Pakistan women's cricket team in action© X (formerly Twitter)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to scrap the daily allowances of women players reporting for national camps. The decision to not give any sort of daily allowances to the players has left many disappointed and upset. "The players are not being given daily allowances because the board is now providing them accommodation and three full meals during the day," a PCB official said. But the players, attending the training camp presently in Multan for the home series against South Africa women's team, feel that the decision was not just as they had assembled from different parts of the country.
The South African team has already reached Multan and is preparing for the white-ball series from September 17, looked upon as a preparation for the ICC Women's T20 Cup World Cup in UAE next month.
The interesting thing is that the players of Pakistan men's team are offered the option of getting two full meals in a day and accommodation and a daily allowance.
A source aware of the developments said that until recently the board used to provide daily allowances to the women players.
The decision to change the policy comes at a time when the board is spending millions on various other projects including 5 million rupees monthly salaries to five mentors of the teams in the ongoing Champions Cup in Faisalabad.
The board is also spending around 12.8 billion on renovation on three Test venues in the country ahead of the Champions Trophy early next year.
"What difference of a few lakh rupees will make to the board is anybody's guess, but it has potential to create discontent in women's cricket," a former Pakistan player said.
The board official said when the women players go into the series they will get daily allowances.
The women players are also still waiting for the board to announce their central contracts for the fiscal year which has already been delayed by more than a month.
Last year the board gave central contracts to 19 players.