PCB increases annual fees for departmental cricket teams

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has increased the annual fees for departmental cricket teams and also issued a new policy for departmental cricket competitions.

According to sources, several departments have expressed concerns over the increase in annual fees. The PCB has also introduced a minimum monthly salary for players.

Under the new policy, the annual fee for a Grade One departmental team has been set at Rs15 million. The annual fee for Grade Two Gold teams has been fixed at Rs4.2 million, while Grade Two Silver teams will pay Rs4 million.

The PCB has made it mandatory for Grade One departments to pay at least one player a monthly salary of Rs125,000, which equals Rs1.5 million per year.

For Grade Two teams, Gold category players must receive a minimum monthly salary of Rs75,000, while Silver category players must be paid at least Rs50,000 per month. Departments will also be required to sign one-year contracts with their players.

Sources said that departments already bear all team expenses and believe the increase in annual fees will discourage participation. They pointed out that the fee was first increased to Rs3 million, then to Rs5 million last year, and has now been raised to Rs15 million.

The PCB has also issued policies for the President’s Trophy Grade One First-Class tournament, President’s Cup One-Day tournament, and President’s Trophy Grade Two Gold and Silver competitions.

For Grade One matches, the match fee has been set at Rs10,000, while reserve players will receive Rs5,000. A daily allowance of Rs5,000 will also be provided. In Grade Two competitions, players will receive a match fee of Rs5,000 and a daily allowance of Rs4,000.

The PCB has made it mandatory for all payments, including match fees, daily allowances, and contract payments, to be made through banks instead of cash.

Departmental cricket matches will be held in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PCB will also provide departments with a list of approved hotels.

An important meeting on departmental cricket has been scheduled for June 29, where discussions will be held on the new decisions and policies.