PCB announces Pakistan central contract for 2019-20 season

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has put forth the list of central contracts for the 2019-20 season. The same will run from August 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, during which the men’s cricket team is scheduled to take part in six World Test Championship matches, three ODIs and nine T20Is. In the previous contract, there were 33 players, but that has now been brought down to 19.

The selections were made on the basis of players’ performances and fitness over the last 12 months. The formats the players are most likely to take part in were also taken into consideration before zeroing in on the final list. The likes of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, both of whom seem to be at the end of their careers, didn’t get a contract but would be available for selection.

The PCB has set high standards, says MD Wasim Khan

The 19 players have been divided into three categories. Players in Category A will be paid more than Rs 0.8 million per month while the salaries of Category B cricketers are nearly Rs 0.5 million. Rs 0.35 will be the monthly salary of Category C players.

“I want to congratulate all those who have been offered central contracts for the next season. We have significantly increased the financial value of the 2019-20 retainers across each category. This is over and above what had been agreed in the current agreement, which is due to run until 2021,” PCB Managing Director Wasim Khan was quoted as saying in Samaa TV.

“The PCB have set high standards and targets in its strategic plan for the upcoming season. We want to attach a high value to receiving a central contract. We have complete faith and confidence that these players will set-up and produce on-field performances that will help us collectively achieve our objectives and targets,” the MD mentioned.

Here are the categories

Category A – Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Yasir Shah.

Category B – Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Abbas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Wahab Riaz.

Category C – Abid Ali, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood and Usman Shinwari.