Shan Masood Retains PCB Contract 'Subject to Captaincy'; Babar and Rizwan Remain in Top Category
Fakhar Zaman's exclusion from the central contracts marks the first time in eight years he has missed out. While concerns regarding his fitness have been reported, his relationship with the PCB has reportedly soured.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released the revised central contracts for the men's cricket team, nearly four months later than expected. The announcement brings notable changes, including the retention of Shan Masood in Category B, contingent on his continued captaincy. Masood recently led Pakistan's Test side to its first series victory since July 2023, but his future in the role remains uncertain after a difficult start that included six consecutive losses.
Despite a recent dip in form and missing the last two Test matches against England, Babar Azam retains his position in Category A, the highest tier. Mohammad Rizwan joins him as the only other player in this category. Shaheen Afridi, however, has dropped to the second tier.
Imam-ul-Haq, Masood's long-time ODI opening partner, also does not feature in the central contracts. The overall number of players in Categories A and B has significantly decreased, with only five out of 25 players now in these top tiers, compared to 11 last year.
Newcomers Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, who excelled against England, have been placed in Category C. Noman's inclusion is subject to fitness. Several players have received their first central contracts, including Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Usman Khan, and Irfan Khan, all in Category D.
Last year, the PCB implemented landmark three-year contracts, providing players with significant pay increases and a fixed share of revenue from the PCB's ICC earnings. The current contracts have retained this structure, with adjustments made to player categories. The contracts are backdated to July 1, 2024, and will remain in effect for another year before potential revisions.
Central Contract Categories:
- Category A (2 players): Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan
- Category B (3 players): Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood
- Category C (9 players): Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan
- Category D (11 players): Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Usman Khan
