PCB set to hike retainership fees of national team players

Karachi: The PCB has decided to increase the monthly retainership fees of the centrally contracted Pakistan cricketers from 25 to 75 percent.

According to an official in the PCB detailed discussions have taken place with the players representatives Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali on the terms and conditions of the new central contracts which will be for the period July 1st 2015 to June 30th 2016.

"There was a deadlock over the issue of whether the PCB should give the players bonuses or winning a series or matches also with the board only ready to give bonuses for series wins," the official said.

He said the board had now seriously discussed a proposal to do away with the system of awarding bonuses for winning series or matches in all three formats and just increase the central contract monthly retainers and the match fees.

"If this comes through the players could see their monthly retainership fees doubled and their match fees for all three formats increased by 25 to 50 percent," he said.

At present the players in the top category of the central contracts are paid monthly retainers of around 425,000 rupees and this could increase to 850,000 while those in the B, C and D categories could get enhanced retainers of Rupees 650,000, 350,000 and 200,000 respectively.

Besides the increase in retainers the players could also see their match fees enhanced considerably up to 50 percent.

"The board feels this is the best way to financially reward the players for their performances and bonuses should be dropped," another official said.