Sikandar Bakht Hits Out At Pakistan Players: 'They Get 60 Lakh Per Month, So...'

Sikandar Bakht Hits Out At Pakistan Players: 'They Get 60 Lakh Per Month, So...'

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Last Updated: March 19, 2025, 10:11 IST

Mohammad Rizwan is already under fire after Pakistan's lacklustre performance in the ICC Men's Champions Trophy, where the team crashedac out in the group stage.

Pakistan made a group-stage exit from the Champions Trophy (Picture credit: AP)

Former Pakistan pacer Sikandar Bakht has lashed out at his country’s cricketers who refused to play the National T20 Championship, saying that they are employees of the Pakistan Cricket Board and being paid Rs 60 lakh per month, should take part in every competition in the country.

According to reports in Pakistani media, ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan opted to play club cricket rather than participate in the National T20 Cup, which is organised by PCB.

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Bakht requested Mohsin Naqvi to be a little stricter in his ways and implement harsh penalties on the offenders.

“They are employees of the Pakistan Cricket Board. They get 60 lakh per month, so they must play in the tournaments the PCB is organising. The buck stops with PCB. They have to make sure that players are available," Bakht said while speaking to Geo Super.

“This shouldn’t happen. Mohsin Naqvi needs to be strict. He comes off as a polite person, but he needs to change his ways. You have to ask what is happening. Be strict. Stop their central contracts," Bakht said.

Rizwan, who makes it a point to play in domestic cricket when there are no international commitments, has chosen to play club cricket as he returned after performing Umrah in Mecca and wants to relax before going to New Zealand for the three-match ODI series.

Rizwan, Babar and Naseem were all dropped by the national selectors for the ongoing five-match T20 series in New Zealand with a new-look Pakistan team losing the first match by nine wickets.

Meanwhile, nine members of Pakistan’s team for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand will train at the Lahore City Cricket Association ground, PCB announced on Tuesday.

As per the details, the players scheduled to undergo a small training camp until Friday are white-ball skipper Rizwan, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Abdullah Shafique, Imam ul Haq, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah and Akif Javed.

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Pakistan’s ODI team will depart for New Zealand on Sunday, March 23 to play a three-match series, scheduled to run from March 29 to Saturday, April 5.

Pakistan are featuring in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, led by the home team 2-0.

First Published: March 19, 2025, 10:11 IST

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