Bureau Report
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 2020-21 contracts for 192 domestic players.
10 players have been awarded the A Plus category out of 192. The players comprise leading performers from the 2019-20 first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and players part of the national squad but without a central or emerging contract.
These players are Bilal Asif (Central Punjab), Fahim Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Imran Butt (Balochistan), Imran Khan Snr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Kashif Bhatti (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sohail Khan (Sindh) and Zafar Gohar (Central Punjab).
Pakistan men’s team head coach and chief selector selected players for the A Plus category. “I want to congratulate the 10 players for securing the newly-introduced A Plus category contracts, which is a reward for their efforts and hard work in the 2019-20 season that either earned them recognition in domestic cricket or places in the Pakistan men’s national team,” he said.
“I accept there will be a few players who will feel hard done but we could only pick a maximum of 10 players in this category. I want to assure every high-performing player that he will remain available for selection in the side and depending on how he performs in the 2020-21 season, will be in line for an increment next year,” he added.
Category A comprises 38 players, including 10 best performers from the last season or the ones who have previously represented Pakistan at the international level.
Category B includes 47 players who have played T20Is, are amongst the top 10 performers of the National T20 Cup (First XI) 2019-20, had a good first-class season in 2019-20, or have represented Pakistan Shaheens/Emerging since 2019.
Category C includes 71 players who either featured in PSL 2019 and 2020, were amongst the performers of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (First and Second XI) 2019-20 performers, top 10 performers of the Pakistan Cup 2018-19, best batsman/bowler of Patron’s Trophy Grade-II 2018-19 or have represented Pakistan in age-group cricket. Category D boasts all the other 26 players who are part of the six Cricket Association sides.
Director High Performance, Nadeem Khan said he has always believed and emphasized on criteria and performance-based contracts. He further explained the fragmentation of the categories.
“While setting up the criteria, we have also moved from a fixed slab retainer structure to a category-based retainer structure because I think it is fair on leading or experienced players to be treated and paid differently to a beginner or a starter. Furthermore, this is also consistent with how we offer central contracts to our elite cricketers.
“Through this model, we have also ensured we retain and protect our age-group cricketers, who in the past have dropped out either due to non-selection or non-recognition. These eight U19 cricketers who played in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 and 11 Emerging/Shaheen players will now remain part of the system and will get their opportunities to improve and move in an upward direction.
