The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has recently announced a significant breakthrough in its negotiations with senior players of the men’s national team, marking an end to a prolonged period of turmoil within the organization.
This landmark development comes in the form of a three-year central contract deal, which will be in effect from July 1 of this year until June 30, 2026.
One notable departure from the previous year’s approach is the decision to merge red-ball and white-ball national contracts. This strategic move aims to streamline player evaluation in terms of their contributions to winning matches. Additionally, this change is expected to foster a more transparent and equitable selection process, as elucidated by the central contract committee.
The list of contracted players will be categorized into four tiers, with substantial increases in their monthly retainers. A noteworthy feature of this new arrangement is the incorporation of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) revenue into the overall monthly remuneration of the contracted players. This signifies a commitment to fairly reward players based on their contributions to the team’s success.
In a significant boost to player earnings, match fees have been substantially increased. Test match fees will see a remarkable 50% increment, while One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) match fees will rise by 25% and 12.5%, respectively.
Additionally, centrally contracted players who participate in domestic cricket will receive 50% of the international match fee, further enhancing their financial incentives.
Another pivotal aspect of the new contract is the permission granted to players to participate in two foreign leagues during each season. This compromise between the PCB and the players regarding No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for foreign league participation signifies a more player-friendly approach.
While the financial model for the three-year contract period will remain locked, the performance of each contracted player will be reviewed annually. This periodic evaluation ensures that players are rewarded based on their ongoing contributions and form, thus maintaining a fair and dynamic system.
Category A: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Category B: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan
Category C: Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique
Category D: Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan