Only male players who have played four Tests, six ODIs, or six T20Is in the preceding 12 months will be eligible for contracts in the PCB's overhauled central contract structure, which they unveiled earlier this week, and which will run from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The criterion has been put in place to ensure that the contracts are only awarded to the players who have been active in international cricket. However, it applies only to the four senior tracks - AB, A, BC, and C - and not for D, a category for emerging cricketers.
The PCB has overhauled its central contract structure, with the players now awarded contracts based on the formats they specialise in. The board has created five categories, referred to as tracks. Track AB will comprise players deemed valuable in both Tests and ODIs, while A will include Test specialists. Tracks BC and C will feature white-ball cricketers (ODIs and T20Is) and T20 specialists, respectively.
Each of these four tracks will have two tiers. The tiers determine the remuneration, but the international and domestic cricket requirements, and NOC eligibility benchmarks for leagues around the world, remain the same for players in either tier of a given track.
Senior PCB officials - including PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, and director academies Aaqib Javed - held a press conference on Monday to unveil the new contract structure. They also conducted a workshop with the players later that day to brief them on the new developments.
The PCB stated that the the restructuring was aimed at enhancing transparency in communication between the board and the players, while also ensuring that the players understood what was expected of them. The board also pointed out that these contracts looked after the financial wellbeing of the players who dedicate themselves to red-ball cricket.
ESPNcricinfo understands that in the new structure a player in the top tier of track A, which includes only Test players, will earn PKR 4 million a month, while those in the second tier will receive PKR 3.6 million. The monthly salaries of tier 1 and 2 players in track AB will be PKR 4.8 million and PKR 3.8 million respectively. Those in track BC will earn PKR 3.4 million and PKR 2.6 million, while the T20 specialists will earn PKR 2.6 million and PKR 2 million per month. The pathway cricketers in track D will earn PKR 1 million per month.
Though this framework limits players to specific formats, the selectors can still pick them for any format. A Test specialist in track A will earn PKR 1.5 million per Test in match fees, PKR 650,000 for an ODI, and PKR 450,000 for a T20I. Players in track AB will also get PKR 1.5 million per Test in match fees, but their ODI and T20I match fees are higher than players in track A, at PKR 750,000 and PKR 500,000 respectively.
Players in track BC will also earn PKR 750,000 and PKR 500,000 for each ODI and T20I respectively, though their match fee for a Test will be PKR 900,000. Those in track C, which is for T20 specialists, will earn PKR 500,000 in match fees for each T20I and ODI and PKR 700,000 for a Test, should they be selected.
Compared to the last slab-based structure, which runs until the end of this month, the monthly retainer for the AB track is around PKR1.8 million less than the former top-tier category A contract. The PCB, however, did not award any player the highest category A contract in the current contract cycle.
The format of the new structure means a like-for-like comparison with the previous structure can't be made, but monthly retainers for categories B, C, and D previously stood at approximately PKR 4.5 million, PKR 2 million and PKR 1.3 million respectively. The match fees were identical across all categories - PKR 1.25 million for Tests, PKR 650,000 for ODIs, and PKR 420,000 for T20Is.
There is also a provision for performance-based bonuses in the new structure, with wins against higher ranked teams attracting greater rewards. The ICC tournament wins carry particularly lucrative incentives. Pakistan have not lifted an ICC trophy since the 2017 Champions Trophy, but a victory in an ICC event under this structure will be rewarded with a bonus worth 500 percent of a player's match fee.
No NOC cap for T20 specialists
Under the new contract system, the PCB has removed the cap on the number of overseas leagues players in track C can participate in. This is reflected in their monthly retainers, a lower value than any of the other primary categories, with the understanding that they can supplement their earnings through franchise leagues.
Players in track AB are allowed to participate in one overseas T20 league in a contract cycle while those in BC may play in two (in addition to the PSL). Test specialists will not be permitted to play in any white-ball leagues (other than the PSL), but may take part in red-ball competitions in leading cricket nations. They will have to undergo mandatory fitness checks to obtain the NOCs and all of the centrally contracted players are expected to remain fully available for the PSL.
Eligible for contracts
Only players who have played four Tests, six ODIs, or six T20Is in the previous 12 months are eligible for the contracts, but they are required to go through a three-step model. They will have to clear a medical and fitness assessment in the first stage, maintain a certain level of participation in domestic cricket in the second, and a minimum performance score in the third. ESPNcricinfo understands that the board will determine each player's track. Clear medical and fitness standards have also been set, with players undergoing screening every four months.
Players in track AB need to play a minimum of four first-class and four List A matches, while track A players are required to have played in at least six first-class games over a 12-month period. Similar benchmarks have been set for white-ball and T20 specialists, with players required to make themselves fully available for the formats in which they are contracted. These will include matches played in overseas T20 leagues and first-class tournaments.
The assessment of the selection panel will carry only 15 percent weightage when the contracts are reviewed annually. The remaininf 85 percent of a player's performance score will be determined by performances in international and domestic cricket, and the fitness standards they maintain.