Pakistan cricket team players not signing the central contract

A deadlock persists between Team Pakistan and the PCB as players of the Pakistan Cricket Team have yet to sign the three-year central contract agreement.

This update was conveyed by the renowned former Pakistani wicketkeeper and captain, Rashid Latif, through a tweet.

Pakistani cricket team is all set to depart for the historic Cricket World Cup to be held in India, this unresolved issue does not provide an encouraging morale boost just before such a crucial event. The final decision now rests in the hands of the PCB Chairman.

While the PCB has managed to find common ground on one crucial aspect – allowing players to participate in various leagues alongside the Pakistan Super League (PSL) – a deadlock persists on several other critical matters, including:

1. Commercial Rights
2. Involvement in ICC and ACC NFTs (Digital Collectibles)
3. Taxation, notably the 35% tax rate imposed by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

It’s noteworthy that the PCB is currently enjoying a significant annual income of 9.8 billion rupees from the recently negotiated ICC revenue-sharing contract. This substantial figure does not even encompass the additional revenue streams generated from the new PSL, sponsorships, or bilateral series.

In contrast, the total value of all the newly awarded central contracts amounts to less than 1 billion PKR, which is less than 10% of the revenue generated solely from the ICC contract.

To put this into perspective, Cricket Australia allocates 27.5% of its revenue to its players, while other cricketing nations typically share between 25% and 30% of their total revenue with their players.

READ: Waqar marks four cricketers who will help Pakistan beat India in WC 2023

In related news, Pakistan has canceled its pre-World Cup trip to Dubai due to delays in obtaining Indian visas.