Several Pakistan cricketers want to be placed in Category C of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) new central contracts, as the category comes with no restrictions on playing in overseas leagues.
According to a report by Saleem Khaliq, citing sources, these players have assured the authorities that they will remain available to represent Pakistan in any format whenever required, even as they seek greater freedom to play abroad.
What Category C Offers
Under the proposed system, Test players will not be granted no-objection certificates (NOCs) for overseas leagues, although they will be allowed to play red-ball county cricket and other forms of the game. Players in other categories will be allowed to play only a limited number of overseas leagues, while Category C players will face no such restrictions.
The PCB’s new framework describes Track C as a category for dedicated short-format players, with the greatest freedom to pursue franchise cricket around their national commitments.
T20 specialists will receive a monthly retainer of Rs. 2.6 million or Rs. 2 million, depending on their tier. Category C players will earn Rs. 500,000 per ODI or T20 International, and Rs. 700,000 per Test if selected. Here is how much players in each category could earn under the proposed contracts.
Leagues Offer Far Bigger Paydays
The highest monthly retainer under the proposed contracts is Rs. 4.8 million, or Rs. 57.6 million a year. Including match fees and other payments, a leading player could earn Rs. 80 million to Rs. 90 million annually.
Franchise cricket can pay much more. Saim Ayub reportedly earned Rs. 126 million in a single Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, while players taking part in overseas leagues could earn more than Rs. 200 million to Rs. 220 million a year.
This means limits on foreign leagues could cost players heavily, which is one reason several cricketers want to move into Category C. However, the final decision rests with the PCB.
Contracts Still Not Announced
The new central contracts will cover the period from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, but they have yet to be announced. The process stalled after Pakistan’s poor showing on the tour of England, which ended in a whitewash.
Changes to the preliminary list of 30 players are likely, with Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood reportedly at greater risk of being dropped.
Players in the senior categories A, AB, BC, and C must play at least four Tests, six ODIs, or six T20 Internationals in a year. Category D, reserved for emerging cricketers, is exempt from this requirement. All players must also take part in domestic cricket in their respective formats.
Via: Express Tribune
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