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[Saba Sports News] The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has successfully negotiated a three-year central contract deal with senior players of the men’s national team, spanning from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026. In a departure from the previous year, where separate contracts were offered for different formats, red-ball and white-ball national contracts have been merged. This decision aims to evaluate players based on their ability to win matches and promote fairness and transparency in the selection process.
The contracted players are divided into four categories, with significant increases in monthly retainers. ICC’s revenue will be included in their overall monthly remuneration. Players’ match fees have seen substantial hikes, with a 50% increase in Test matches, 25% in ODIs, and 12.5% in T20Is. Centrally contracted players who also participate in domestic cricket will receive 50% of the international match fee.
Additionally, players are now allowed to participate in two foreign leagues each season, a compromise reached between the board and players regarding No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for foreign league participation.
While the financial model for the three-year contracts is fixed, the performance of each contracted player will be reviewed annually.
Here are the players and their categories for the central contracts:
Category A: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Category B: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan
Category C: Imad Wasim, 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, Zaman Khan
PCB Management Committee Chairperson, Zaka Ashraf, expressed his commitment to the players’ well-being and financial security, emphasizing their importance to Pakistan cricket. Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, hailed the agreement as historic, while Usman Wahla, PCB Director – International Cricket Operations, acknowledged the collective effort in achieving this landmark central contract deal.