PCB reduces match fees by 75% for National T20 Cup
What's the story
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a massive cut in match fees for players playing in the impending National T20 Cup.
The players will earn PKR 10,000 under the new fee structure, a massive drop from last year's PKR 40,000 per match. Meanwhile, reserve players will now earn PKR 5,000.
Notably, the player match fee was PKR 60,000 for the 2022 edition.
Financial outlook
Is PCB facing financial constraints?
Despite the huge fee cuts, a PCB official clarified to ESPNcricinfo that the decision wasn't due to financial constraints.
The board believes the players' earning opportunities have increased with more competitions in the domestic calendar. This includes events like the Champions T20 Cup that was held in December 2023.
The PCB also pointed out many players are employed by departments for other tournaments which pay them monthly salaries, making up for the reduced match fees.
Tournament details
National T20 Cup schedule
As per the schedule, the National T20 Cup will start on March 14. As many as 39 matches are scheduled across three cities - Faisalabad, Lahore, and Multan.
Faisalabad will host the final on March 27.
However, some top-tier Pakistan international cricketers might miss this tournament as the national team will be touring New Zealand for five T20Is and three ODIs during this period. Babar Azam and Naseem Shah are among the absentees.