The eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League will start on February 13 in Multan. For the past few years, the dollar rate has been increasing continuously in the country, and its impact has also started to affect cricket. There will not be any shortage, and assurance has been taken from the government in this regard, but the franchisees are facing a loss.
In PSL, the platinum cricketers’ fee ranges from 170,000 to 130,000 dollars, Diamond 85,000 to 60,000, Gold 50,000 to 40,000 dollars, Silver players 25,000 to 15,000 and Emerging 7,500 dollars.
In 2021, other payments were made in rupees except for foreign cricketers and production. Still, Ramiz Raja reintroduced dollars last year, and the Pakistani rupee is suffering from historical depreciation these days.
As of yesterday, the rate had exceeded 262, and the PSL franchises are obliged to pay the players in dollar terms. This year the rate will be 225 on December 15, the day of the draft. In this regard, a team official said that foreign players are understandable. If Pakistani cricketers are paid in dollars, there is no logic.
Last year, former chairman PCB Ramiz Raja said a lot but didn’t agree. If we fix the salary of Pakistani cricketers in rupees, they will get angry. It is the job of PCB to solve this problem. This year our expenses will increase by 30% because of the dollar.
He said that the franchise owners had spoken to the head of the management committee, Najam Sethi, but no decision could be taken due to lack of time. Hopefully, a better system will be made next year.
It should be noted that Pakistani players are paid by converting dollars into rupees. Seventy per cent of the money is received first, and the remaining 30 per cent after the event, although the first payment of the seventh edition was made several days after the start of the tournament. In February last year, the dollar rate was more than 175. In the eighth edition, it was 225 on the day of the draft on December 15, which means an increase of Rs. 50. In the seventh edition, if a platinum cricketer had received Rs. 3 crores, now he gets 82 lakhs more.
When contacted in this regard, a PCB official said that we also agree that Pakistani cricketers should be paid in rupees. Still, since this was the previous administration’s decision, we cannot do anything now; it will be considered later.
