Pakistan Cricket Board expands domestic contracts to 157 players for 2025–26 season
The Pakistan cricket team is currently playing a three-match T20I series against South Africa. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a major announcement regarding contracts. The Pakistan Cricket Board has made significant changes to player contracts for the 2025-26 domestic cricket season.
On October 30, the board announced that a total of 157 players will be awarded domestic contracts this season, 26 more than last season. This decision is considered a significant step towards strengthening domestic cricket in Pakistan and providing more opportunities to emerging players.
PCB announces major changes to domestic contracts for 2025–26 season
The PCB has also added a new category for players. Players are now divided into four categories: A, , C, and D. According to a board official, 30 players have been included in Category A, 55 in Category B, 51 in Category C, and 21 in Category D.
A board official stated that these contracts were awarded based on the players' performance in the previous season. Although the PCB has not disclosed the exact fees for this season, for the 2024–25 season, Category A players were paid a monthly salary of 550,000 Pakistani rupees, Category B players 400,000 Pakistani rupees, and Category C players 250,000 Pakistani rupees.
In addition, there is a provision for players to receive match fees. Contracted players also received match fees, which ranged from 200,000 Pakistani rupees for a four-day first-class match to 125,000 Pakistani rupees and 100,000 Pakistani rupees for List A and T20 matches.
It's worth noting that the PCB subsidizes most inter-regional competitions, but charges heavy participation fees from departmental teams for tournaments that are part of the domestic calendar. Domestic cricket in Pakistan has been in a bad state for several years. Consequently, the board is working to attract more players to play domestic cricket.
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