PCB awards retainership to banned player

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a major blooper has awarded retainership to a player whom it had recently banned for a year for serious misconduct during a domestic match. The PCB on Saturday announced a list of 21 players who have been awarded central contracts and 21 players who have been given retainers and the second list included the name of Bismillah Khan.

Bismallah, who hails from Peshawar and Emmad Ali, a player from Lahore, were both banned recently for a year each after being reported for physically attacking each other and misbehaving during a domestic grade two match. "It is strange that the PCB has given a retainer to a banned player while leaving out some deserving players," former test batsman Basit Ali said.

No comments were available from the board as to who was responsible for this blunder.

The second list included the name of Bismillah Khan who was banned for a year for serious misconduct.

The PCB has increased the monthly salaries of centrally contracted players and the retainer amounts as a result of which now a player in the top category of the central contract will be paid a monthly salary of 313,000 rupees followed by 218,000 rupees and 130,000 rupees. Similarly the monthly retainer amount has also increased to around 90,000 rupees.

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