Nearly 200 domestic cricketers in Pakistan are still waiting for their salaries from a domestic season that will end in less than a month. According to several reports, 192 players who have competed in a number of domestic tournaments have not received their monthly retainers or even match monies. Players have only received daily expenses reimbursement so far.
Due to the amount of domestic cricket this season, including a new competition in the Pakistan Junior League that diverted the attention of the administration, several players and sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed a delay in the distribution of the cash.
The PCB Board of Governors’ approval of an increase in the domestic players’ monthly retainers and match payments is also cited as a contributing factor in the delay. However, for an administration led by Ramiz Raja, the unreasonably long delay has put a huge number of local cricketers who depend only on cricket for a living through unnecessary problems. This payment delay also occurs at a time when the Pakistani economy is in utter disarray, with the rupee’s value falling and an inflation rate that peaked in November at over 20 per cent.
Earlier this year, national cricketers did protest the PCB’s customary practice of offering contracts and pressuring players to sign them right away. Before signing the contracts just prior to their tour of the Netherlands, a few of the players did consult their own attorneys for guidance. However, following lengthy negotiations, the board decided to change a number of terms, and contracts were signed.
The PCB hasn’t formally negotiated contracts with players in the past, and players haven’t often contested any conditions beyond securing adequate yearly wage increases. But the athletes of today are more conscious of their market value and how that should be reflected in a contract. In a similar vein, players typically agree to domestic contracts without much debate.
The PCB has pledged to start giving out the National T20 Cup match fees this week, followed by the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, according to several players who confirmed this. However, retainer payments won’t be settled until the next month.
