Deadlock between Pakistan Cricket Board and players over new contracts ahead of Asia Cup

The impasse between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the national team players over signing new central contracts ahead of the all-important Asia Cup in Pakistan and Sri Lanka is yet to be resolved.

An informed board insider on Saturday confirmed that there are still many issues to be sorted out and at one point senior pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi refused to sign a new central contract after the PCB denied him the NOC for the same. refused to give. Emirates T20 International League.

The insider added, “Shaheen got so frustrated with the board’s refusal to issue him an NOC that he made it clear that he would be better off not signing any contract with the board and playing as a freelancer.”

The board then averted a similar situation with some other players by agreeing to issue NOCs for the Emirates League to be held in January-February.

Shaheen has secured a US$400,000 contract for two or three years and an additional US$150,000 for the league by marketing his NFTs online.

The insider said the impasse was continuing even after Zaka Ashraf, chairman of the board’s cricket management committee, visited Sri Lanka to meet the players ahead of the start of the series with Afghanistan.

“Senior players are adamant that they should get a fair share of the annual revenue the PCB receives from the ICC, as is its share from ICC events and secondly that they should be entitled to digital rights of images, clips and their NFTs. Want a bigger share in sales or say. Sound bites,’ the insider said.

He added that another contentious issue is that players want more freedom in signing individual endorsement deals.

“The board has promised them a big hike in their monthly central contract retainers and match fees/bonuses, but the players are insisting on getting a fair share of ICC revenue and from NFTs and personal endorsements.” The PCB is guaranteed US$33.4 million as its share from ICC events in the new financial cycle.

The insider said, “The problem is that players have now become more aware and sharp about their chances of earning good money, which is why the board allows them to play in two foreign leagues every year apart from the Pakistan Super League. refused to give it.”

He said the PCB is trying to find a middle ground so that the contracts can be announced before or during the Asia Cup.

“The problem for the board is that if a top player decides to go freelance, the PCB will not be able to bind him to any of the clauses of his contracts and he will be free to contract or sign contracts on other platforms as he wishes. ” The senior players have also informed the board that in future they will not endorse any product or give any advertisement for betting, liquor or tobacco products.

In previous PSL and international domestic series the PCB and some franchises of the PSL accepted multiple sponsorship and kit logo deals with betting companies using surrogate advertising methods.

The players have also apparently informed the league organizers of their decision to abstain from promoting these products.