Pakistan players set for pay boost in new contracts

Pakistan's contracted players are set to get a pay boost from their cricket board when the new central contracts list is announced next month for 2012, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Subham Ahmad said.

Ahmad said the increases were a result of the team's good performances over the past 12 months which include a 3-0 whitewash of World No. 1 side England in the United Arab Emirates this year,

"A committee is finalising details but the board also agrees that pay scales in the new contracts need to be increased," he said.

Pakistan players are given contracts in three separate pay allocations with the best paid getting a monthly salary of 250,000 rupees (approximately $2,750) while those in the remaining categories get 175,000 and 100,000 rupees.

The monthly retainers are in addition to the match fees and other bonuses paid to the players.

"The new central contracts list is being finalised and accordingly we are seeing how much raises can be made keeping in mind the board's financial position,"

"We will announce the list early next month," Ahmad said.

The PCB awarded central contracts to around 19 players for the second half of 2011.

Ahmad said retainers in the contracts had remained the same for the past three years due to the financial issues faced by the board. Test-playing nations have refused to tour Pakistan because of security reasons since 2009.