April 01, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

KARACHI, March 31: The Pakistan cricket authorities have increased the financial rewards for the players in the new central contracts by linking good performances with special bonus.

Under the new central contract, if a senior player like Mohammad Yousuf plays in a One-day International against India and any of the top three teams in the ICC rankings, scores a century and his team wins, his total take-home from the game will be in the range of Rs 1 million. This is apart from the monthly retainer of Rs 300,000 that Yousuf gets from his central contract.

“The players are the ones who bring in the money for the board and the game. So they must get some of the benefits but the better their performances and that of the team, the richer they can get,” a senior official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.

Even a catch and run out in a match can now earn a player the bonus amount of Rs100,000 and it only increases with more catches and run-outs. The board has even kept a bonus amount of 200 per cent of match fees if the team win a Test or one-day series against the top three ICC teams and India.

The official said this time instead of taking the seniority factor into consideration, the board had taken the performances of a player while putting him in different pay slabs in the central contracts.

The board has also kept a special allowance of Rs50,000 and Rs25,000 per match for the captain who also gets a special entertainment allowance of $250 per week on foreign tours and the vice-captain an allowance of $100.

In case of a victory against any of the top three teams in ICC rankings and India, bonus will be 100 per cent apart from match fees. For victory against fourth and seventh ranked teams, bonus will be 75 per cent of match fees and for other teams, 50 per cent of match fees.

In case of victory against top three teams or India in Test series the bonus amount would be 200 per cent of match fees. Fourth to seventh bonus amount 150 per cent and others 100 per cent. If the team win an ICC or ACC final, it will get 300 per cent bonus amount of the match fees.—Agencies