By Bilal Ahmed
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given its approval to a revised player payment system and increased match fees for national cricketers. This decision followed the endorsement of a surplus budget for the 2026–27 financial year during the 84th Board of Governors (BoG) meeting. The meeting was chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
During the BoG meeting, members unanimously approved the board’s financial plans for the upcoming year. This also included the budget for the 12th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). A significant outcome of the meeting was the approval of a new central contract model for Pakistan’s men’s cricketers.
New Contract Structure and Increased Fees
The new central contract model will replace the existing category-based system with a five-track structure. This new framework is designed based on players’ format specialisation. Players will be categorised into different tracks:
- Track AB: For Test and ODI regulars.
- Track A: For Test specialists.
- Track BC: For ODI and T20I players.
- Track C: For T20 specialists.
- Track D: For emerging cricketers in the development pathway.
The PCB also approved an increase in match fees for the Pakistan men’s team as part of this revised payment mechanism. While the exact figures for the national team were not disclosed during the BoG meeting, domestic cricket also received a substantial financial boost.
The budget for domestic cricket has been increased by PKR 1 billion, rising from PKR 3 billion to PKR 4 billion. This increase aims to strengthen the country’s first-class and domestic cricket structure. Players participating in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QeAT) will see a significant pay rise, with match fees increasing from PKR 30,000 to PKR 100,000 per match. Reserve players in the QeAT will now receive PKR 50,000 per game, up from PKR 15,000.
The Board further approved funding for women’s One-Day and T20 tournaments, demonstrating a commitment to expanding the women’s domestic calendar.
Infrastructure Development and Domestic Season
Infrastructure development was also a key focus of the meeting, with PKR 6.7 billion allocated for the upgradation of the National Bank Cricket Stadium in Karachi and other cricket facilities across Pakistan. Additionally, the PCB sanctioned funds to make 12 more cricket grounds operational, covering staffing and maintenance costs. The minimum monthly salary of regional ground staff was also increased to PKR 42,000.
To enhance player development and performance analysis, the Board approved the installation of a biomechanics machine at the High Performance Centre in Lahore.
The domestic cricket season for 2026-27 is scheduled to commence in August. Departmental cricket tournaments for this iteration are set to begin in September, a change from the December-January start of the previous two seasons. The President’s Trophy Grade-I (four-day first-class), President’s Cup (List A), and the President’s Trophy Grade-II Gold and Silver (three-day) tournaments are included in the departmental cricket schedule.
The eight-team President’s Trophy and Cup are expected to be crucial in the upcoming domestic season. The PCB plans to collaborate closely with departmental teams to ensure high competition, player development, and the creation of stable and transparent revenue streams for domestic players. The eight-team President’s Cup One-Day tournament will be particularly in focus due to its role in preparing for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
The PCB will also work with departments across the four tournaments to maintain fitness standards, including pre-season fitness tests for player selection. To maximise playing opportunities for centrally contracted and national pool players, a Guest Player concept will be introduced for the upcoming departmental cricket season. The finalists of the recently concluded President’s Trophy Grade-II Silver in Faisalabad are set to be promoted to the Gold tournament, while the bottom two teams of the Gold tier will be relegated.
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Source: brecorder.com
