The policy is to help cricketers balance their parental responsibilities and cricketing career.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday (May 4) launched a new “Parental Support Policy” for the national cricketers under which both male and female players are entitled to paid leaves during pregnancy and after childbirth to motivate the professional cricketers in their journey to parenthood.
Pakistan national team’s both women and men players have been granted various rights that they are respectively entitled to avail during the pregnancy and upon the birth of their child under the newly introduced policy to facilitate their return to the game while “balancing their parental responsibilities with the demands of their cricketing career”.
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Under the new policy, Pakistan women cricketers are “entitled to take 12 months of paid maternity leave” during pregnancy and after childbirth. The women cricketers will also have the option to transfer to a non-playing role until the commencement of their maternity leave leading up to the birth of their child.
The PCB also stated that the players will be guaranteed a contract extension for the following year apart from 12 months of paid maternity leave under this new policy.
PCB said in a media release on Tuesday, “Women cricketers are also entitled to take up to 12 months of paid maternity leave and will be guaranteed a contract extension for the following year, in line with their existing contractual arrangements.
Upon conclusion of the maternity leave, the player will be reintegrated into cricketing activities and provided adequate medical and physical support in respect of their post-childbirth rehabilitation.”
On Men’s cricketers, the PCB stated: “Men cricketers, who are expectant or new fathers, will also be entitled to up to 30 days of fully paid leave, which will need to be taken within 56 days of the birth of their child, as part of the paternity rights covered under the Policy.”
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Meanwhile, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan stated: “The PCB has a duty of care towards its cricketers and at every turn, it has taken measures to support them. In this relation, it is appropriate that we have a player-friendly parental support policy so that our professional cricketers can feel fully supported during an important stage in their lives, without worrying about their careers.”
He concluded, “To have this policy for our women cricketers was even more significant. Women play a pivotal role in the development of society and our women cricketers have brought us laurels and recognition at the world stage.
Now that we have a maternity leave policy, I am hopeful that it will attract more women and girls to take up the sport as this will help them strike the crucial work-life balance.”
(With PTI Inputs)