The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed a significant jump in what it will cost departments to field sides in the coming domestic season. From August, Grade-1 outfits such as SNGPL and WAPDA must pay PKR 15 million to enter the President’s Trophy (first-class) and President’s Cup (List A) – almost three times last year’s figure.
A three-page circular, circulated to departments last week and seen by Cricinfo, sets out the changes. First come the headline numbers, then a longer-term shift in how players are to be treated and paid.
Key points
• Participation fee for Grade-1 sides rises from PKR 5m to PKR 15m
• Grade-II teams (Gold and Silver divisions) charged PKR 4.2m and PKR 4m respectively
• Mandatory 12-month player contracts, with salaries paid direct to bank accounts
• PCB, not departments, will control NOCs for overseas franchise leagues
• “Guest player” clause to ensure national and Shaheens cricketers can turn out when available
Why the sudden hike? A PCB official put it down to rising costs: “The extra money will go straight back into the tournaments – production for the livestream, ground hire, umpire fees, even basic kit.” The board argues that inflation alone justifies the jump and insists the cash will not be diverted elsewhere.
Not everyone is convinced. One departmental source pointed out that “it was PKR 5 million last year”, adding that many finance directors had budgeted on the old rate and now face a scramble for funds.
Departments outside the top tier will also feel the squeeze. Grade-II teams, spread across Gold and Silver divisions, will contribute more modest sums – PKR 4.2m and PKR 4m – though several have warned those numbers still stretch limited corporate sports budgets.
Contract changes
Perhaps just as significant is the insistence on proper employment terms. Every department must now give its cricketers 12-month contracts. The lowest wage at Grade-1 has been set at PKR 150,000 a month, payable as a monthly salary or an annual lump sum. Payments must land in players’ personal accounts – the PCB says this closes loopholes that previously led to delayed or partial wages.
A senior PCB administrator told Cricinfo the move “protects the boys and gives them a bit of certainty”. Some departments, it must be said, were already following best practice, but others have been slow to modernise.
Control over NOCs
Under the new rules departments lose the right to issue No-Objection Certificates for overseas leagues. Those approvals now sit with the PCB, a shift likely to annoy a few team managers but one the board believes will help balance workloads and protect domestic competitions from calendar clashes.
Guest player policy
To keep the standard of cricket up, a “guest player” clause allows each department to call on centrally-contracted Pakistan or Shaheens players when schedules permit. The idea is to give younger squad members exposure to higher-quality cricket and, in theory, boost crowds and streams.
Context – how the system works
Pakistan’s senior men’s domestic game is split between departmental and regional sides. Departments (state-owned enterprises, banks, utilities, etc.) concentrate on senior cricket; the 16 PCB-affiliated regions cover senior and pathway programmes. The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and National T20 Cup, for example, are regional affairs, though Lahore and Karachi each run two teams. From 2026-27, Sialkot and Peshawar will gain an extra regional side as well.
Last season 32 departmental teams were active – eight in Grade-1, the remaining 24 across the two Grade-II divisions. Whether that number holds after the fee increase is the immediate question. A few departments are already hinting at mergers or, bluntly, withdrawal.
What happens next?
Registration for the new season closes in mid-July. If every Grade-1 place is filled the PCB will bank PKR 120m before a ball is bowled, theoretically enough to cover most operational costs. Should several teams step away, the board may find itself revisiting calculations.
For the players there is cautious optimism – guaranteed contracts and clearer payment schedules are hard to argue against. For corporate sports departments, however, the maths has changed overnight. The coming weeks will reveal who can absorb the hit and who quietly decides professional cricket is no longer worth the outlay.
