Pak cricket authorities, players working at resolving contract rows ahead of WC

With just weeks left for the World Cup to get underway, Pakistan cricket authorities and players have revealed that they are working at resolving a potentially destabilizing contract row.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had earlier this month announced that it would extend existing annual contracts for another three months, with reportedly a view to award the next set of long-term contracts on the basis of performances during the World Cup, which would be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

However, the players, including skipper Misbah-ul Haq, have refused to go along with the makeshift arrangement, the Dawn reported.

An anonymous senior player revealed that first the PCB has drafted a short-term contract and secondly the incentives given to the players have been changed, so he added that they are in talks with the board to solve the matter.

A PCB spokesman confirmed the matter was being negotiated and said that it had acted in line with its own rules. He said that there were some reservations, which they are sure, would be resolved in the next couple of days.

The spokesman said that as per the rules these contracts are extendable by 180 days, which is what has been done.

The PCB had added newcomers Sohail Khan, a medium-pacer, and leg spinner Yasir Shah to the existing list of 31 players who were awarded central contracts in A, B and C category on the basis of performance and seniority last year.

Former players and officials have branded the central contract row as damaging with the World Cup just three weeks away, the report added.