Babar Azam on silent protest over non-payment of salaries. The ongoing dispute regarding the central contracts of Pakistan cricket players with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has led to a situation where the national team members have not received their salaries for the past four months. The PCB offered a 4.5 million Rupee salary to key figures such as captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, and wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan.
Babar Azam on silent protest over non-payment of salaries
The delay in salary payments has arisen because the PCB has not finalized the national team players’ central contracts. This uncertainty has raised concerns about the possibility of the national team participating in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 without the players being under a central contract. In response to this issue, the national team has chosen to protest against the non-payment of their dues silently.
In a potentially drastic move, if the outstanding amounts are not settled, there is a looming threat that the national team players may resort to playing in the World Cup while wearing jerseys adorned with sponsor logos. The players have also expressed their desire for a share of the revenue generated by the PCB from the International Cricket Council (ICC). They insist that the PCB allocate some sponsorship money to the players. Moreover, sources have indicated that wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan has also been offered a central contract with a salary of 4.5 million Rupees.
