The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has once again found itself under scrutiny, this time for the shockingly low wages it has allocated to domestic women cricketers. Despite claiming to promote women’s cricket, the PCB has set a monthly salary of just PKR 35,000 for these players—lower than the national minimum wage for unskilled workers, which stands at PKR 37,000.
Disgraceful from PCB?
Well, this shouldn’t be massively shocking as well. Earlier, PCB failed to give daily allowance to their international women’s team despite having the budget of splashing Rs 385 crores for the upgradation of the three stadiums for the ICC Champions Trophy.
While the PCB recently announced domestic contracts for 90 women cricketers, the financial backing remains embarrassingly insufficient. These players, many of whom are aspiring professionals, receive an amount that is barely enough to meet basic living expenses. If unskilled labourers are legally entitled to a higher wage, how can the governing body of cricket justify paying trained athletes even less?
Mohsin Naqvi on match fees reductions
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has ordered a review of the decision to slash match fees for players participating in the National T20 Cup. The fees were initially reduced by 75% to PKR 10,000 (USD 35 approx) per match and PKR 5,000 for reserves. However, following widespread criticism, the fees are expected to be reinstated to PKR 40,000 per match and PKR 20,000 for reserves.
PCB sources to ESPNcricinfo claim that the expense cuts were necessary due to the increased number of domestic tournaments this season, which have provided greater earning opportunities for players.
The National T20 Cup is set to begin on March 14, featuring 39 matches across three cities: Faisalabad, Lahore, and Multan. Several leading Pakistan international cricketers will miss the tournament as they will be touring New Zealand for five T20Is and three ODIs. The final of the National T20 Cup will take place in Faisalabad on March 27.
Breakdown of Domestic Match Fees and Pay Cuts
| Tournament | Teams | Matches | Playing XI Fee (PKR) | Reserves Fee (PKR) | Total Fee Per Match (PKR) | Total Fees for Season (PKR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quaid-e-Azam Trophy | 8 | 29 | 80,000 | 40,000 | 1,080,000 | 313,200,000 |
| Hanif Muhammad Trophy | 10 | 21 | 40,000 | 15,000 | 515,000 | 108,150,000 |
| Pakistan Cup | 8 | 31 | 40,000 | 20,000 | 540,000 | 167,400,000 |
| Hanif Muhammad Cup | 10 | 21 | 25,000 | 10,000 | 325,000 | 68,250,000 |
| National T20 (First Stage) | 18 | 32 | 40,000 | 20,000 | 540,000 | 172,800,000 |
| National T20 (Super 8) | 8 | 31 | 40,000 | 20,000 | 540,000 | 167,400,000 |
| National U19 Championship | 18 | 49 | 10,000 | 4,000 | 130,000 | 63,700,000 |
| National U19 Cup | 18 | 49 | 5,000 | 2,000 | 65,000 | 31,850,000 |
| Total | 1,092,750,000 |
While much of the criticism has been directed at the pay cuts for men’s domestic players, the situation is even worse for women cricketers. The recently announced women’s domestic contracts for 90 players, including U19 and emerging players, provide shockingly low financial compensation. Pakistani domestic women players are paid just 34,922 Pakistani Rupee, which amounts to 4,20,943 per year—a paltry sum ultimately. While the PCB claims it wants to expand the women’s game, the financial support provided suggests otherwise.
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