Asif and Faisal get pay raise but no central contracts

Mohammad Asif, the seam bowler, and Faisal Iqbal, the middle-order batsman, have been given pay raises by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) but both players will only be considered for the central contracts later this year.

Abbas Zaidi, the director board operations of the Pakistan board, said both players had not been given the central contracts but only pay raises, in view of their encouraging performances in the last two series against India and Sri Lanka.

While Asif has taken 24 wickets in his last three Tests including 11 for 71 in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Kandy earlier this month, Faisal scored a hundred against India at Karachi and followed it up with a matchsaving 60 against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Colombo.

"They were getting monthly retainers of 30,000 Rupees (US$500 approx) but now this has been enhanced to 75,000 Rupees (US$1250 approx), the same as the players who have been given C category central contracts," Zaidi stated. "This monthly raise is besides the match fees and other incentives paid to the players per Test and one-day international (ODI) appearances."

Zaidi said both players would be considered when the current contracts when fresh ones were issued from July 1. "At present, the central contracts are only for the 20 players who were awarded these earlier this year."