The Pakistan Cricket Board is considering a break from its established practice of publicly announcing its centrally contracted players as it works to implement a new format-based payment and categorisation system for 2026-27, according to a report by PTI.
A final decision has yet to be made on whether the names will be released. The uncertainty comes after the period in which the PCB would ordinarily have announced its central contract list, with the board typically making the information public by the first week of August.
PCB considers keeping contract list internal
The possibility of withholding the names would represent a notable change in how the PCB communicates one of its most important arrangements with Pakistan’s leading male cricketers.
A reliable source told PTI: “The thinking is that it is not necessary to announce the players who are to be given these new contracts, as it is an internal matter of the board.”
Pakistan ODI Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi was asked about the central contracts during a media interaction in Multan on Monday but said he was unaware of the situation.
The uncertainty over publication of the list comes as the PCB moves away from its previous contracting system and works through the practicalities of placing players into a system built around individual formats.
New contracts introduce format-based eligibility
The PCB has already confirmed that its 2026-27 central contracts will operate on a format-specific basis, changing how players qualify and are categorised within the system.
Under the eligibility criteria, a male cricketer must have appeared in at least four Tests, six ODIs or six T20Is during the preceding 12 months to qualify for a contract.
The new framework has also created challenges around determining the appropriate categories for individual players. With contracts now being structured by format, the PCB is still working through how eligible cricketers should be assigned within the revised system.
Central contracts ordinarily operate across the PCB’s annual contract cycle, while the identities and categories of contracted players have traditionally been made public. Whether that transparency continues under the new model remains undecided.
Contract overhaul leaves key decision unresolved
The shift to format-based contracts represents a significant change in the PCB’s relationship with its centrally contracted male players, linking eligibility more directly to recent appearances across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
But alongside implementing the new payment and categorisation structure, the board now has a separate decision to make over how much of that framework it will disclose publicly.
With the usual early-August announcement window having passed, the PCB has yet to confirm whether the 2026-27 list of centrally contracted players and their respective categories will be unveiled publicly or remain an internal matter.
