Pakistani cricketers to boycott sponsors’ logos over unpaid match fees for 4 months: Report

Pakistan players are threatening to boycott sponsorship logos and World Cup promotions over payment delays. The players are reportedly unhappy with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for failing to pay them their dues on time. 

According to a recent report in Cricket Pakistan, Pakistan cricket team has not received payment for their match fees in the last four months, causing great displeasure among the players.

The board's consideration of players' central contracts is yet to yield favourable results. With no payments for the last four months, this appears to be a big issue before the ICC World Cup scheduled to start on October 5 in India.

With the World Cup approaching, players are refusing to wear corporate logos on their shirts. The younger players, in particular, are struggling financially as a result of the board's inability to settle the payments.

As per the report, the PCB had proposed an impressive monthly retainer fee of PKR 4.5 million for top cricketers playing across all three formats - Test, One Day International, and T20. This attractive offer was expected to motivate players and boost their performance. However, contradictions have surfaced as the players are now asking for a hike in payments. After tax deductions, these cricketers receive only in the range of PKR 2.2 to 2.3 million, stripping down the initial offer by almost half. This substantiates their request for a revised payment structure. 

With the PCB reportedly receiving 9.8 billion rupees via various financial streams, the players are now demanding a share of this wealth. Primarily, their argument is anchored in the revenue sharing model that PCB enjoys with the ICC, sponsors, Pakistan Super League (PSL) contracts, and bilateral series. The players argue that since they are the main draw attracting sponsors, viewers, and subsequently driving the financial success of the sport, they are indeed entitled to a significant portion of the revenue generated. 

PCB's financial allocation to players falls short by a whopping one billion rupees, representing 10 per cent less than the board's revenue shares received from the ICC. The PCB claims to be offering a fair deal, yet the players' managers or agents influence the arrangement by their indulgence.

Pakistan's players are likely to depart for India on Wednesday for the ICC World Cup 2023 in Hyderabad. On October 6, they WILL play their opening game against the Netherlands.

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