Nine players will be given one-year contracts by the Hong Kong Cricket Association from May 1 as the sport takes its first step into professionalism following the elevation to ICC one-day international (ODI) status in January.
The HKCA executive committee unanimously approved the decision to place players on full-time contracts, which was described as a positive move by the association's director of cricket Charlie Burke.
"We have put nine players on contracts and we will announce who they are only after the end of the ACC Premier League in Kuala Lumpur early next month," Burke said. "This is a step forward and the money for these contracts will come from the ICC's high-performance funding."
We will announce who they are only after the end of the ACC Premier League in Kuala Lumpur early next month
This year the International Cricket Council has allocated US$350,000 for Hong Kong's senior team. It is not known yet if this sum will increase in the future, as uncertainty hangs over the world governing body following the recent revamp and restructuring initiated by the boards of India, England and Australia.
Hong Kong, now one of the top six associate countries in the world, has however decided to look ahead positively to the future and the move to contract players was widely welcomed.
"This is great news. At last we will get something from playing cricket. I don't think it will be much, but at least this is a start," said a player who wished to remain anonymous.
The contracts will be split into three categories - A, B and C - with players in the top category receiving HK$11,500 a month.