PCB gives one-month contracts to senior players

The Pakistan Cricket Board has given one-month contracts to senior players Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal.

File picture of Wahab Riaz.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has given one-month contracts to senior national team players Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal after they refused to sign the annual full season domestic contract.

The one-month contracts have been handed out just before the start of the National T20 Championship so that the senior players could participate in the tournament being held in Multan and Rawalpindi.

According to a source close to the players, the senior pros were not happy with some of the clauses in the full domestic contract.

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“The clauses restrict the right of the players to make independent decisions for the betterment of their career and their earning options,” the source said.

But the PCB later offered these players one-month contracts only for the National T20 Championship which they signed. According to the one-month contract, these cricketers will only participate in the ongoing National T20 Cup, and will receive match fee and daily allowance during the tournament.

They will also be required to follow the board’s media, anti-doping and anti-corruption policy during this phase.

After October 20, they will be allowed to decide their next course of action.

Meanwhile the PCB has issued strict media guidelines for all its contracted players and even domestic players will need the board’s permission before any interaction on conventional or social media.

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“The new media guidelines state clearly that players can only interact with any media or social forum after obtaining the prior permission of the PCB’s Director of High Performance Centre, team manager or media manager,” the source said.

He said the guidelines also strictly prohibit the players from criticising ICC/PCB’s policies, its officials and sponsors, retired international cricketers and previous board management or run their own private Youtube channels.

They will also need PCB’s permission before appearing as a guest or expert on private television channels.

A total of 192 players have been given domestic cricket contracts for the season in different categories.