The Pakistan cricket team players are all set to receive their central contracts for the upcoming year and the PCB has no plans of making big changes. Reports from Pakistan media houses have indicated that the salary structure for the players will remain unchanged. Bigwigs, including Babar Azam, Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, are expected to get a reprieve despite debacles in the ODI and T20 World Cups.
Pakistan cricketers to get central contracts soon
As per Cricket Pakistan, the trio of Babar-Rizwan-Shaheen will retain the Grade A contracts while pacer Naseem Shah is expected to join the group. Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim are unlikely to get Category A contracts, given their poor form and performances over the last year,
Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman are expected to get a Category B contract, continuing on the same path they were in the previous year. While Pakistan’s Test skipper Shan Masood is expected to retain his Category B contract, there are reductions expected in the Category D contracts which could also see some new players being named.
Fitness an important benchmark for contract renewals
As per the report, the Pakistan Cricket Board held lengthy discussions with coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie about the matter. The duo opined that the fitness of the players will play an important role in deciding if the contracts of the players will be renewed. Performance is another criteria that the PCB has been asked to look at.
Gary Kirsten opposes Pakistan’s NOC antics
The report claims that white-ball coach Gary Kirsten has asked the PCB to soften its stance on granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to players who want to participate in the foreign leagues. The PCB had denied NOCs for Babar Azam, Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi for their participation in the GT20 Canada and The Hundred citing Pakistan’s hectic international schedule.
The reports states that while the PCB had made its mind up over downgrading the contacts after a miserable year, it was Kirsten’s words that made the board reconsider their decision.
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