PCB to Deduct Salaries of Pakistani Cricketers, Including Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly planning to reduce the salaries of senior players, including Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, due to the team’s declining performance. This decision comes after a series of losses, including a recent ODI series defeat against the West Indies and a T20I series loss to Bangladesh. The PCB is considering cutting salaries by removing a key section from the central contracts, which involves a 3% share of ICC revenue. This section was implemented two years ago after pressure from senior players. The board is expected to make this move before the Asia Cup 2025, potentially costing players around $6 million. The PCB had increased the budget for retainer ship expenses by 37% last year, but is unlikely to increase match fees for players. Current central contracts provide approximately 1.2 million rupees for a Test match, 600,000 rupees for an ODI, and 400,000 rupees for a T20I. Furthermore, Category A cricketers, which includes Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, receive 657,500 Pakistani rupees monthly, potentially facing significant losses if salary cuts are implemented. Players in Categories B, C, and D also receive varying monthly salaries, which include a portion from the ICC revenue, and would be affected by the removal of the 3% share.