With the Covid-19 pandemic having major economic ramifications on sporting bodies and boards all over the world amid the cricket coming to a standstill, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has gone the cost cutting way by mulling salary cuts for the coaching staff by 25 per cent in May.
Also, if the international cricket did not resume by next month, that number could rise to 50 per cent, said ACB chief executive Lutfullah Stanikzai.
"This is part of our cost-saving strategy as we have been also impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. We have decided to cut 25 per cent (of the salary for the coaches) for May, 50 per cent for June if we are not able to resume international cricket. We will try and keep them for as long as our financial situation allows," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Stanikzai as saying.
Head coach Lance Klusener, batting coach HD Ackermann and assistant coach Nawroz Mangal will be among those who will be impacted by the decision.
Afghanistan is slated to tour Zimbabwe in June. Stanikzai said there has been a loss of revenue for them and they will be negatively impacted if the T20 World Cup does not go as planned.
"We are just trying to save costs wherever we can. There has been a loss of revenue for us - the government grant we receive is at risk because the government is spending that on dealing with the pandemic," he said.
"We are not 100 per cent sure the Asia Cup will take place and the revenue we will receive from there. If there are problems with the T20 World Cup, that will also impact us negatively going forward to next year and beyond," Stanikzai added.