PCB announces special cash prizes for victorious Pakistan team

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced special cash prizes for members of the national team that recently played the two Twenty20s and three-match ODI series in India.

The PCB said in a statement that chairman Zaka Ashraf had approved special cash prizes of 500,000 rupees for each member of the Pakistan team that drew the two T20 and won the ODI series in India. Besides these cash awards, special cash bonuses of 500,000 rupees each were also given to T20 captain Mohammad Hafeez, pacers Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan, opener Nasir Jamshed and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for their outstanding performances in India. Jamshed scored back to back centuries in the ODI series while Junaid and Irfan tormented the Indian batsmen throughout the series. The PCB has also announced cash prizes of 250,000 for each member of the team management. The PCB is also holding its first annual awards on Saturday with the chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Dave Richardson scheduled to come down for the event on special invitation from the board. The PCB had invited most of its former greats and captains for the ceremony and they gave away the shining trophies to the winners. Ecstatic to receive the awards, Saeed said they were great compensation for not winning the ICC awards last year. "I am just happy to see that the PCB has made these awards a permanent feature now. They will definitely encourage players to do better," he said. Saeed said he cherished the PCB Test bowler of the year award the most as bowling in Test match requires fitness, perseverance and skill. "You have to think the batsman out. I am happy that I was rated as the best out of an attack that is considered second to none," he said. Azhar Ali said it was an honour to be named in a team that included some top players. "In Test cricket this was Pakistan`s best year for some time. I am very happy to have performed well as a batsman and to be named the best of the lot. This is an honour that would keep reminding me to do even better for Pakistan in the weeks and months ahead," he said. Hafeez said it was very special to be named player of the year in a year which has seen some great performances by others as well. "It just gives me a special feeling and a sense of pride and self achievement." Saeed Ajmal has also won a special prize for best bowler of the year from the PCB at the awards ceremony carrying a cash prize of 1.5 million rupees. The rest of the awards all carry cash prize of 200,000 rupees each. PTI