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They did not play enough first-class matches.
BY Mahnoor | 22-06-2026
KARACHI: Some famous cricket players might lose their official contracts because they are not playing in local first-class matches.
Aaqib Javed, a PCB director, said that players were always required to play these matches, but the rule was not strictly followed before.
He stressed that everyone must respect the system. A player’s contract will be paused until they either play local matches or get medical approval.
They won’t be paid during this time, but they will receive all unpaid money once they meet the requirements.
It is important to mention that Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi haven’t played enough first-class matches lately.
Aaqib Javed stated that contracts won’t be given just because players are famous or experienced. Instead, players will be chosen based on their stats, how much they help the team, and their fitness.
He said that under contract A, Test specialists will be judged only on their Test match skills.
This group will include 6 to 8 top players, and they must play at least 6 first-class matches.
Players get PKR 1.5 million for each Test match and PKR 750,000 for domestic first-class matches. They cannot play in leagues.
Top players will be in Tier 1, and others in Tier 2. Players participating in both Tests and ODIs will be in the high-paying A/B category, which also has two tiers.
These players must play at least 4 first-class and 4 one-day domestic matches. For these games, they will earn half of their international match fee. They can join one league each year.
Players in ODIs and T20s will get a B or C contract, split into Tier 1 and Tier 2. They must play at least 2 first-class, 4 one-day, and 6 T20 matches per season. They can join two leagues each year.
Category C will have a small number of T20 specialists. They will get the lowest pay but can play in any league they want, as long as it does not clash with their national team duties.
Aaqib Javed said Category D is the most important. This group will have 16 to 20 young, rising players who will each receive a monthly salary of PKR 1 million.
Talking about Shaheen Afridi’s Test cricket future, Aaqib Javed said: You can’t play T20s all year and then suddenly bowl long spells in Test matches when you usually only bowl 4 overs. We should pick players who regularly play four-day matches and actually want to play that format.
Who is the Captain
Aaqib Javed stated that after the selectors meet, they will send their choice for national captain to the chairman for final approval. No decision has been made about the Test captain yet, but one will be made soon.
Regarding Salman Ali Agha leading in T20s, Javed noted that roles change quickly in modern cricket. He explained that T20s require a different strategy and several options are being considered. He added that a good captain must lead by performing well. Discussions are still happening.
Aaqib Javed said Babar Azam’s place in T20 cricket depends on what other options are available. He noted that young players are getting chances, like in the Asian Games team, and said tough choices are needed to get better.
He concluded that people will judge whether decisions were made to improve the team or just to favor certain players.
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