National cricketers’ on-field show set to be assessed

PCB hopeful of maintaining standard through contracts.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hopes to raise the performance bar of the national team after introducing clauses based on performance and fitness in the central contracts for 2014.

A total of 31 players have been awarded contracts in A, B, C and D categories.  For the next year, the PCB has mapped out an elaborate plan to monitor the progress of the players.

Batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeepers would need to maintain a minimum standard of performance if they hope to retain their contracts.

Incentives and fines related to fitness levels

The new contracts offered to the players place a lot of emphasis on their fitness level. They are set to receive bonuses or fines according to the levels they maintain.

Twenty-five percent of a player’s monthly salary will be deducted if a player is not at the set fitness level. The fitness would be ascertained through three tests that will be conducted at four-month intervals.

If the players are found to have improved their fitness level to the international standard, a 25% bonus on their monthly salary will be awarded. On the other hand, the players would be fined 25% of their salary if their fitness level decreases by the same percentage.

Ranking system for batsmen

The batsmen occupying the top six slots in the Test and ODI formats would have to maintain an average of 32 runs per innings.

A batsman’s promotion to a higher category will be based on him improving his average by three runs. Similarly, demotion to a lower category will occur should a batsman’s average drop by three runs.

The all-rounders occupying the number seven spot in a Test or ODI line-up would need to maintain a minimum average of 22 runs per innings. Promotion to a higher category would be made on improving the average by two runs, while demotion would occur on the reduction of the average by four runs.

Meanwhile, in T20s, players occupying the top five batting slots would have to maintain an average of 20 runs per innings and a strike rate of 100%.

The batsmen slotted in between numbers six and eight need to maintain an average of 15 runs per innings and a strike rate of 150%.

Ranking system for  bowlers

Bowlers playing in the Test and ODI formats would need to maintain an average of two wickets per innings. An increase in this average by 25% will result in a promotion, while 25% reduction will result in demotion to a lower category.

In the shortest format of the game, the bowlers need to take at least one wicket in each appearance, an increase in this average by 25% will result in a promotion and a 25 % reduction will result in demotion to a lower category.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2014.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.