The Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday unveiled a revamped pay structure for its domestic cricketers, under which the top performers stand a chance of earning Rs 3.2 million through the season, a whopping "83 per cent more" than last year.
The 3.2 million (Rs 14 lakh INR) over the course of the season will include a monthly retainer of Rs 150,000, the PCB said.
Ahead of the 2020-21 season, which begins on September 30, the PCB announced a new pay structure which will see even the lowest-paid domestic players earn at least "seven per cent more" than what they received in the 2019-20 season.
"Once the lowly paid top domestic cricket performers now have the opportunity to earn as high as PKR (Pakistani Rupees) 3.2 million, which is 83 per cent more than 2019-20, and as low as PKR 1.8 million, still a seven per cent increase from what the players in the highest category received last year," PCB said in a release on Tuesday.
"With each of the 10 A+ category players to receive PKR 150,000 as monthly retainer for 12 months and a match fee of PKR 40,000 for National T20 Cup and Pakistan Cup each, and PKR60,000 for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, players maintaining and displaying high levels of professionalism throughout the season will earn PKR3.2million."
The Board also said that monthly retainer of D category domestic players has been fixed at Rs 40,000 but "they will get the same match fee as the highest category player".
"...any D category player who features in all the 30 First XI league matches will earn PKR 1.8million."
The players can take home an even higher paycheck "if they reach the finals, which will guarantee them additional match fee as well as share in the prize money".
Last year, the monthly retainer of all domestic contracted first XI players was Rs 50,000, while match fee was Rs 40,000 for white-ball cricket and Rs 75,000 for red-ball cricket.
"The PCB is aware that Pakistan cricketers are not the highest-paid in the world, but it is our endeavour to slowly and gradually improve their contracts so that they can get best returns for their talent and also plan their futures," PCB Director - High Performance, Nadeem Khan said.
"PCB generates its funds and revenues through cricket and it is appropriate that a large chunk of these funds are reinvested into development and cricketers," he added.
He also hoped that the enhanced pay "will introduce an element of competition between these players in pursuit of improved contracts next year."
The 2020-21 and enhanced monthly retainer structure is:
Category A+ = 10 players, Rs 150,000 per month (66k INR)
Category A = 38 players, Rs 85,000 per month (37K INR)
Category B = 48 players, Rs 75,000 per month (33k INR)
Category C = 72 players, Rs 65,000 per month (28k INR)
Category D = 24 players, Rs 40,000 per month. (17.5k INR)
