Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released the list of 33 centrally-contracted players for 2018-19 season and has left out batsman Ahmed Shehzad from the list. PCB had earlier provisionally suspended Shezad for failing a dope test. Additionally, the board has introduced a new category ‘E’.
“The financial year 2017-18 marked the conclusion of a three-year financial formula agreed between the PCB and its players. In concert with players’ representatives, captain Sarfraz Ahmed and senior player Shoaib Malik, the PCB is pleased to inform that it has reached a fresh three-year financial remuneration agreement with its players,” read the PCB press release.
The new category E has been brought in “to recognise performers on the domestic circuit as well as to encourage the continuing development of emerging cricketers from the junior cricket level”, said the board in a release.
Captain Sarfraz Ahmed along with Shoaib Malik, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Amir have been included in Category ‘A’ while Mohammad Hafeez and opener Fakhar Zaman who recently etched his name in the record books after becoming first Pakistan batsman to score a double ton in ODIs are in Category ‘B’.
Zaman’s opening partner Imam-ul-Haq is placed in category ‘C’ with Wahab Riaz and Imad Wasim the other popular names in that bracket. It has not been revealed how much renumeration each category will be paid by the PCB.
Central contracts list:
Category ‘A’: Azhar Ali, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir
Category ‘B’: Mohammad Hafeez, Faheem Ashraf, Asad Shafiq, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan
Category ‘C’: Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan, Shan Masood, Imad Wasim
Category ‘D’: Rumman Raees, Asif Ali, Rahat Ali, Usman Salahuddin, Hussain Talat
Category ‘E’: Bilal Asif, Saad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Sahibzada Farhan, Umaid Asif, Mir Hamza
