Changes in central contracts likely

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in the process of finalising central contracts for players for the 2023-24 season. The current central contracts are set to expire on June 30, and the PCB is consulting with captain Babar Azam and other senior cricketers in order to make decisions regarding the new contracts. According to sources, there are expected to be several changes in the central contracts. The PCB is also discussing whether to continue awarding separate contracts based on white-ball and red-ball cricket. Veteran batsman Azhar Ali will be excluded from the centrally-contracted players list due to his retirement. Additionally, players such as Fawad Alam, Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali, Khushdil Shah, Usman Qadir, and Zahid Mehmood are likely to lose their central contracts. On the other hand, players like Iftikhar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Ihsanullah, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan could potentially be included in the centrally-contracted players list. There is also speculation that pacers Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah could be promoted. PCB men's central contracts list for 2022-23

Red and white-ball contracts (5):

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Category A), Hasan Ali (red-ball Category B, white-ball Category C) and Imam-ul-Haq (red-ball Category C, white-ball Category B)

Red ball contracts (10):

Category A – Azhar Ali

Category B – Fawad Alam

Category C – Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah and Nauman Ali

Category D – Abid Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Yasir Shah

White-ball contracts (11):

Category A – Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan

Category B – Haris Rauf

Category C – Mohammad Nawaz

Category D - Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mehmood.