PCB announces financial package of three months for unemployed players

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a three-month financial support package for the unemployed national women cricketers on Thursday (August 6). A selected group of 25 cricketers will get a monthly stipend of Rs.25,000 as part of the scheme.

The scheme was proposed by the women’s wing of PCB considering the economic challenges the players are facing owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani approved the list and the players will get three months benefit starting from August.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a halt to all women cricketing activities worldwide. This has adversely affected our women cricketers, some of whom are the sole breadwinners of their families,” Urooj Mumtaz, head of PCB’s Women’s Wing, said in a statement.

“As the women’s game is making steady progress, it was imperative that the PCB came up with this scheme to not only protect and support our players but to also make them understand and realise that the PCB values them and will look after them in difficult times."

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25 active cricketers who played in the 2019-20 domestic season will get the benefit as part of PCB’s duty of care policy, if they are without a national contract and are presently unemployed.

“Forty-eight players featured in the 2019-20 national domestic season out of which 25 became eligible to benefit from the scheme. The remaining players are either contracted by the PCB or employed elsewhere,” Mumtaz added.

“I am grateful to my team as well as the PCB Chairman and Chief Executive who acknowledged the issue and made a decision which will go a long way in our endeavours to promote, develop and grow women’s cricket in Pakistan.”

On June 5, PCB announced central contracts for nine players and another set of nine players were given emerging players contract. The new contracts came into effect from July and will be valid for a period of 12 months.