Lahore [Pakistan], March 12 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to drastically chop down the match fees for the players participating in the upcoming National T20 Cup, according to ESPNcricinfo.

After the recent cut in the match fees, players will now earn a match fee of PKR 10,000, a 75 percent fall from the last edition of the same tournament. In the previous edition, players earned a match fee of PKR 40,000. On the other hand, reserve players will receive PKR 5,000.

It is a massive pay cut compared to the one made as recently as 2022, when players used to earn PKR 60,000. The decision sharply contrasts with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi's approach of shelling out money for the betterment of the sport in the nation.

Days after his appointment, he stated that money in PCB's accounts was not meant to be 'locked away' and was meant to be spent on players.

'We'll try to make the best available for you. I have told the PCB our job is not to save money or keep it hoarded away, but to spend it on cricket, from grassroots right through to the national team. The money will be spent on your fitness, training and coaches rather than keeping it locked away,' Naqvi had said days after his appointment as PCB chairman last year.

PCB has spent money on stadium renovations, hired foreign coaches, and allowed them to leave. In addition, the board hired five mentors, including Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik at PKR 5 million a month each.

A PCB official told ESPNcricinfo that the decision to cut down the match fees for the National T20 Cup was not a result of financial concerns. The PCB feels that players' opportunity to earn has rose with the addition of more tournaments in the calendar year.

The National T20 Cup will begin on March 14, with 39 matches set to be played across three cities, including Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan. The final will be hosted on March 27 in Faisalabad. (ANI)