The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has begun preliminary discussions regarding central contracts for national cricketers for the 2025-26 season. This marks the final year of the existing three-year financial structure, introduced during Zaka Ashraf's tenure as PCB Chairman in 2023.
Sources indicate that while early consultations are in progress, no major overhaul of the centrally contracted players' list is expected. However, some adjustments may be made within player categories. Cricketers who deliver standout performances during the 2024-25 season could be rewarded with inclusion or promotion in the contract list. Players like Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, and Faheem Ashrafwho were not part of last year's listare under consideration for a comeback.
Additionally, top domestic performers may be accommodated in Category D, particularly under the Emerging Players bracket.
The current contracts are set to expire on June 30. Despite this, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is unlikely to make structural changes, maintaining the continuity seen in the previous year.
In 2024-25, the PCB announced the list of centrally contracted players on October 27, distributed across four categories:
Category A (2 players): Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan
Category B (3 players): Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Shan Masood
Category C (9 players): Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Nauman 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 Jr, Usman Khan
As part of its strategy to incentivise and nurture emerging talent, the PCB awarded central contracts for the first time last year to five players: Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan.
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