Pakistan Cricketers Set for Salary Boom Under New PCB Contract System

10:58 AM, 19 June 2026

Despite Pakistan's national Test cricket team facing severe criticism due to a string of defeats, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a surprising decision to significantly increase players' salaries and match fees.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has scrapped the traditional category-based contract system and introduced a new format-based contract structure for the first time. To protect the future of the increasingly threatened format of Test cricket and motivate players, the board has given top priority to red-ball cricketers in the revised pay structure.

Under the new system, elite players who exclusively play Test cricket will be placed in the Track-A category. These players will receive a monthly retainer fee of around 4 million Pakistani rupees. In addition, the fee for a Test match has been increased from 800,000 rupees to 1.5 million rupees, nearly doubling their earnings per game.Senior players who feature in both Test and ODI formats will be included in the Track-AB category. They could earn up to 5 million Pakistani rupees per month, meaning they can make more than 50 million rupees annually through contracts alone, excluding match fees and bonuses.

PCB officials said the lucrative contracts are aimed at ensuring players do not abandon Test cricket amid the growing popularity of T20 leagues around the world. However, Chairman Mohsin Naqvi clarified that players must participate in domestic first-class cricket to be eligible for these contracts; otherwise, they will not be awarded central contracts.The PCB has also introduced an attractive bonus structure to improve team performance. Under this policy, if Pakistan wins an ICC tournament, players will receive a 500 percent bonus on their match fees. Similarly, winning tournaments such as the Asia Cup will earn players a 300 percent bonus.