PCB likely to announce central contract for 22 Pak players with pay raise

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will give their contracted players a player raise as they are likely to announce the central contract for 22 players on Monday following a delay of around five months.

The PCB would reportedly give the players a 25 percent increase in their monthly salary besides 15 to 20 percent increase in match fees. According to the Dawn, sources in the PCB said that the entire work concerning the new central contracts to the players has been completed and now it is ready for announcement, most probably on Monday. With the pay raise, a player placed in the highest category `A` would now earn 5,00,000 rupees per month, category `B` player would earn 3,50,000 rupees per month while a category `C` cricketer`s income has also been raised by 25 percent of their existing income. Sources said that overall 22 players in three categories have been awarded the central contract, adding that on Pakistan`s Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul-Haq `s recommendation the PCB decided to retain the policy of awarding special prizes to the players for producing impressive individual performance, such as hitting a century or claiming four or more wickets in an innings. The amounts to the contracted Pakistani cricketers have been due since July 2013, the report added.