The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is currently facing severe scrutiny and criticism due to its failure to provide salaries to the members of the national men’s cricket team for the preceding four months. This prolonged lack of payment has generated considerable dissatisfaction within the team, leading to growing discontentment directed at the board.
Reports suggest that this financial turmoil could have far-reaching consequences, potentially resulting in the players taking drastic measures during the upcoming ICC World Cup in 2023, hosted in India. Specifically, there is a looming threat of players boycotting promotional activities and endorsements associated with the PCB’s sponsors. Furthermore, there are deliberations among the players regarding the possibility of refusing to participate in commercial promotions and engagements organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) during the One Day International (ODI) World Cup.
In essence, the PCB’s failure to remunerate its players has triggered a wave of unrest within the national team, prompting contemplation of significant actions that could disrupt not only the team’s relationship with sponsors but also its involvement in international cricket events.
“We are willing to represent Pakistan for free, but our question is why we should promote sponsors’ logos that are affiliated with the board.
“Similarly, we may decline to participate in promotional activities and other events. During the World Cup, we won’t engage in ICC’s commercial promotions and activities either,” cricketpakistan.com.pk quoted a Pakistan cricketer as saying.
This situation has arisen due to the delay in the players finalizing their central contracts, which include the commitment of increased earnings, especially for top cricketers who were expecting nearly PKR 4.5 million.
However, when considering taxes and deductions, the actual income for the players is likely to be in the range of PKR 2.2 to 2.3 million.
As an alternative, the players are advocating for a portion of the revenue that the PCB receives from the International Cricket Council (ICC). The board currently benefits from approximately PKR 9.8 billion through the ICC’s revenue-sharing framework.
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