According to a report by Cricbuzz, the Pakistan women’s cricket team has been waiting for their salaries for the past four months. This news comes as the team gears up for their opening match of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled for Thursday, October 3, in Sharjah.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had offered 20 players a 23-month contract running from August 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025. The contracts were supposed to be reviewed after 12 months. However, the players’ salaries remain unpaid since June 2024, with no updates from the PCB on when payments will be made.
A PCB official told Cricbuzz, “It is a work in progress. As soon as the lists are finalized and approved, contracts will be offered with effect from 1 July 2024.” The official attributed the delay to time constraints, which also affected the men’s team, who have similarly not received their salaries for the last four months.
Pakistan’s struggles in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up matches
The Fatima Sana-led Pakistan team faced a rough start to their 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, losing both of their warm-up matches. They posted 132 runs in the first game against Scotland, which the opposition chased down in 18 overs. In the second match, Pakistan were bowled out for 117 by Bangladesh, who won by 23 runs. Omaima Sohail stood out as the top scorer with 63 runs, while Sadia Iqbal picked up two wickets.
Pakistan has yet to advance to the knockout stage in any of the previous eight editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup. It remains to be seen if they can turn their fortunes around in the 2024 edition.