The Pakistan Cricket Board made the decision on Monday to shorten the duration of its central contracts from three years to one, but without reducing payment to its players. The meeting in Lahore, chaired by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, also included Pakistan’s new red-ball coach Jason Gillespie, white-ball coach Gary Kirsten, selectors Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, and other senior officials. This decision came after the national team’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup, where Pakistan failed to advance to the Super Eight stage after losses to India and the USA.
According to a board official, the central contracts will now be revised into 12-month contracts, with player fitness, behavior, and form being assessed every year. Last year, the players had an agreement with the former PCB chairman for three-year contracts with no changes in financial terms.
The PCB has now made it compulsory for all centrally and domestically contracted players to undergo fitness tests every three months, overseen by the two head coaches. Additionally, stringent guidelines will be followed for player applications seeking NOCs to play in foreign leagues to ensure their fitness and availability for the national team.
During the meeting, it was unanimously agreed to have zero tolerance for disciplinary issues and strict penalties for players forming groups, in order to maintain team unity. Plans are also in place to enhance high-performance centers across the country and establish new centers in Islamabad and Peshawar, with Gillespie and Kirsten supervising these initiatives.
