Babar Azam & Co. to earn share of ICC revenue as PCB bows down to their demand
After two rounds of stalemate, there was a resounding victory for the Babar Azam-led Pakistan team before the ODI World Cup. The Pakistan Cricket Board has agreed to share part of the ICC revenue share with the players. It is a historic win, as players will stand a chance to earn millions. In exchange, the board will retain the right to grant NOCs to players to play in T20 leagues.
Before his departure for the World Cup, Pakistan captain Babar Azam met with the chairman of PCB, Zaka Ashraf, at his residence to discuss the contract. Pakistani players have been playing without a central contract for the last four months.
To solve the deadlock, PCB appointed Inzamam Ul Haq, the chief selector, as the mediator between the two parties. Babar Azam has been representing the players in this negotiation process. And at the last moment, players reached an agreement with the board. While the players haven’t put pen to paper, they have agreed in principle and will sign the contract after returning from the World Cup.
Now Under the new contract terms, Category A cricketers like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan will receive a monthly payment of PKR 4.5 million, while Category B players will receive PKR 3 million. Players in the remaining two categories will receive monthly payments ranging from PKR 1.5 to 0.7 million. Furthermore, the board informed the players about a 10% deduction for taxes.