Cricket has grown rapidly all over the world, and now it has become one of the most popular sports across the globe. It has also helped the cricketer financially in the modern era. The earnings of a cricketer from playing for country or franchise cricket have also increased.
The salary of an international cricketer or a first-class cricketer has also increased as compared to the previous generation. Many will be eager to know about the earnings of cricketers two decades ago as compared to now. Former Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has revealed the salaries of cricketers during his international career.
In a podcast interview, when asked about the salaries of Pakistani players, Razzaq said that he was earning more money playing for his country as compared to playing in leagues during his time.
Former all-rounder who made his debut in 1996 said that Pakistan were playing a lot of ODIs in 1999 and players were getting Rs 10,000 per ODI. He stated that the salaries drastically increased in 2000 and were Rs 250,000.
When asked about the comparison with Indian first-class cricketers, he said that Indian players were earning Rs 100,000 to 150,000 per game and Pakistani cricketers were getting Rs 10,000 for international games. He also recalled that they used to play approx 30 to 35 ODIs and 9 to 10 Tests per year and were earning only from playing for country.
He also revealed that there was not central contract system before 2001. Razzaq retired from international cricket in 2013, and at that time, the salaries were Rs 500,000 to 600,000 for ODIs, Rs 10,000,000 for Tests, and Rs 300,000 to 350,000 for T20Is, which have doubled or tripled since his time.
The all-rounder represented Pakistan in 265 ODIs, 46 Tests and 32 T20Is during his 17-year international career. He was one of the vital cogs of the 2009 T20 World Cup winning Pakistan team.
