Sarfaraz Ahmed to be demoted from category 'A' to 'C' in this year's PCB contract list

The last six months have been a difficult time for Sarfaraz Ahmed. He was sacked as the captain from the T20I and Test squad. Though, there has not been any announcement regarding his ODI spot. There have been rumours that T20I captain Babar Azam could also take over as the ODI captain.

The recent reports though suggest that the wicketkeeper-batsman could be demoted from ‘A’ category in annual contracts to category ‘C’. The official list will be announced by Pakistan Cricket Board in August. According to the details, the Board would also reduce the central contract retainers or match fees of the players. This could be called strange as all cricket matches have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2019, the PCB decided to omit many players from the list of centrally contracted players. The list had only 19 players been centrally contracted with the Board. In 2018, 32 players had received central contracts.

Hasan Ali could also lose his contract with PCB

Last year, Sarfaraz Ahmed was in the ‘A’ category alongside Babar Azam and Yasir Shah. When the list was announced last year, the Champions Trophy-winning skipper was still leading the national side in all three formats.

“Sarfaraz has been demoted to category C in the new contracts as he is presently not a member of the playing side,” a PCB source said as quoted by Times Now.

In November, right before Pakistan’s tour of Australia, the wicketkeeper-batsman was dropped from the squad for the T20Is and Tests. Azhar Ali was chosen as the Test skipper while Azam was handed over the reins of the T20I side.

The new list of contracted players is being finalised by a committee that includes PCB CEO, Wasim Khan, Director International Cricket Operations, Zakir Khan and the head coach and chief selector, Misbah-ul-Haq.

In the current contracts laid down by the PCB, the Test match fees are Rs 762,300 for Category A players, Rs 665,280 for Category B and Rs 568,260 for Category C players.

The sources have also revealed that Abid Ali might get promoted to Category B alongside his opening partner in Tests, Shan Masood. Fast bowler Hasan Ali could lose his contract.