Babar Azam and other key players ask PCB to modify central contracts: report

• Pakistan’s leading cricketers including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan are asking the PCB to change their contracts.
• The major players agreed to sign the central PCB contracts after successfully negotiating changes to several clauses.
• The players have expressed a significant number of reservations about the contracts.

LAHORE: Unhappy with Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) new central contracts, Pakistan’s leading cricketers including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan have asked the board to modify their contracts.

Although the major players agreed to sign the central PCB contracts after successfully negotiating changes to several clauses, ESPNcricinfoin his report, said they likely signed on the condition that they return after the Asian Cup in the second week of September to resume talks with the board over a few other clauses with which they remain unhappy.

‘PCB revised central contracts on day of departure’

The players signed the contracts just before flying out for the tour in the Netherlands, after the PCB reviewed them on the day of departure.

It is relevant to mention here that the PCB announced 33 central contracts this season, split between white and red players for the first time 2022-23.

In line with usual practice, the PCB handed the players their copies of the contract at the start of the pre-tour camp in Lahore. Unusually, several players across all categories did not sign immediately, instead seeking time to have contracts enforced by their advisers and lawyers before doing so.

According to ESPNcricinfoa core of senior players – Babar Azam, Afridi, Rizwan are multi-format certainties, but the group also included Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Ali – wanted time to go over the contracts in more detail.

Players have expressed a significant number of reservations about the contract, from the most minor to the most broad: these range from questions about the NOC’s process for participation in foreign leagues, to seeking more information on the rights of image in ICC events and participation actions. fees at ICC events and clauses relating to the signing of individual endorsements.

This led to a series of meetings between the players themselves as well as with the board. Zakir Khan, the PCB’s director for international cricket, initially led discussions, although his inflexibility on the issue led Faisal Hasnain, the CEO of the board and Salman Naseer, the COO, to play a more involved role. important.

It is also significant that throughout the discussions, monthly fee amounts and match fees were not among the points of contention. All players will receive a match fee of Rs838,530 for a test, Rs515,696 for an ODI and Rs372,075 for a T20I.

The retainer for a red ball contract in Pakistan is 1,050,000 rupees per month and 950,000 rupees for a corresponding white ball contract.