LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), while making a massive increase in the domestic cricket budget in shape of match fees, daily allowances and prize money, announced it will organise nine big and small tournaments in all the three formats in the upcoming domestic season.

Apart from the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy — the country’s premier domestic tournament — Pakistan Cup (One-day), National T20 Cup and the National One-day Cup, the under-19 Pentangular T20 Cup will also take place in the 2018-19 season.

Moreover, the PCB has doubled the match fees of the players participating in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy from Rs25,000 to Rs50,000.

However, the match fees for the One-day tournaments has been increased from Rs20,000 to Rs25,000.

In domestic T20 events, players will be earning Rs30,000 per match, Rs6000 more than what they bagged in the previous season for the shortest format.

The match-fees for the Pakistan Cup (One-day) has also been raised to Rs35,000 from Rs30,000.

Despite being the most prestigious tournament in the domestic calendar, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will not be the most lucrative prize for the participating teams. The winners of the first-class event will be awarded Rs5,400,000 — Rs300,000 less than the prize money of the National T20 tournament, which is fixed at Rs5,700,000. Both tournaments, however, see an increase of almost a million rupees in their prize money.

Meanwhile, the prize money of the regional Inter-District U-19 Tournament has been increased from Rs150,000 to Rs250,000. The regional Inter-District Senior Tournament winning team will earn Rs250,000.

Under the new financial package, a domestic player in the playing XI will now earn Rs91,000 for one Quaid Trophy first-class match and One day match (combined including daily allowance and match fees).

The four remaining players of the team sitting on the bench will get Rs34,750 as daily allowance.

Domestic calendar:

Regional Inter-District Senior three-day tournament (already completed).

Aug 1-28: Inter Region U-19 (One-day and three-day).

Oct 1-27: Pentangular U-19 T20 Cup in Multan.

Jan 1-20: Regional Inter-District U-19 (One-day).

Sept 1 to Dec 8: Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and National One-day Cup

Apr 16 to May 15: Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Grade II in Sindh and Punjab

Dec 110-25: National T20 Cup

Apr 2-14: Pakistan Cup

Apr 16 to May 7: Patron’s Trophy Grade II in Sindh and Punjab.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2018