Latif wants players, not PCB to benefit from Central Contracts

Karachi, June 4 (UNI) Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif suspects the PCB might corner the Lion's share in the proposed Central Contracts, instead of the cricketers.

Latif wants the Board to keep equality and compatibility in mind while awarding Central Contracts to the players in the larger interest of sports. The proposed Contracts will in all probability be awarded for a 12-month period to the 20 top players from July 1, 2007.

''Major chunk of the money should go to players and not PCB marketing officer or PCB kitty,'' the former Pakistani wicket-keeper emphasized.

''Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) must justify Central Contract in a bid to re-build the team after Cricket World Cup debacle in West Indies,'' he said while talking to local media.

''Its crucial that a corp of merited players is kept in mind while awarding central contract,'' he added.

Latif, in fact, has a solution to resolve this practice, saying one way to do correct it is by following the world-wide example of having a two-tier system whereby by a certain percentage of sponsorship may go to player's agent and not PCB.

''As PCB is working on this process, they need to keep in mind that task their task is to look after the affairs of cricket and not the marketing of players. There should be no binding on players awarded Central Contract, in securing personal sponsorships apart from board's sponsorship,'' he commented.

He went on to say ''Such a binding is illegal in sports and PCB cannot sign players for its own sponsors,'' adding ''any such practice will make all the benefits to go under marketing head and into the hands of others people in PCB but not (not) players.'' UNI