PCB excludes star players from 2024-25 central contracts

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a central contract for 25 national players, but many important players failed to get the contract.

PCB has offered central contracts to 25 national players, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, in the A category, while Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have been placed in the B category.

Apart from this, the players who have been offered a central contract include Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha and Shan Masood. Sajid Khan, who bowled brilliantly in the Test series against England, has also been offered a C category, while Noman Ali’s offer of central contract is subject to fitness.

However, some important players have failed to get the national central contract this time.

All-rounder Muhammad Nawaz, former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and all-rounder Imad Wasim did not get the central contracts. Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed and Ehsanullah have also been dropped from the central contracts.

Apart from this, Tayyab Tahir, Shahnawaz Dhani, Mohammad Haris and Zaman Khan have also lost their contract. Arshad Iqbal, Hasan Ali, Osama Mir, Fakhar Zaman and Imamul Haq also could not get the contract.

The fitness tests of Fakhar Zaman, Imamul Haq, and Usama Mir will be retaken in a few days. Three players are not in the central contract after failing the initial fitness test, the inclusion of the three players in the contract will be reviewed after the fitness test.

Sources say that till now, there is no such player who has refused to take the central contract.