Mickey Arthur, the Team Director of the Pakistan cricket team, has joined the Babar Azam-led squad in India just days before Pakistan’s World Cup campaign begins. Pakistan will play its first match against the Netherlands on October 6, followed by a match against Sri Lanka on October 10, and a highly anticipated match against India on October 14.
The Pakistan national team arrived in India on September 25 for the 50-over World Cup, which will commence on October 5.
During Arthur’s previous stint as Pakistan’s head coach from 2016 to 2019, the team achieved significant milestones, including winning the Champions Trophy title in 2017 by defeating India and reaching the top of the T20I rankings.
25 Pakistani Cricketers Offered ‘Momentous’ Three-Year Central Contracts
Players will receive a substantial increase in their monthly retainers, and the revenue from the ICC will be incorporated into their overall monthly remuneration. Furthermore, the Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that it has successfully negotiated a three-year central contracts deal with its senior players. This deal will be in effect from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026.
In total, 25 cricketers will receive this significant deal, which will include a portion of ICC revenue. Unlike the previous year, national contracts for red-ball and white-ball cricket have been combined. Moreover, the central contract committee proposed a decision to assess players based on their ability to contribute to winning matches, promoting fairness, and ensuring a transparent selection process.
There will be four categories of players, and each category will see substantial increases in their monthly retainers. Additionally, this new contract also incorporates revenue from the ICC into their overall monthly remuneration. In Category A, consisting of 3 players, there will be a remarkable 202% increase. Category B, comprising 6 players, will see their monthly retainers rise by 144%. Furthermore, for the 2 players in Category C, there will be a significant boost of 135%. Finally, the largest group, Category D, with 14 players, will experience a substantial increase of 127% in their monthly retainers.
list of categorized players
Here is the list of players categorized for contract offers:
A Category: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi
B Category: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, and Shadab Khan
C Category: Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique
D Category: Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha. Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan
