Former Test skipper and Director General of Pakistan Cricket Board Javed Miandad on Sunday defended PCB's decision to introduce new retainer policy and cried down former set up of the board for running the affairs sans accountability. "Money was spent lavishly by the former officials without any accountability or need. We have tried to reduce the annual budget of around 45 million rupees spent on domestic cricket to around 25 and 30 million. That is why we have replaced the system of giving annual retainers by increasing match fees of domestic players," Miandad said. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday came under severe criticism by the media of the country for embarking on a plan to reduce budgetary costs by spending less on domestic competitions. Pakistan's newspapers highlighted the fact that the board had reduced allowances of players taking part in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy and also scrapped their monthly retainer fees, although salaries of none of the PCB top officials had been affected due to the new cost saving measures. The media also criticised the cricket board for allowing the Kookaburra balls for only the first two rounds and then revert to using locally manufactured cricket balls. "It is true that we have scrapped monthly retainers of players but I have sent my recommendations that their match fees be increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 which would be implemented soon after approval by the Chairman. "We have reduced daily allowances from 1500 to 1000 and the daily food allowance from Rs 350 to Rs 250 because these were unnecessary expenditures which were being misused. "I have also recommended that in the new central contracts the Test match fees be increased because they are some players who don't get a chance to play one-day internationals," Miandad said. The former skipper also insisted that daily allowances were reduced as the board supported the regional and district associations completely in domestic cricket. "We pay the regional and district associations annual grants besides we provide money for the teams hotelling, travelling, ground fees, umpires and scorers fees and also provide the cricket balls for every match," he said. He also made veiled attack to the fraction of PCB officials for trying to hamper the smooth working of the PCB. "I can say openly there are still some elements in the board and outside who are not happy with the induction of so many former cricketers on key positions in the PCB and are trying to create problems for us. They don't want accountability and transparency in the cricket affairs. They don't want Pakistan cricket reorganised professionally," he said. The PCB has said it had lost out on estimated revenues of around USD 20 million because of the cancellation of the Indian team's tour, which was scheduled on the first week of January next year.
