No ICC Trophy, No Cash! PCB Introduces New Pay Ultimatum For Pakistan Players

Babar Azam Mohsin Naqvi for Pakistan Cricket. Image Credits: AFP

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning a major overhaul of its central contracts for the 2026-27 season, with a new system designed to reward players based on formats, performances, and major tournament success.

Unlike the grade system, the PCB will reward players on the basis of their consistent appearance in specific formats. Not only that, a special clause is set aside for players who do well in ICC tournaments.

PCB tempts Pakistan players with extra money promise

According to TOI, the PCB will pay an extra 500% bonus on match fees if Pakistan win an ICC title. This includes winning events like the ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy, or T20 World Cup.

Not only that, winning the Asia Cup would mean the players will receive a 300% bonus on match fees. The idea is to directly reward players for winning major trophies.

Notably, Pakistan has not won an ICC title since the 2017 Champions Trophy victory. They came close to winning the T20 World Cup 2022 but finished as runners-up after England beat them in the final.

As for the 2023 ODI World Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy and 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, Pakistan crashed out in the group stages itself. This has led to a decline in their white-ball performance.

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PCB to reward players prioritising Test cricket 

Apart from ICC tournaments, the PCB is also apparently serious about promoting Test cricket in Pakistan. Players in the red-ball Track A category could receive match fees around PKR 1.5 million, which is a significant increase from the previous amount of PKR 800,000.

For Track B, players who regularly play the ODI and T20I formats will be prioritised, as their match fee has been set at PKR 1.8 million. Lastly, players focused on T20 and franchise leagues will be placed in Track C.

They are likely to earn around PKR 1.2-1.5 million as a monthly retainer fee. A committee led by Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and red-ball coach Sarfaraz Ahmed reportedly worked on the draft structure and will finalise the contracts soon.

Interestingly, the PCB will reportedly refrain from publicly announcing the contracts. The categories and player names will be kept confidential, raising the issue of transparency.

Pakistan previously left Grade A empty

That being said, in the previous cycle, PCB took a hard call as they removed the top bracket of Grade A completely, stating no player was good enough to earn a place in that bracket.

This led to a major controversy as fans began to question Pakistan cricket’s standards. The contracts were later divided into the B, C, and D categories. Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, was shockingly ranked in the lowest, i.e., the D category.

On the flip side, players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, who play multiple formats regularly, were placed in Grade B. But in the new cycle, the PCB will make tons of changes to prioritise fairness and merit-based rewards.

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