LAHORE: The PCB has denied that there was ever a delay in payment to players in the Pakistan Super League, following a report by Cricket’s Global Players Union that saw reports of late or non-payment in several major league franchises over the past 24 months. .
The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) launched a new “League Hub” on Wednesday morning, which is designed to be a resource for players, their agents and players’ associations to help them navigate what they described as the “Wild West”. world franchise leagues.
FICA said one in four players had payment problems in sanctioned leagues and that it had received reports of payment problems in a number of major franchise tournaments. These include the IPL and WPL, Bangladesh Premier League, Lanka Premier League, Canada’s Global T20, Major League Cricket and Abu Dhabi T10, as well as the PSL.
Usman Wahla, the PCB’s director of international cricket operations, denied that the PSL had ever paid players late. He told ESPNcricinfo: “In none of our nine [PSL] seasons has there been – and never has been – any delay in player payments… we have written to FICA to rectify this in their document.”
PSL terms and conditions stipulate that players should receive 70% of their fee within seven days of their arrival in Pakistan and the remaining 30% within 40 days of their last league match. The PCB had earlier denied any late payment issue in the history of the PSL. when James Faulkner, the Australian all-rounder, withdrew from the latter stages of the 2022 season, claiming the board had failed to honor his contract. “In the seven years of the HBL Pakistan Super League, no player has ever complained about non-fulfillment of contractual obligations by the PCB,” the PCB said at the time.
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Tom Moffat, chief executive of FICA, said in a press release: “The growth of domestic leagues around the world has been a great thing for cricket and has provided a range of new opportunities for players. However, the inconsistency in the treatment of players has led to the landscape being seen by many as the ‘wild west’.”
“FICA continues to advocate for fit-for-purpose global regulation and increased accountability in the domestic league environment to protect all stakeholders, including players. This should include, for example, minimum contract standards and effective wage enforcement mechanisms.”
“In the meantime, we want to [play] our part in supporting players, their associations and agents by providing information in the Leagues Hub to help them make decisions. We also welcome the involvement of domestic leagues who want to work directly with players collectively.
We want to raise standards and ensure that their league conformed to international best practices in an increasingly competitive market.” The BCCI has been contacted for comment in response to FICA’s findings that players have faced issues of late or non-payment in both major franchise leagues they run. : IPL and WPL.
