Pakistan cricketers still awaiting new central contracts

Islamabad, Apr 24(ANI): The announcement of this year's central contracts for Pakistan cricketers has been further delayed after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formed a new committee to recommend the pay hike and players who would be included in the list.

Sources within the PCB told the Daily Times that former chief selector Mohammad Illyas had finalised the list of players for the new central contracts and also recommended a pay hike for the players after consulting board officials, Intikhab Alam and Zakir Khan.

"But now since Illyas has resigned, the board has now formed a committee headed by Intikhab Alam and including new chief selector Iqbal Qasim and others, to recommend a new list of players," a source added.

Sources said PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has advised the committee handling the list of players for the contracts to not just award contracts on the basis of seniority or past performances but also take current form, fitness and commitment into consideration.

The central contracts of the Pakistan players ended on December 31, 2011 and they are still waiting for new contracts.

"The players obviously are not happy with the situation as they have not received payments from their central contract monthly salaries for the last four-five months and payments from their recent series against Bangladesh, England and the Asia Cup have also been held up," a player said. (ANI)