Pakistan players who are bound for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 are reportedly planning to boycott the national team sponsors logos and might not participate in World Cup promotional activities amidst their ongoing dispute for central contracts with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
A report has suggested that Pakistan players might play in the upcoming ICC World Cup which begins in India on October 5, without central contracts. With only two days remaining before the team's departure, negotiations with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding central contracts have not yielded positive results.
Cricketers have received no payments in terms of monthly retainers or match fees from the PCB for the last four months. This situation is especially troublesome for young cricketers who are facing financial difficulties. While thus far, the players have protested silently without any visible actions, the report stated that they are now contemplating the possibility of refusing to display sponsors' logos on their shirts.
"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,” a Pakistani cricketer told Cricket Pakistan.
According to inside sources, the proposed contract structure offered an impressive monthly retainer fee of PKR 4.5 million to top cricketers across all three formats. However, players believe that after taxes and deductions, they would only receive around PKR 2.2 to 2.3 million, which is why they are pushing for further increases.
However the players are adamant about getting a cut from the revenue received by the PCB from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and sponsors.
The players have argued that under the ICC revenue-sharing model, the board receives approximately 9.8 billion rupees, excluding revenue from the Pakistan Super League (PSL), sponsorships, or bilateral series. The amount they are demanding, as per the players, would still fall short of one billion rupees, which is 10% less than what the board receives from ICC revenue sharing.
On the other hand, the PCB suggests that players' agents may be influencing their stance, and from the board's perspective, they are offering a fair deal. A swift solution is being discussed as such disputes and negative action might hurt Pakistan’s image in world cricket, especially with the World Cup being hosted by India.
(Cricket Pakistan inputs)
