PCB downgrades Shaheen Afridi, axes others in latest central contract list

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday issued 12-month central contracts to 25 players, wherein it downgraded star pacer Shaheen Afridi and axed several other players by not awarding them any contracts altogether.

The development comes as the PCB, back in July, announced going back to its old model of granting a one-year central contract to the national side's players — conditional to their performance.

The board had also decided that players' fitness would be checked every three months and that it would be mandatory for the athletes to participate in domestic cricket.

In its latest central contract list, the PCB has placed Shaheen in Category B whereas he was previously placed in Category A. Furthermore, Fakhar Zaman — who was in Category B —  has not been awarded a central contract altogether.

With Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan being the only two players in Category A, the players who have missed out on central contracts include former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Ihsanullah, Shahnawaz Dahani and others.

Pakistan's Test skipper Shan Masood has been placed in Category B. However, his inclusion in the said category is subject to captaincy.

Meanwhile, Shaheen's demotion comes after he and Babar were "rested" for the second and third Test in the recently concluded three-match home series against England.

Both players were part of the first Test which the Green Shirts lost and were later excluded from the squad from the remaining matches.

Furthermore, several emerging cricketers have been awarded central contracts for the first time which include Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Usman Khan.

It is to be noted that the the existing three-year central contracts were awarded last year and came into effect from July 1, 2023.

On the issue of those players excluded from the list altogether, sources say that Fakhar, Imam and Osama failed their initial fitness tests and will undergo them once again in the coming days.

The trio's inclusion, the sources added, in the central contract will be reviewed after the fitness test.

They also noted that no player has opted out of taking the central contract.

Central contracts

Category A: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan

Category B: Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood

Category C: Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan

Category D: Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Usman Khan