The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that it is introducing a new and unique structure by making significant changes to its players’ central contract system.
With the continuous development of world cricket, it was felt that judging Test and T20 Cricketers on the same scale is no longer realistic.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to take a leadership role in this changing situation and, abandoning the ‘one-year-move’ policy, has created a structure that clearly recognises, prioritizes and maintains the distinct identity, importance and needs of each format.
While most cricket boards around the world still place all players in the same division and employ a Test specialist against a T20 franchise player for the same grade, the Pakistan Cricket Board, under the chairmanship of Mohsin Naqvi, has decided to introduce a model that recognizes the different identities and priorities of each format.
The new system not only changed the pay scales but also answered the toughest question in modern cricket, how to keep Test cricket alive in the T20 era and how to do justice to cricketers of all formats?
The official identity of the cricket format
The most notable feature of the new framework is that the commitment to a specific format of cricket is now formal and structured.
Each player who takes a central contract will be bound by a specific format rule.
Some tracks will be based on red ball, ie test cricket, while others will focus on white ball or T20 cricket.
The path chosen by the player will determine what the Pakistan Cricket Board expects from him and what facilities and opportunities will be provided to him in return. This choice will have clear documentary and practical consequences.
Most importantly, the priority and non-priority of different formats is clearly defined in this context.
The test cricket was given special protection in the new system. As income opportunities are limited for Test cricketers outside of national duties, the central contract system has been designed to provide additional protection and benefits to players associated with Test cricket.
White ball and T20
Now there will be a clear and respectable path for professional short format cricketers. No format will remain unchanged. Each route will have its own needs and opportunities.
All formats are officially categorized and the priority system makes this framework unique globally.
Four grade to five track format
In the old system, players were divided into categories A, B, C and D that only reflect the level of compensation, but the new system has moved them into five different formats.
Track AB – Dual Format (Test and ODI)
Part of this format will be Pakistan’s famous players who are the backbone of the Test and ODI teams. This will be the main category of the board.
Track A – Red Ball Expert (Test Cricket)
Players who stick to this format will be fully booked for Test cricket. The purpose of this course is to maintain and develop Test Professionals.
Track BC – White Ball (One Day & T20 International)
This format will involve players who are experts in limited overs cricket.
Track D – T20 International Specialist and Franchise
This category will be for short format professional players who will have more freedom to play French cricket with national obligations.
All rules will be based on two basic principles. First, each player will only be compared to players in their lane, and second, each lane will have two entry levels where advancement or relegation is possible based on performance.
The Pakistan Cricket Board will not disclose the number or distribution of contracts per track.
A brilliant decision for the Test players
A feature of the new central contract system is that Pakistan’s Test cricket professionals will be allowed to play in the world’s first-class red-ball competition leagues for the first time. This permission will not be for short format but only for red ball cricket.
The purpose of this decision is to give Test cricketers experience in the toughest first-class environment in the world so that they can improve and represent Pakistan.
Franchise T20 leagues will remain closed for this group.
Why Pakistan Cricket Board introduced this system?
While answering this question, it is important to say that Pakistan operates in one of the largest critical markets in the world.
Pakistani players are popular in franchise leagues around the world and instead of fighting against this fact, the cricket board decided to create an effective system accordingly.
In fact, the old system of central contracts created two problems for Pakistani cricketers.
The first is that a player who performs well in the shorter format sometimes gets more leverage than a committed Test cricketer.
Secondly, there were limited opportunities for Test cricketers to develop without having developed in white-ball cricket.
The new system eliminates both these problems as each cricketer will only be compared to the cricketer of the form he is in.
The next question is how will the cricketers be able to get the central contract? For this, they have to go through a three-stage system.
Step 1: Medical and fitness test
Each player will undergo a comprehensive medical and fitness assessment. The goal is to protect the health and long career of the players.
Step II: Participation in domestic cricket
It will be mandatory for cricketers to actively participate in domestic cricket to get a central contract.
Step Three: Performance Evaluation
Each player’s performance will be closely monitored.
Accounting system
The cricket board’s new framework is designed to make central contracts more transparent than ever before. Players will be evaluated based on their commitment and performance and the board will be able to clearly justify any decision.
This framework will come into force from the 2026 contract cycle and will replace the previous system.
