PCB overhauls central contracts system, introduces five format tracks

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday overhauled its central contracts system, moving away from a single grading structure and replacing it with five separate format tracks designed to recognise the distinct demands of each form of the game.

Under the previous system, players were divided into A, B, C and D categories, which only reflected pay levels.

The new framework introduces five tracks based on format specialisation, meaning players will no longer be compared across formats but only against cricketers on the same track.

The five tracks are as follows:

Track AB covers dual-format players who feature in both Test and ODI cricket and represents the board’s top tier.

Track A is for red-ball specialists fully committed to Test cricket.

Track BC is for white-ball players who feature in ODIs and T20 Internationals.

Track D is for T20 and franchise specialists who will have greater freedom to play franchise cricket alongside national duties.

Each track carries two internal tiers, allowing players to move up or down based on performance. The PCB said that it will not publicly disclose the number of contracts available in each track.

One of the more significant announcements is that Test specialists will, for the first time, be allowed to take part in major first-class red-ball leagues abroad.

The permission covers red-ball cricket only. Franchise T20 leagues will remain off limits for players on the Test track.

To qualify for a central contract, players must clear a three-stage process. The first stage is a medical and fitness assessment. The second requires active participation in domestic cricket. The third is a performance review.

PCB said that the old system created an imbalance where players performing well in short formats sometimes gained more benefits than committed Test cricketers, and that Test specialists had limited room to advance without strong white-ball numbers. The new structure aims to fix both problems by keeping each player’s evaluation within their own format track.

The new framework takes effect from the 2026 contract cycle.