BCB Removes A+ Category from Central Contracts, Finalizes 27 Players for 2026

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to remove the A+ category from the new men’s central contract list because there are very few players who play all three formats regularly. The BCB’s cricket operations committee has made a list of 27 players who may be included in the central contracts for 2026.

The contract list and the new salary structure is yet to be approved by the board but Cricbuzz has learnt that unlike the past, there won't be any A+ category in the upcoming central contract list. In 2025, BCB had decided to bring changes to the central contract structure as the board returned to the universal grading system by bracketing their players into five categories, A+, A, B, C and D, instead of Test, ODI and T20I categories that were in place earlier.

Mahmudullah, who was part of the central contract in 2025 until February, is not included in the new list because he has retired from all formats of cricket. All the other 21 players from the previous contract list have been included again in the new list. Apart from them, six more cricketers were also added to the list, Shamim Hossain Patwary, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hasan, Nayeem Hasan, Tanvir Islam, and Hasan Murad.

"We are not having any A+ category in the central contract this year," a BCB official, working closely with the development, confirmed to Cricbuzz on Saturday. "None of our cricketers are currently playing across all three formats regularly which was one of the prerequisites to get into the A+ bracket of the central contract We have prepared a list of 27 cricketers and now waiting for the final approval of the board," he said.

BCB Removes A+ Category, Announces New T20 Cup for 2026

The Bangladesh Cricket Board announced on Saturday that they will start a three-team tournament called the ODOMMO Bangladesh T20 Cup 2026 from February 5. The competition will feature some of the country’s best T20 players and is expected to be very exciting. This decision comes after Bangladeshi players were disappointed about not being able to play in the ICC T20 World Cup.The teams are - Dhumketu XI, which will be led by Bangladesh T20 captain Litton Das, Durbar XI, captained by Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Duronto XI, which has Akbar Ali as captain.

The BCB also said that the ODOMMO Bangladesh T20 Cup will feature a new Impact Player rule, which will add more strategy to the matches. The three group-stage games will be played on February 5, 6, and 7, and the final will take place on February 9. A BCB official added that they are looking to hold a fitness camp at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium from Sunday (February 1) ahead of the tournament.

Probable list: Taskin Ahmed, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Kumar Das, Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, Shadman Islam,Towhid Hridoy, Hasan Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Shamim Hossain Patwary, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hasan, Nayeem Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Murad.

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