Reports: Pakistan cricketers looking to boycott World Cup promotions following contract dispute

In a major development, there have been several reports that stated that Pakistan cricketers are looking to boycott the World Cup promotions after a dispute in the contracts. According to the report, the cricketers could boycott the sponsor logos and various promotional commitments due to their central contract issues.

The report suggested that the top stars of the side, like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan, were offered a monthly retainer fee of PKR 4.5 million each (approx. INR 13.22 lakh). However, despite it being stated, the contracts have not been signed as of yet. Hence this may force the players to take big action. 

"We are willing to represent Pakistan for free, but our question is why we should promote sponsors' logos that are affiliated with the board. Similarly, we may decline to participate in promotional activities and other events. During the World Cup, we won't engage in ICC's commercial promotions and activities either," a Pakistan player told Cricket Pakistan.

Furthermore, the report also stated that the players have yet to receive their payment that has been due for the past four months. The report also stated that the players have asked for a share of what the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) will receive from the ICC (International Cricket Council) in terms of sponsorship.

Pakistan will kickstart their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign on October 6

Speaking of the side’s on-field assignments, Pakistan will be gearing up for the ODI World Cup 2023, which is set to begin on October 5 and is being completely hosted by India.  Ahead of the tournament, the Babar Azam-led side will be playing two warm-up matches against New Zealand and Australia on September 29 and October 3, respectively. 

Furthermore, they will begin their World Cup campaign by facing off against the Netherlands on Friday, October 6. Coming on the back of a disappointing campaign in the Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan will hope for a better performance from their side in the marquee tournament.