‘Performance based’ pay structure by July

KARACHI: Pakistani cricket officials would get the input of the country’s leading cricketers before finalising a new ‘performance based’ pay structure for the players.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told ‘The News’ that the Board would discuss various aspects of a new central contracts system with the players before putting it in place from July 1.

Dr Ahsan Hameed Malik, PCB’s Marketing and Media Director, said that officials are giving final shape to a new pay structure for the countryÃ*s leading players and would put it for PCB ad-hoc committee’s approval next month.

“The central contract system is aimed at paying the players so it is important that we share their opinion on the issue before finalising the structure,” he said.

Malik said that a “rough draft” of the new central contract system is ready and after some more additions would be submitted to the Board’s ad-hoc committee when it meets in Lahore on June 16.

He said that PCB officials have studied players’ contract systems in use in Australia, England and India and are trying to come out with a best possible pay structure for its players, which would be based on performance.

Pakistan suspended all central contracts of their players after the country’s shocking first round exit from the World Cup in the Caribbean last month. The Board had announced that the new contracts of the players would be based on performance rather seniority as has been the practice in the past. It said in March that new central contracts would be announced within the next 90 days.

Malik said that top Board officials would hold meetings with leading players in Lahore next month to discuss their contracts.