Pakistani players are reluctant to sign a long-term central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) amid disagreements between the two sides over the sale of licensed digital rights to the players. Although the players’ last key contracts expired on June 30, the PCB has so far failed to convince them to sign new contracts. The Pakistani team has already arrived in Sri Lanka for the one-day series with Afghanistan and the subsequent Asia Cup. Scroll down to read Why Pakistan Is Not Ready To Sign Central Contracts.
Here’s Why Pakistan Is Not Ready To Sign Central Contracts
According to a reliable source close to the players, the dispute centered on the demand of the players for greater investment and a say in the sale of their digital rights, which was handled by the board.
“The view of the players is that other cricket boards are either not involved in the sale of players’ digital rights/NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) or have a proper arrangement with them to share the revenue from this route,” said the source.
With Rario or Dream Sports, run by two Singaporean Indians paying good money to sell sports NFTs of players, including pictures, clips, and audio clips, the players wanted the government to give them either independent negotiating rights or greater rights.
The PCB receives revenue from the ICC and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) as it grants players digital/online rights to images, clips, and audio recordings of events held under the auspices of these bodies. The PCB also reportedly earns from the sale of digital rights of Pakistan Super League (PSL) players.
“PCB gives the players a share of the digital rights sale, but the players don’t think it’s enough,” the source said.
Sports NFT sales have become an important source of revenue for the cryptocurrency market, with Rario recently investing nearly $120 million. NFTs are known as digital collectibles and 250 million cricket fans around the world want to own digital items. The memorabilia of their favorite players has become a huge revenue-generating market. NFT sales are verified using blockchain technology.
According to the source, the PCB offered a three-year central contract to players who did not want to accept the deal. “Although the government has almost doubled the number of monthly central contract holders and increased match fees, the players want to get a bigger share of their digital rights sales and an even bigger share of what the government earns from broadcast rights sales,” said the source.
Currently, a senior PCB official is negotiating with senior players in Sri Lanka and trying to get them to sign the contracts proposed by the government.
