Pakistan Cricket Board pumps in Rs 1 billion to domestic cricket
The PCB has increased players' pay and prizes for the 2019-20 domestic season.
Seeking to infuse new life into Pakistan's domestic cricket setup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced major incentives for players and teams ahead of the 2019-20 domestic season.
On Sunday, the PCB stated that it would pump in over one billion rupees to Pakistan domestic cricket with a focus on providing players better careers.
"Despite a reduction in the number of teams, leading to a lesser number of matches, in the reformed domestic structure, the PCB will inject over Rs1 billion this season," read a statement released by the board. "A heavy chunk from it has been allocated for the welfare of players by providing them with unprecedented remunerations, based on enhanced retainers, match-fees, allowances, and prize money which can bring a spike by more than Rs2 million in a player's bank statement over the course of the upcoming season."
The PCB's revamped domestic cricket model sees the six state associations allot each of their 32 cricketers year-long contracts. The total of 192 contracted cricketers will earn Rs 600,000 annually from monthly retainers of Rs 50,000.
The PCB also announced that these 32 contracted cricketers will be paid daily allowances and accommodated at three-and-four-star hotels with breakfast and lunch provided. For inter-province travel, the PCB will book economy flights for the contracted players.
The domestic season starts on September 14 with the premier first-class tournament of Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
"The prize money for the domestic events has also been increased manifold," said the PCB in its statement. "The winning prize money for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy has been increased by 233 per cent, along with a surge of 150 and 100 per cent in the winning prize money for Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament and National T20 Cup.
"The winners of the country's premier first-class tournament, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, will be awarded Rs 10 million and the runners-up will get Rs5 million. Another Rs5 million will be handed out to tournament"s top-performers and the man-of-the-final will take Rs 50,000 home."
Winners of Pakistan's One-Day Cup and National T20 Cup will receive Rs 5 million and runners-up will get half of that. The player voted Man of the Match in the final of both tournaments will receive Rs 35,000.
For the 2019-20 domestic season, a state-level cricketer in Pakistan who makes it to his team's respective playing XI for a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy game will receive a match fee of Rs 75,000 which is higher than the Rs 50,000 received during the last season. A squad member who does not make the playing XI will receive Rs 16,000 as match fees, compared to the Rs 8,750 from 2018-19.
Similar upgrades have been made for one-day and T20 matches. For the T20 Cup, match fees for anyone in the final XI has been increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 this domestic season. Non-playing squad members will get paid Rs 16,000 per match as compared to Rs 7,500 from last season. Playing members during the One-Day Cup will be paid Rs 15,000 per match, while non-playing XI squad members will receive Rs 6000.
Getting into the Under-19 age group bracket, young cricketers will receive Rs 10,000 if they feature in a three-day match and other members of the squad will get Rs 4,000. For One-Day Cup matches, the breakup is Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,000 for the same process.
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