PCB denies WI claims on Test fee

Published October 27, 2001

KARACHI, Oct 26: A top Pakistan cricket official denied that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had standardized Test and one-day appearance fee.

“Whatever rates are there, they are old,” Pakistan Cricket Board director Brig Munawar Rana said.

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Wes Hall told Reuters in Jamaica on Wednesday that his board stands to lose money on the tour following a new ruling by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

ICC Test-playing nations, Hall was quoted as saying, voted at a recent meeting that Test teams playing away would now be paid $62,500 per Test match and $25,000 per one-day international.

“The West Indies was the only dissenting voice in the vote which went 9-1,” Hall said.

“We have an obligation under the ICC programme to play every Test-playing nation twice every 10 years, home and away.

“When we go to Bangladesh, Kenya or Zimbabwe, we are paid the same money as when we go to England, India or Australia.

“We have to play the mainstream teams like India, England and Australia often and if we don’t get five tests against these teams, we can’t make up when we go on ancillary tours like Bangladesh and Kenya.

“Our only salvation at making some money is that we have been awarded the World Cup (in 2007),” Hall said.

The Pakistan official, while emphasizing that the rates were old, added that the proposal might not suit the West Indies.

Rana said Pakistan has accepted New Zealand cricket team’s security concerns which led to the cancellation of the planned series.

“Pakistan and New Zealand boards enjoy good relations and that’s why we accepted their decision of canceling the Pakistan tour.

“But we told them that had the tour went ahead, it would have finished without any fuss,” he said.—SADA