File photo of PCB logo© X (Twitter)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday increased the players’ match fee for the National T20 Championship after its decision to enforce a pay cut faced severe backlash. The PCB had earlier reduced the match fees to Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 for players and reserves, forcing its chairman Mohsin Naqvi to issue orders to review the decision. Finding itself in a corner after widespread criticism, PCB has now increased the match fees of players to Rs 40,000 and reserves to Rs 20,000. Pakistan’s domestic cricket schedule and structure has been under discussion this season after the board abruptly stopped the National Under-19 Championship after just one day’s play.
The decision to reduce the match fees was earlier taken on the orders of Naqvi after complaints of selection of over-age players and other issues.
Interestingly, the National junior event, which is seen as the best platform for new talent, has still not been held this season.
There have also been reports of the domestic department cutting facilities for players in domestic cricket like termination of contracts and lowering hotel and travelling standards.
PCB sources claim that the expense cuts have been executed because of the increased domestic cricket events this season which were earlier not included in the budget.
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