Shan Masood’s new PCB contract comes with a shocking twist as the board announces its list for the central contracts.
Shan Masood’s newly-received PCB contract comes in with a caveat that could have damaging effects for the player.
Almost four months after their due date, the updated central contracts for the Pakistan men’s cricket team have been revealed.
Shan Masood maintains his position in Category B after leading Pakistan’s Test team to their first series victory since July 2023 this week. However, it is unclear if he will remain in that role for the entire year because the PCB stated in a media release that his retention in the category was “subject to captaincy”.
After Pakistan lost his first six Test matches under his leadership, there was a lot of conjecture about how long he would remain in charge. However, it is unlikely that the PCB’s public announcement of the contingency in his central contract, which was made the day following Pakistan’s series victory over England, will have a stabilising effect.
Shaheen Afridi falls to the second division. That leaves Mohammad Rizwan as the only other player in the A group. Babar Azam stays in the top division despite missing the last two Test matches against England due to a run of bad form.
For the first time in eight years, Fakhar Zaman does not receive a central contract. His fitness was reportedly questioned, despite the fact that his relationship with the PCB has recently soured.
After he criticised the decision to fire Babar Azam in a tweet two weeks ago, the board sent him a show-cause notice. The position is still open, Fakhar has not expressed regret, and it is believed that his legal team is handling the situation.
While there has been general category deflation, Imam-ul-Haq, his long-time ODI opening partner, also loses out on a core contract. Out of 25 players, only five are in the A or B categories, compared to 11 the previous year. Following their recent heroics against England, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, who were both classified in the C category, have returned to action after missing out on the action last year.
Players received the largest pay increases in history as a result of the PCB’s historic three-year central contract agreements last year. More significantly, players received a set portion of the PCB’s profits from the ICC. This time, the board has adhered to the same structure, merely changing the categories in which certain players are categorised, as was previously decided.