PCB New Contract Salaries: Who Earns What From July 2026
A Pakistan player in Track AB will earn close to PKR 6 crore a year before a single match fee is added. A player stuck in Track C, the T20 and league category, will earn under PKR 2 crore for the same twelve months. That gap, nearly four times, is the real story behind PCB’s new salary structure.
The numbers below come from Geo News and PCB sources, confirmed across multiple reports this week. The contracts run from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
Monthly Retainers by Track
| Track | Tier 1 (PKR/month) | Tier 2 (PKR/month) |
|---|---|---|
| Track AB (Test + ODI) | 4.8 million | 3.8 million |
| Track A (Test only) | 4.0 million | 3.6 million |
| Track BC (ODI + T20I) | 3.4 million | 2.6 million |
| Track C (T20I + league) | 2.6 million | 2.0 million |
| Track D (development) | 1.0 million | — |
Track AB sits at the top because it covers Pakistan’s most valuable players, those trusted across both Test and ODI cricket.
A Track AB tier 1 player can cross PKR 50 million annually from the retainer alone, before a single match fee lands in the account.
Match Fees: Track A vs Track AB
This is where the new system gets interesting. Two players can both play Test cricket and still earn different match fees depending on their track.
| Format | Track A Fee | Track AB Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Test | PKR 1.5 million | PKR 1.5 million |
| ODI | PKR 650,000 | Higher than Track A |
| T20I | PKR 450,000 | Higher than Track A |
Track AB players earn the same Test fee as Track A specialists but more for ODIs and T20Is. The logic is simple.
A player PCB trusts in three formats gets paid more across the board than a player trusted in only one.
For comparison, under the old 2025-26 system, a Test match fee sat at roughly PKR 1.25 million. The new Track A and AB fee of PKR 1.5 million is a real increase, not just a relabelling exercise.
What Changed From the Old System
Pakistan’s previous contract cycle, covering 2025-26, had three categories. Category B topped out at PKR 3 million a month with zero players in Category A. Category C earned PKR 2.5 million. Category D earned PKR 1.5 million.
The new system effectively splits the old Category B into two stronger tiers, Track AB and Track A, both paying more than the old top category did. Track BC and Track C roughly mirror where Categories C and D used to sit, with modest increases.
The headline change is not just more money. It is PCB finally paying Test specialists differently from white-ball specialists, something the old flat-category system never did.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility now has a hard floor. A player needs four Tests, six ODIs, or six T20Is in the preceding twelve months to be considered for Tracks AB, A, BC, or C. Track D, reserved for emerging players, does not carry this requirement.
This rule alone will exclude several players who held contracts under the old system but have not featured internationally in the past year.
The Names Behind the Numbers
PCB has not officially confirmed which player sits in which track. Based on recent national team involvement, the likely placements are not hard to guess.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, active in both Test and ODI cricket as captain in the 50-over format, fits Track AB. Shan Masood, leading the Test side, is the clearest Track A case PCB has assuming red-ball commitment is rewarded the way the structure suggests it should be.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan both absent from the T20I setup and with reduced ODI involvement, are harder to place. Neither fits neatly into the top tier the way they once did automatically.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has indicated player names and individual track allocations may not be made public this cycle, a break from how every previous contract list in PCB history has been handled.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will Pakistan’s top cricketers earn under the new PCB contracts? Players in Track AB, covering Test and ODI cricket, can earn close to PKR 6 crore annually through retainers and match fees combined under PCB’s new contract structure effective July 2026.
What is the difference between Track A and Track AB in PCB’s new system? Track A covers Test-only specialists while Track AB covers players active in both Test and ODI cricket. Both earn the same Test match fee of PKR 1.5 million, but Track AB players earn higher ODI and T20I match fees reflecting their wider format involvement.
Who is eligible for PCB’s new central contracts? Players need at least four Tests, six ODIs, or six T20Is in the preceding twelve months to qualify for Tracks AB, A, BC, or C. Track D for emerging players, does not require this minimum appearance criteria.
