Karachi, June 25: Pakistani cricketers are planning to encash their Twenty20 World Cup triumph and ask for a hike in the existing contracts with their respective Indian Premier League franchisees next season.
After IPL organisers announced that Pakistani players would be welcome to play next season subject to clearance from both governments, sources in the sports management company representing players like Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul or Kamran Akmal said they are unlikely to play on their old contractual terms of USD 100,000 each.
“These players are now iconic figures after winning the T20 World Cup and it makes no sense that they should settle for old terms when other players are being paid in millions,” one source told PTI.
“Recently a senior official of the sports management company visited India and met with Modi and other franchise officials regarding the contractual issues of the Pakistani players who were not informed whether they would receive payments as per their contracts or these were terminated or suspended because they didn’t play in the second season,” one source said.
He said the official had spoken to the IPL organisers about the possibility of Pakistani players taking part in the next IPL season.
“But now with the Pakistan having won the World Cup obviously the scenario has changed and it is unlikely the players will go back on their old contractual terms as they feel their value is greater now,” the source said.
—–PTI