Talk about being desperate for cricket to resume in your terror and war-torn country. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was so eager that Zimbabwe play in Pakistan that they gave a monetary guarantee of $12,500 to each Zimbabwean player for the tour, ESPNCricinfo has revealed.
Talk about being desperate for cricket to resume in your terror and war-torn country. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was so eager that Zimbabwe play in Pakistan that they gave a monetary guarantee of $12,500 to each Zimbabwean player for the tour, ESPNCricinfo has revealed.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the individual payments were part of US $5,00,000 that the PCB paid Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) before the tour.
Initially, the amount offered was US $10,000 per player. However, the Zimbabwean players felt this was too little - given the risk of playing in Pakistan. However, when the offer was upped to US $12,500, it was accepted. ESPNCricinfo also claims that one of its sources said some more money may have been paid to certain players.
The money is understood to have been paid in two amounts, the first on arrival and the second at the conclusion of the series, which could explain why Zimbabwe stayed on tour despite a suicide attack during their second ODI.
It was easier for Pakistan to negotiate such a deal with Zimbabwe, because that team's players are paid a maximum monthly sum of US $6500 - and they are yet to receive the fees for the 2015 World Cup.
The Zimbabwean team's experience in Pakistan was described by several players in as being very good. Sikandar Raza tweeted that Zimbabwe were"welcomed with open arms, smiles and love," while Craig Ervine said he was "loving the passion for cricket in Pakistan," and thanked the PCB for the "hospitality and security over this tour."
Over 3,500 security officials were deployed to look after the Zimbabwe team, whose only movement in Lahore was between the hotel and the Gaddafi stadium. They were due to go shopping the day before the final ODI, but the bomb blast outside the stadium put a spanner in those plans.
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