Pakistan Cricket Team’s |Central Contracts| Face Further Delay

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has postponed the announcement of central contracts for the 2026-27 season following the national team's underwhelming performance on their recent tour of England. The contracts will commence from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. Initially, the PCB had prepared a preliminary list of 30 cricketers but the disappointing results in England have halted the process.

Players Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood may face demotion, and the officials might revise the initial list before finalizing the contracts. The preliminary list was created using a software developed by an American company which evaluated the players based on their domestic and international performances across all formats. The selectors also used a 15-point framework to assess each player's current form, past performances, and future prospects.

Players scoring between 50 and 60 points are eligible for central contracts. The proposal also includes restrictions on participation in overseas leagues for Test players, who will not receive NOCs for overseas leagues, although they can participate in red-ball county cricket and other cricket forms. Other category players will face varying restrictions, while Category C players will have more freedom to participate in foreign leagues. The PCB has yet to announce the final categories and contracts.