By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced a sweeping overhaul of its central contracts system, introducing a format-specific structure designed to safeguard Test cricket while accommodating the growing influence of franchise-based Twenty20 leagues.
The new framework, approved under the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, will replace the traditional A, B, C and D contract categories with a system that classifies players according to the formats they specialize in, marking a significant departure from the “one-size-fits-all” model used by most cricket boards.
The move comes as cricket’s landscape continues to evolve, with lucrative T20 competitions around the world reshaping player priorities and career paths.
Under the revised structure every centrally contracted player will be assigned to a specific format pathway, formally recognizing whether they are primarily red-ball, white-ball or multi-format cricketers. The system would establish clearer expectations, opportunities and rewards for players based on their chosen pathway.
“Our objective is to recognize the distinct demands of different formats and create a system that treats players fairly according to their specialization,” the PCB said in a media briefing.
The board has placed particular emphasis on protecting Test cricket, arguing that players dedicated to the longest format have fewer earning opportunities outside international cricket compared to their counterparts in franchise-based T20 competitions.
The new model introduces four principal contract tracks.
Track AB will serve as the premier category for players who form the backbone of Pakistan’s Test and One-Day International (ODI) teams.
Track A will be reserved for red-ball specialists focused exclusively on Test cricket.
Track BC will cover players specializing in white-ball cricket across ODIs and T20 Internationals. Track D will cater to T20 specialists, allowing greater flexibility to participate in domestic and overseas franchise leagues while fulfilling national team commitments.
A key feature of the framework is that players will be assessed only against others within their own track, rather than competing for advancement across formats with differing demands and opportunities. Each track will also contain two internal tiers. In what the PCB described as a landmark decision, Test specialists will, for the first time, be allowed to participate in leading first-class red-ball competitions overseas. The board said the measure was intended to expose players to higher-quality red-ball cricket and strengthen Pakistan’s Test team.
However, players in the red-ball pathway will remain restricted from participating in T20 franchise leagues.
The PCB said the reforms were aimed at addressing long-standing concerns that players excelling in shorter formats often benefited more from the previous contracts system than committed Test cricketers, while red-ball specialists had limited opportunities for advancement without performing in white-ball cricket.
Eligibility for central contracts will be determined through a three-stage process involving medical and fitness assessments, mandatory participation in domestic cricket and a detailed performance review.
The board said the new framework would make the contracts system more transparent and accountable by linking rewards directly to specialization, commitment and performance.
