PCB extends players’ central contracts for one month

• PCB extended players’ central contracts for one month.
• The new administration will now be responsible for selecting the recipients.
• The PCB expanded the number of players in the Emerging Category from three to seven.

Due to an extension in the transition phase, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has extended players’ central contracts for one month. The new administration will now be responsible for selecting the recipients.

A one-month extension will be granted to all those who signed contracts over a year ago, with the exception of Azhar Ali, who has retired from international cricket. As a result, their contracts will now expire in August rather than July.

The PCB issued separate red and white-ball contracts for the first time last year, and four more players were added to the Emerging Category. This indicates that 33 players in total, 13 more than the previous season, signed one-year contracts. Due to Azhar Ali’s exclusion, 32 crickets will now receive a one-month extension.

Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi were all given contracts for both red and white balls.

There are nine players with red-ball contracts. White-ball contracts were given to eleven limited-over specialists last year.

While Haris Rauf was elevated to Category B, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, who were in Category B in 2021–2022, were given Category A contracts. In Category C, Mohammad Nawaz was retained.

Last year, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, and Zahid Mehmood were promoted from Emerging to Category D, where they joined Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.

The PCB expanded the number of players in the Emerging Category from three to seven as part of its strategy to support, nurture, and reward up-and-coming domestic performers. Ali Usman, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Huraira, Qasim Akram, and Salman Ali Agha are the athletes in the emerging category.

Red and White-Ball Contracts (5):

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Category A), Hasan Ali (red-ball Category B, white-ball Category C) and Imam-ul-Haq (red-ball Category C, white-ball Category B)

Red Ball Contracts (9):

Category B – Fawad Alam

Category C – Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah and Nauman Ali

Category D – Abid Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Yasir Shah

White-Ball Contracts (11):

Category A – Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan

Category B – Haris Rauf

Category C – Mohammad Nawaz

Category D – Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mehmood

Emerging Contracts (7):

Ali Usman (Southern Punjab), Haseebullah (Balochistan), Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Huraira (Northern), Qasim Akram (Central Punjab) and Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab)