The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued 12-month central contracts to 25 players for the 2024-25 season, starting 1 July 2024.
This season’s contracts continue the three-year agreement set last year, designed to foster stability and support for Pakistan’s national players.
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Fresh Faces in the Contract List
This year, the PCB has focused on emerging talent, granting central contracts to five players for the first time.
These new additions—Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan—have been placed in Category D as part of PCB’s commitment to reward up-and-coming players.
Contract Categories
The centrally contracted players are divided into four categories, as listed below:
- Category A: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan
- Category B: Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood
- Category C: Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan
- Category D: Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Usman Khan
Notable Omissions
In a surprising development, experienced opener Fakhar Zaman did not receive a central contract this season.
His exclusion, along with other prominent players like Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Imam-ul-Haq, has raised questions within cricket circles. Speculation suggests that recent controversies and performance inconsistencies may have influenced these decisions.
