Pakistan Cricket Board to Revamp Central Contracts for 2026-27

Islamabad. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is preparing to make big and historic changes in the upcoming 2026-27 central contract cycle. Under the new format-based contract system, the match fee for players playing Test cricket will be more than doubled. Under this, the per-match fee for players in the red-ball or Test cricket 'Track-A' is likely to be increased from Pakistani Rupees 1.5 million to approximately 4 million. According to the PCB, if the Pakistan team wins any ICC tournament, players will be given an additional bonus of 500 percent of the match fee. Similarly, a proposal has been made to give a 300 percent bonus for winning continental level tournaments like the Asia Cup. The PCB has decided to implement a format-based central contract for the first time. Earlier, players were placed in categories A, B, C, and D, but now they will be classified separately on different tracks based on their game format. 'Track-A' will include Test players, while 'Track-B' will include players playing One Day (ODI) and T20 international cricket. Similarly, players who primarily play T20 and franchise cricket will be placed in 'Track-C'. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that this new contract system has been prepared keeping in mind the needs of modern cricket. This system will benefit players who play both Test and white-ball formats the most, as they will be included in both Track-A and Track-B. Such players will receive a retainer fee of approximately Pakistani Rupees 4.8 to 5 million per month in addition to match fees. ODI and T20 players who are only included in Track-B will receive 1.8 million per month, and Track-C players are likely to receive 1.2 to 1.5 million Pakistani Rupees. However, the PCB has not yet clarified how many players will be given contracts under this system. The PCB is also discussing not making public the names of the players who will receive contracts this time and their grades. If such a decision is made, it will be the first such incident in the history of Pakistan cricket, but no official announcement has been made in this regard yet. Chairman Naqvi informed that all players will be required to play domestic cricket to get a contract. The player's contract and grade determination will be based solely on their performance and fitness level. To make the team selection process transparent and excellent, a policy has been made to give 85 percent importance to data analysis and only 15 percent to the recommendations of the selectors. The PCB is preparing to add 3 to 4 more international players to the advisory panel to increase the role of former players in cricket matters. Currently, former captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed are in this group, while Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez are also being considered as potential advisors. Meanwhile, former captain of the Pakistan women's cricket team, Nida Dar, has announced her return to cricket after a break of almost a year. Nida, 39, had taken an indefinite break from cricket in April 2025, citing mental health reasons. Nida, who has played 112 ODIs and 160 T20 internationals for Pakistan, said on social media that she is now available for the team and ready to give her best performance as needed. She last played in the Women's T20 World Cup in 2024 and was later excluded from the central contract. Although she was made captain after the 2023 World Cup, Fatima Sana was handed the captaincy in her place before the 2024 World Cup.