The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is currently facing backlash from their fans after reducing match fees for women cricketers under contract. Female cricketers will get PKR 20,000 (₹ 6,000) per match, a significant reduction from offered amounts in previous contracts.
The PCB handed out contracts to female cricketers for 2024/25 and made this downward review known via an official statement. However, journalists and fans noticed a significant pay reduction from contracts handed out for 2023/24.
PCB Offers Women Cricketers Wages Lower than National Minimum Wage
The fresh contract offers Pakistan female cricketers PKR 35,000 (₹ 10,000) per month, which is much lower than the national minimum wage of (₹ 11,400). Fans and analysts raised concerns about the development. PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi recently reviewed the match fees of male cricketers; however, he is yet to extend the same attention to female players.
Aliya Riaz, Nida Dar and Other Top Female Cricketers Lose PCB Central Contracts
Former Pakistan women captain Nida Dar failed to hold down a central contract for the 2024/25 season. She and a handful of other veteran team players will play no significant part in Pakistan’s team plans this calendar year.
Sumair Ahmad Syed (PCB Chief Operating Officer) shared the governing body’s strategy after the list of contracted players was announced:
“The 2024-25 central contracts reflect our forward-looking strategy as we prepare for the new ICC Women’s Future Tours Programme,” the PCB exec said.
“By further investing in established players through significantly enhanced retainers and offering clear pathways to the emerging cricketer, we aim to strike a balance between nurturing future stars and sustaining competitiveness at the highest level.”
Only sixteen (16) female cricketers hold fresh central contracts after PCB officials completed their reviews.
| Category | Player |
| Category A | Muneeba Ali, Fatima Sana, and Sidra Amin |
| Category B | Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sundhu |
| Category C | Omaima Sohail, Diana Baig |
| Category D | Gull Feroza, Ghulam Fatima, Rameen Shamim, Najiha Alvi, Sadaf Shamas, Tasmia Rubab, Syeda Aroob Shah, Umm-e-Hani, and Tuba Hassan |
PCB Hand Domestic Contracts to 90 Women Cricketers for 2024/25
Ninety (90) female cricketers hold domestic contracts for the PCB’s scheduled 2024/25 calendar. Women cricketers from 20 cities are set to feature in Pakistan’s domestic circuit this season after these contracts. These players are:
| City | Players |
| Abbottabad | Momina Riasat |
| Bahawalpur | Noor Ul Iman, Samina Aftab |
| Bhimber | Natalia Parvaiz |
| Chitral | Saira Jabeen |
| Charsadda | Zaibunisa Niaz |
| D.I.Khan | Rabia Rani |
| Dera Ghazi Khan | Gull Rukh |
| Gujranwala | Nida Dar |
| Hyderabad | Esha Ali, Maham Manzoor |
| Khanewal | Aleena Masood |
| Karachi | Aimen Anwar, Aliza Sabir, Anosha Nasir, Arijah Haseeb, Eisha Naeem, Hafsa Khalid, Huraina Sajjad, Laiba Fatima, Neha Sharmeen, Shabnam Hayat, Syeda Masooma Jafri, Yusra Ehtesham, Yusra Amir, Zunaira Shah |
| Lahore | Aliya Riaz, Amber Kainaat, Anam Amin, Areesha Noor, Arim Barkat, Ayesha Bilal, Ayesha Zafar, Dua Majid, Eyman Fatima, Fariha Mahmood, Fatima Shahid, Haleema Azeem Dar, Haleema Dua, Iram Javed, Kaynat Hafeez, Khadija Chishti, Laraib Malik, Neelam Mushtaq, Noreen Yaqoob, Subica Shahzadi, Saiqa Riaz, Samiya Afsar, Shawal Zulfiqar, Sidra Nawaz, Soha Fatima, Waheeda Akhtar, Zamina Tahir, Zunash Abdul Sattar |
| Lodhran | Rehmat Noreen |
| Muzaffarabad | Rida Aslam |
| Okara | Muqadas Bukhari, Warda Yousuf |
| Peshawar | Aleena Shah, Mahnoor Aftab |
| Quetta | Saima Malik |
| Rahim Yar Khan | Sana Talib |
| Rawalpindi | Aima Saleem Satti, Fajr Naveed, Farzana Farooq, Fatima Zahra, Humna Bilal, Laiba Mansoor, Tania Saeed |
| Swabi | Tahzeeb Shah |
The PCB handed contracts to 18 Pakistan U-19 players, 10 capped cricketers, and 62 others in the emerging category. U-19 players handed domestic contracts will benefit from monthly retainer programs as they build their experience from upcoming youth tournaments like the Women’s U-19 World Cup.
Recommendations on this list came from the Pakistan Women’s National Selection Committee and contracts were handed out based on player potential and overall performances in domestic events.
Players in the U-19 category include:
| Abbottabad | Tayyba Imdad |
| Bahawalpur | Aleesa Mukhtiar |
| Faisalabad | Memoona Khalid |
| Minahil Rafique | |
| Islamabad | Maham Anees |
| Karachi | Haniah Ahmer |
| Wasifa Hussain | |
| Lahore | Fatima Khan, Fizza Fiaz, Komal Khan Laiba Nasir, Minahil Javed, Ravail Farhan |
| Lodhran | Shahar Bano |
| Mardan | Mahnoor Zeb |
| Sheikhupura | Areesha Ansari |
| Sialkot | Quratulain |
| Wah Cantt | Zoofishan Ayyaz |
PCB Women’s Camp for World Cup Qualifiers for March 21
Pakistan has put together a 19-woman camp to represent the country at the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Players in the released list include out-of-favour stars without central contracts like Aliya Riaz and Nida Dar alongside 17 other women players. See the full list below:
Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wicket-keeper), Najiha Alvi (wicket-keeper), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab and Umm-e-Hani
