By Muhammad Luqman
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to offer $10,000 per match to each foreign cricketer who would play Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in the country,according to media reports.
The incentive is aimed at attracting foreign players to play PSL matches being held in the country. This amount would be payed separately from all other payments.
In this regard, the PCB would add an extra clause in the contracts of foreign players. “$10,000 per match is not a bad option for foreign players because the PCB is planning to host at least 6 to 8 PSL matches in Pakistan for the 3rd Pakistan Super League. So if a player even plays only three matches in Pakistan, he will get straight $30,000.
Pakistan has not hosted top-level international cricket — barring five limited over matches against minnows Zimbabwe in 2015 — since the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked by terrorists in eastern city of Lahore on March 3, 2009. Last month, in a first since the attack, Pakistan successfully hosted the World XI squad comprising foreign players in the Independence Cup 2017.
Since the 2009 attack Pakistan have been forced to play most of their “home” games in the United Arab Emirates — with the Pakistan Cricket Board complaining they have incurred losses of around $120 million.
But security has improved across Pakistan in the last two years, signalling hopes for the slow revival of international sport in the country.
Sri Lanka Cricket officials have said that the team will play one T20 in Lahore, subject to security clearance closer to the event.
In March, Pakistan successfully hosted the Pakistan Super League Twenty20 final in Lahore with English players Dawid Malan and Chris Jordan, West Indies’ Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels and South Africa’s Morne van Wyk and Zimbabwe’s Sean Ervine competing.
