The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially revealed a groundbreaking three-year central contracts agreement with its senior players, spanning from July 01, 2023, to June 30, 2026.
This deal encompasses 25 esteemed cricketers, offering them a share of ICC revenue—a game-changer from last year.
In a significant move, the PCB has merged red-ball and white-ball national contracts, a proposal put forth by the central contract committee. This strategic decision aims to assess players’ contributions to winning matches while promoting transparency and fairness in the selection process.
The player roster will be categorized into four tiers, each with substantial monthly retainers. Notably, the ICC revenue will be factored into the overall monthly compensation:
Category A (3 players): 202 percent increment
Category B (6 players): 144 percent increment
Category C (2 players): 135 percent increment
Category D (14 players): 127 percent increment
Here is the list of players and their respective contract categories:
Category A: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Category B: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, and Shadab Khan
Category C: Imad Wasim and 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, and Zaman Khan
Furthermore, players will enjoy substantial increases in match fees: a 50 percent boost for Test matches, 25 percent for ODIs, and 12.5 percent for T20Is.
Centrally contracted players participating in domestic cricket will receive 50 percent of their international match fees. Additionally, players are permitted to participate in two foreign leagues during each season.
The three-year contract period will maintain a fixed financial model throughout its duration. However, player performance evaluations will be conducted every 12 months. The previous central contract cycle concluded on June 30, with the new agreement taking effect on July 01, 2023.
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