Pak players 'unimpressed' with 'peanuts' central contract hike

Pakistani cricketers have said that they are unimpressed by the 15 percent hike in their central contracts by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and has termed the raise as 'peanuts' ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy.

The 15-member team for the Champions Trophy was not so excited with the increase which according accounts for an increase of Rs.45, 000 per month for players on category 'A' contracts, The Dawn reports.

According to a player, a cricketer falling in the 'A' category will now get Rs.3, 45, 000 a month which is a mere pittance when compared to what cricketers from other countries are earning.

The cricketer further said that a player in that category will now get four million rupees per annum while international cricketers all over the world earn around 10 million rupees a year, adding that it is shocking that PCB's high-ranking officials earn more than the players despite international cricketers being the main financial source of the body.

However, PCB sources countered the objections, saying that the PCB has awarded category 'A' contracts to some players who are not even a part of the Test team.

The sources further said that no other country offers 'A' category contracts to non-Test playing cricketers as they give more importance to the longer format of the game and pay three times more match fees to players than those offered in one-day internationals.

The PCB did not give the Champions Trophy-bound cricketers full documents of the central contract, offering them just one page, which they signed and returned, the report added.