The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued the long-awaited central contracts on Wednesday, awarding a 202% increase in the monthly retainer of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan.
Following the hike, the trio is projected to get Rs4.5 million, a more than fourfold increase over the previous year.
The agreement comes after four months of deadlock between the PCB and players and will see them receive a portion of the country’s payout from the International Cricket Council for the first time.
“The PCB has successfully negotiated a three-year central contact deal with its senior players, which will run from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026, with 25 cricketers being offered contracts,” the board said in a statement.
The agreement divides players into four tiers, with skipper Babar, Rizwan, and Afridi in the top level.
Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, and Shadab Khan are in category B, with reported salaries of Rs3 million, while Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique are in category C, with reported salaries of Rs1.5 million.
Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Saim Ayub, Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan would be paid Rs750,000 per month.
According to the PCB, player match fees would be raised by 50% for Tests, 25% for one-day internationals, and 12.5% for Twenty20 matches.
In contrast to the previous year, red-ball and white-ball national contracts have been combined.
Furthermore, players will be allowed to play in two foreign leagues per season, while the financial model for the three-year contract will be set, with player performance reviews planned every 12 months.
