LAHORE (Kashmir English): Significant changes are expected in the central contracts of national cricketers as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) prepares to revise its financial model ahead of the new cycle starting July 1.
As per reports, the current financial structure of central contracts will expire on June 30; after that, a fresh contract system will begin.
The revised model is thought to bring in a set of changes to player categories, match fees, and the overall salary setup.
The ultimate call on the financial framework will be made by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is expected to approve the new policy in consultation with the board’s management.
During the tenure of former PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf, a financial model was introduced for 3 years in 2023, which was not adjusted in the period of the current PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, but the categories of players were reshuffled based on fitness and performance.
Last year, 30 cricketers were handed central contracts, and for the first time, no cricketers were placed in the A category.
Reports say that the next central contract round will be major in scale, meaning many cricketers in the existing setup will be moved down , and some will be pushed up in the categories.
The chance of Muhammad Nawaz, Abdullah Shafiq, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, and Khushdil Shah getting included seems low, while the chances for domestic performers, such as AzAan Owais and Abdullah Fazal being brought into the structure, have been discussed.
