Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in an attempt to support and motivate women cricket players, announced a parental leave policy that facilitates women players through their pregnancy and post-birth.
The policy is targeted to motivate professional cricketers in their journey to parenthood.
“Under the newly introduced policy, women and men players have been granted various rights that they are respectively entitled to avail during the pregnancy and upon the birth of their child”, the press release read.
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One of the options included in the policy grants women cricketers an opportunity to transfer to a non-playing role until the commencement of their maternity leave.
PCB has announced its parental leave policy to support professional cricketers’ through pregnancy, their return to play and parental responsibilities.
Read details here ➡️ https://t.co/6Z7wXFHOmS pic.twitter.com/HB6SwtvgXQ
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) May 4, 2021
Additionally, PCB announced that the women players are entitled to take 12 months of paid maternity leave and will be guaranteed a contract extension for the next year.
These options were included in the policy as per PCB’s belief that putting a stop to a professional player’s career because of parental responsibility or pregnancy seemed a poor choice.
Whereas, upon exhaustion of maternity leave, the player will be provided physical and medical support to recommence the cricketing activities.
“Similarly, if a woman player is required to travel for cricketing activities, the PCB will support the player by allowing her to travel with a support person of her choice to assist in caring for her infant child, with the travel and accommodation costs to be shared equally”, as per press release.
On the other hand, men cricketers will be entitled to 30 days of fully paid leave.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan was of the view that the board had a responsibility of care towards its cricketers and it had taken every measure to support them.
“It is appropriate that we have a player-friendly parental support policy so that our professional cricketers can feel fully supported during an important stage in their lives, without worrying about their careers”.
“Now that we have a maternity leave policy, I am hopeful that it will attract more women and girls to take up the sport as this will help them strike the crucial work-life balance”, he added.