have any clauses for covering parental leave, but the Bismah Maroof case has encouraged them to review their contract system and make it more progressive. The current annual contracts for 2020-21 for both men and women will end in two months, but the policy stands effective immediately for all contracted players.
“Under the newly introduced policy, women and men players have been granted various rights that they are respectively entitled to avail during the pregnancy and upon the birth of their child,”
a PCB release stated.
Apart from the paid leave, women cricketers will be guaranteed a contract extension for the following year after the one-year leave. For men, the 30-day leave must be availed within the first 56 days of the birth of a child.
Upon conclusion of the maternity leave, the player will be reintegrated into cricketing activities and will be provided adequate medical and physical support. If a woman player is required to travel for cricketing activities, the PCB will be allowing her to travel with a support person of her choice to assist in caring for her infant child, with the travel and accommodation costs to be shared equally.
Key benefits of PCB’s Parental Support Policy
- Women cricketers can transfer to a non-playing role until the commencement of their maternity leave leading up to the birth of their child.
- Women cricketers are entitled to take up to 12 months of paid maternity leave and will be guaranteed a contract extension for the following year, in line with their existing contractual arrangements.
- Upon conclusion of the maternity leave, the player will be reintegrated into cricketing activities and provided adequate medical and physical support in respect of their post-childbirth rehabilitation.
- If a woman player is required to travel for cricketing activities, the PCB will allow her to travel with a support person of her choice to assist in caring for an infant child. Travel and accommodation costs will be shared equally.
