LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Board of Governors (BoG) has approved the creation of the Pakistan Cricket Foundation as a charitable trust for the welfare and well-being of impoverished retired cricketers and low-level staff including match officials, ground staff, and scorers.
In a press release, the PCB said that the foundation is part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja has announced that the PCB’s Governing Board in its meeting has approved the creation of the foundation as a charitable trust and allocated the fund of 100 million as a donation for it from its budget.
“Through this foundation, we will further look after the well-being of those retired cricketers, match officials, scorers, and ground staff who are facing severe hardships,” said Ramiz.
“Currently 243 cricketers are on PCB’s payroll. We are trying to give them respectable earning,” he added.
The BoG has also approved a donation of Rs.100 million to the Pakistan Cricket Foundation over the course of the next fiscal year.
The Chairman PCB also claimed to lure more donors and sponsors to raise funds for the foundation and effectively support the needy ones associated with it.
“We will invite donors and sponsors to contribute and raise funds so that we have sufficient money in our coffers to look after all those in desperate need of the fund’s assistance and support,” he concluded.
It is pertinent to mention here that PCB had raised the pensions of ex-cricketers under the player’s welfare policy last month.
Last month, the PCB had also announced a significant increase in the pensions of cricketers. The pensions across all three categories was increased by Rs.100,000 under the PCB Players’ Welfare Policy.
“The increase means cricketers who have played in 10 or less Tests will now receive a monthly pension of Rs.142,000, players who have played between 11 and 20 Tests will receive Rs.148,000 and players who have featured in 21 or more Tests will receive Rs.154,000,” the PCB said in a press release.
