Monday, October 01, 2007
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Pakistani cricketers were on Sunday showered with cash rewards at a reception hosted to celebrate the national team’s impressive performance in the inaugural World Twenty in South Africa.
Each of the 15 Pakistani players and their eight officials were given Rs2.5 million each by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a special bonus for reaching the final of the 12-nation spectacle.
Pakistan defeated top teams like Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand on their way to the final but lost by five runs to old rivals India in the title showdown on September 24.
“We may not have won the World Twenty20 title but our cricketers have made all of us proud by the way they played in the tournament,” PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said at the reception.
Nasim hoped that the Pakistani cricketers will carry their good Twenty20 form in the other versions of the game in the future.
Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said that gave his teammates all the credit and hoped that the team will continue to do well on the international stage.
The PCB also honoured Pakistan’s star batsman Mohammad Yousuf for earning the ICC Test player of the year award last month. The Board chairman also praised him for quitting the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and opting for national duty. Yousuf, 33, received a US$100,000 signing bonus after he inked a central contract with the Board recent and also received a similar amount for the Test player of the year award.
The Pakistani cricket team also received a cheque of Rs10 million from the Dubai-based Fortune Group owned by a Pakistani businessman Mohammad Ali.
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