Pakistan Twenty20 cricketers to get Rs.2.5 mn each bonus

KARACHI: Pakistan's loss in the final notwithstanding, each of the 15 players who featured in the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa will get Rs.2.5 million as a "bonus" for the team's "impressive performance" in the tournament.

Quoting a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, The News reported on Wednesday that a reception would be held here on Sunday ahead of the opening Test against South Africa to honour the squad.

PCB's chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said the players had performed well in the tournament, in spite of their five-run defeat against India in the Monday's final at Johannesburg.

"The (PCB) chairman has already announced a couple of bonuses for the national team players and the board will give more rewards to the players because they really performed well in the tournament," Naghmi said.

PCB chief Nasim Ashraf had announced $10,000 for each of the players after Pakistan beat Australia in a Group F Super 8s match and another Rs.500,000 for each member after the team qualified for the semi-finals.

"For the Pakistani cricketers, it would just be like a consolation prize as they narrowly missed a windfall as the players could have received up to Rs.30 million each had the team won the final," The News said.