PCB unveils new framework for awarding central contracts from next fiscal year

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a revamped central contract system set to take effect from July 1, 2026. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi unveiled the new framework, which introduces five player categories: Track AB for dual-format players, Track A for Test specialists, Track BC for white-ball specialists, Track C for T20 franchise players, and Track D for developing talent.

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Pakistan’s premier multi-format cricketers, the players who carry both the Test and ODI sides. This is the board’s highest commitment tier. The board does not regard an AB cricketer as a short-format player. That call is only made when selection options require it, never as a default.

This new structure aims to provide clearer distinctions and recognition for players based on their format specialization. Track AB is designated for premier multi-format cricketers, while Track A focuses on dedicated Test players. Track BC will encompass most white-ball cricketers involved in ODIs and T20Is, and Track C formally acknowledges T20 specialists with greater flexibility for franchise cricket.

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The dedicated Test cricketers. This track exists to recognise and protect players who devote themselves to the longest format, and it carries permissions designed to keep them playing red-ball cricket at the highest level.

The PCB emphasized two core principles: players will be assessed only against others in the same track, and each senior track will feature two internal tiers. This allows for performance-based movement within a player's designated format, without necessitating a change in their primary playing style. The Development Track (Track D) signifies an investment in emerging talent through the National Cricket Academy and high-performance systems.

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The core white-ball track for players whose value to Pakistan lies across the limited-overs formats. This is where most white-ball cricketers will sit, and it absorbs what used to be a separate ODI category.