New Delhi: Pakistan women's cricket team didn't receive daily allowances during their ongoing training camp in Multan, which began on Sunday, September 1, 2024.
The Pakistan women's squad is training hard for the three-match T20I series against a formidable South African side, starting next week.
According to the report by ESPNcricinfo, the Pakistan women's cricket team will receive allowances once Pakistan's three T20I matches against the South Africa series start next week.
"The women's team received modest daily allowances at training camps. This time, however, the PCB is providing accommodation as well as three meals to the members at the camp; at previous camps, three daily meals were not provided. A PCB official told ESPNcricinfo the board's policy dictated that if three meals a day and hotel accommodation were made available, no daily allowances over and above that would be provided," said the report.
However, it's not clear yet why the change in meal and allowance structure has been implemented for the women's side, resulting in a reduction in the compensation offered at training camps.
"The policy change has left a number of the women's players disappointed, with some believing being away from home for a camp merits beyond merely meeting the basic daily needs of lodging and food. There were hopes this would improve at future camps, with the women's side gearing up for the women's T20 World Cup, to be held next month," the report added.
The decision came when the PCB's scale of expenditure in other avenues of the game was at an all-time high, particularly in the form of stadium upgrades believed to cost the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) tens of billions of rupees. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is being rebuilt almost from scratch, with the National Stadium in Karachi also undergoing a significant overhaul. There is some construction work due at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium too, as the PCB prepare to host the Champions Trophy in 2025, the first ICC event they are scheduled to host in nearly three decades.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup, the domestic 50-over competition, has also seen a large financial outlay. The tournament will see the PCB offer prize money of around PKR 49 million, nearly ten times what was on offer last year, and almost half of what the Pakistan Super League (PSL) made available for this year's edition.
The women's central and domestic contracts are also yet to be finalized and announced. The men's central contracts, too, are well past their assessment date, and though they are expected imminently, there is no official word yet on when any changes will be announced.
