Pakistan Cricket Board denies conflict with players over Pay Raise
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board has denied any confrontation with the country’s leading cricketers over a pay raise issue.

“This is not an issue at all. There is no truth in any of the reports because the Board has not received any demands from the players for a pay raise,” PCB Director of Board Operations Abbas Zaidi said.

Zaidi termed the reports as absurd, which said that players had demanded a hundred per cent increase in their wages when their contracts come up for review next month.

“The funniest part in these reports is the bit that says the players want a pay raise before they go to England,” Zaidi said.

“It seems as if they are underpaid and are unable to manage without an increment before they go to England. It is really absurd,” he said. He, however, conceded that the players might be expecting a raise when their contracts are reviewed next month.

“Everybody expects to be rewarded at the end of the year. But to say that the players and the Board are heading for a tussle over money matters is totally wrong.”

He said the Board would also look after fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed, who is out of international cricket till the end of this year following an International Cricket Committee ban over an illegal bowling action. “We don’t abandon the players.

We are trying to assist Shabbir in his efforts to make a return as soon as possible but even if he can’t, the player would be kept on contract and would be paid like all his colleagues.”●