PCB Chairman Naqvi halts match fee reduction for domestic cricketers

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has taken notice of the reduction in match fees for domestic cricketers in the National T20 Tournament and has intervened to prevent the cuts, a PCB spokesperson confirmed.

Naqvi has issued directives to the Director of Domestic Cricket, Abdullah Khurram Niazi, instructing him to halt the reduction in payments for all players participating in the tournament.

Immediate orders have also been given for a comprehensive review of match fees for all players.

According to details, the match fee for Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT), had been reduced from PKR 100,000 to PKR 30,000, while the match fee for the five non-playing members had been cut from PKR 60,000 to PKR 10,000.

Similarly, the match fee for the National T20 Cup had been significantly slashed from PKR 60,000 to PKR 10,000. The five non-playing members, who previously received PKR 40,000 per match, were set to receive only PKR 5,000 under the revised structure.

Additionally, the daily allowance for players had been reduced from PKR 5,000 to PKR 4,000.

Sources revealed that a large number of domestic cricketers are concerned about the absence of contracts, fearing financial instability due to the drastic pay cuts.

Meanwhile, the five mentors of the Champions tournaments are receiving monthly salaries of PKR 5 million each, in addition to earning from different TV channels by sharing their analysis on major tournaments.

Earlier this week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled the schedule and squads for the National T20 Cup 2025, which is set to take place from March 14 to 27.

The 18-team tournament, comprising 39 matches, will be played across three cities – Lahore, Faisalabad, and Multan.

The PCB has set a total prize pool of PKR 9.4 million for the National T20 Cup.

The winners will receive PKR 5 million, while the runners-up will take home PKR 2.5 million.