On Sunday, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced that the board would award $100,000 (approximately Rs28 million) to each member of its World Cup squad in the event of winning the tournament.
Naqvi, while addressing the national squad in the dressing room in Lahore, emphasized that this amount pales in comparison to the significance of Pakistan’s victory. He expressed optimism that the players would bring glory to the nation, urging them to play without pressure, compete fiercely, and give their best on the field.
Highlighting the importance of focusing on the competition, Naqvi presented special green shirts to Mohammad Rizwan for achieving 3,000 runs in T20 matches and to Naseem Shah for reaching 100 wickets in T20 matches. He also extended his gratitude to the players and officials.
The upcoming Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled to commence on June 1, will be jointly hosted by the United States and the West Indies. Notably, the highly anticipated clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is set to take place on June 9 at a temporary 34,000-seat venue in Long Island, New York.
This tournament marks the first major international cricket event to be held in the US, with a sold-out crowd expected for the blockbuster match. According to reports from USA Today, tickets for the Pakistan-India encounter are priced at over $50,000 (Rs13.91 million).
Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council recently announced the schedule for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in Bangladesh later this year. The tournament, scheduled from October 3 to 20, will feature matches in both Dhaka and Sylhet, with warm-up games commencing on September 27.
ICC CEO Geoff Allardice expressed excitement about the growth of women’s cricket, hailing the upcoming tournament as a significant event in the sport’s history. The opening match will see England square off against South Africa, marking the beginning of what promises to be a thrilling competition.
Hosts Bangladesh and the top six teams from the previous edition earned automatic qualification, while Pakistan secured their spot as the next highest-ranked team. Additionally, four teams, including Ireland, the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Scotland, will vie for the remaining two slots through qualifying matches, with the semi-finals set to take place in the UAE.
