Renowned Cricketers Appointed as Mentors for Pakistan’s Domestic Champions Cup
On the eve of Pakistan’s clash against Bangladesh, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made headlines with its decision to appoint five renowned cricketers as mentors for the upcoming Champions Cup, a domestic tournament set to kick off on September 12. The mentors, which include former Pakistan captain and coach Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Malik, are believed to be earning salaries that exceed the pay of all but the most elite Pakistani players.
Misbah, who will mentor the Wolves side, emphasized the need to maximize a player’s potential, irrespective of preconceived notions about their abilities. “As mentor and coach, we need to explore their potential to the full,” he stated, highlighting the vision to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.
Shoaib Malik, affiliated with the Stallions, also plans to take the field in select T20 matches, alongside his mentorship role. This move is seen as symbolic, given Malik’s successful stint as captain of the Sialkot Stallions in the mid-2000s, where he led the team to five successive domestic titles.
Lucrative Salaries for Mentors
The mentor roles, however, have raised eyebrows due to the lucrative salaries involved. Each of the five mentors is believed to be on three-year contracts, earning approximately PKR 5 million (USD 18,000) per month. These salaries are higher than what is paid to all but the most elite Pakistani cricketers, including the likes of Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan.
“As mentor and coach, we need to explore their potential to the full,” – Misbah-ul-Haq
The PCB’s heavy spending on the Champions Cup, including the mentor salaries, has coincided with an increase in the board’s annual revenues from the ICC’s new broadcasting deal with Disney-Star. However, concerns have been raised about the sustainability of this spending rate, especially since the PCB does not receive any public funding for its operations.
As the domestic cricket season kicks off, the cricketing community will be closely watching the impact of these high-profile mentors on the development of Pakistan’s future stars, and whether the investment will indeed bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket.
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