PCB’s New Contract System: World First or Same Old Story?
Pakistan Cricket Board unveiled a five-track central contract framework on June 15, 2026, replacing the traditional A/B/C/D categories. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi called it a world-first structure in cricket. The same selection committee and coaching staff remain in place. No player names or financial figures were disclosed.
What PCB Actually Announced
| Track | Who It Covers |
|---|---|
| Track AB | Dual-format players (Test + ODI). PCB’s highest commitment tier. |
| Track A | Red-ball specialists only. Highest financial support, heaviest restrictions on franchise cricket. |
| Track BC | White-ball specialists (ODI + T20I). Replaces the old separate ODI category. |
| Track C | T20I and franchise specialists. Greater freedom to pursue leagues around national duties. |
| Track D | Development players from NCA and the domestic pathway. |
Three eligibility gates apply to every track: fitness assessment, mandatory domestic cricket participation and format-specific performance data.
Each track has two internal tiers. Players can be promoted or demoted within their track based on performance stats. PCB confirmed individual contract allocations and financial details will not be made public.
What Naqvi, Hesson and Aqib Actually Said
Naqvi on tournament failures:
“Overall, our performance in bilateral series has been satisfactory. But when it comes to tournaments, we tend to collapse. Before the T20 World Cup, we were playing good cricket, but once the tournament began, we fell apart. We acknowledge that we have performed poorly in tournaments and we are taking steps to fix it.”
Hesson on selection criteria:
“We are interested in players who win games for Pakistan. If you bat at number seven, you obviously will not score as many runs as the player at number three. But you can still have just as much impact. Those are the things we judge and value.”
Aqib Javed when asked how long improvement takes:
“It is very difficult to give a timeline in cricket. I cannot say that after six months Pakistan will never lose a match again. Cricket is one of the most difficult sports in which to achieve consistent improvement.”
Naqvi on transparency:
“The criteria has been set to place players in any category. I am confident the process will be transparent and not in the hands of individuals.”
The Part Nobody Else Is Writing
PCB called this a world-first structure. That claim is worth examining.
The five tracks are genuinely more format-specific than the old A/B/C/D system. Track A protecting Test specialists with higher pay and overseas first-class permissions is a real structural change. Track C giving franchise players formal recognition and easier NOCs is also new. The 85 percent data-driven selection framework, if implemented properly, removes some of the room for personal bias that has plagued Pakistan selection for years.
That is the case for the optimists.
Here is the case for the skeptics and it comes directly from the press conference itself.
PCB announced a world-first contract structure while confirming zero changes to the selection committee or coaching staff. The same officials who presided over Pakistan’s group-stage exits at the T20 World Cup 2024, ODI World Cup 2023 and Champions Trophy 2025 are still in their seats. Aqib Javed, when asked directly how long improvement would take, could not give an answer.
Naqvi acknowledged Pakistan collapses in tournaments without explaining what specifically caused the collapse beyond “reasons beyond just on-field performance.”
The database-driven selection sounds significant until you read the detail. Eighty-five percent data means the system shortlists players.
The final fifteen percent, the actual selection call, still sits with the same selectors. As one analyst on X pointed out, all selections were already made on data with an eye test added. What has changed is the label, not the decision-maker.
Pakistan has had four different head coaches, over two dozen selectors, and multiple captaincy reshuffles since 2021.
Each cycle brought a new framework, a new philosophy, and a press conference promising transparency. The players who fill these five new tracks will be decided by the same room that filled the old four categories.
Where Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen Fit Now
PCB did not announce individual allocations. Based on the track definitions, the likely placements read as follows.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, as Pakistan’s active ODI captain playing red and white-ball cricket, fits Track AB. Shan Masood, the Test captain, fits Track AB or Track A depending on whether PCB views him as a dual-format player going forward. Babar Azam’s placement is genuinely unclear.
He was moved to Category B under the old system. Under the new one, his absence from T20Is since late 2024 could place him in Track AB if the selectors see him as a Test and ODI player, or potentially Track A if they are formally closing the T20I door.
Mohammad Rizwan, not currently in any national squad, would logically sit in Track BC or Track C given his PSL captaincy and limited recent international involvement. Sahibzada Farhan, coming off 383 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026, fits Track BC at minimum and possibly Track AB if the selectors are serious about his captaincy candidacy.
PCB said none of this will be made public. Which means the transparency Naqvi promised exists inside a system where the outcomes remain invisible to the outside.
The One Change That Could Actually Matter
Track A’s Test cricket protections are the most structurally meaningful part of this announcement. The financial incentives for red-ball specialists, combined with overseas first-class permissions, address a real problem.
Pakistan’s Test cricketers have been financially disadvantaged compared to T20 franchise players for years. If Track A contracts genuinely pay more than Track C contracts, and if the domestic participation requirement is enforced with the same rigour for senior players as for uncapped ones, Pakistan’s red-ball pipeline could stabilise.
That is a meaningful structural intervention. The question is not whether the design is good. The design is reasonable. The question is whether the people implementing it will apply it consistently when a senior name fails the fitness test or skips the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
The next contract list, due from July 1, will answer that question more clearly than any press conference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Babar Azam get a top-tier contract under the new PCB system? PCB has not revealed individual track placements. If selectors still view Babar Azam as a Test and ODI player, he could fit into Track AB, the top tier. However, his absence from Pakistan’s recent white-ball plans makes Track A or even no contract possible. The July 2026 contract list should provide clarity.
What track will Mohammad Rizwan get in PCB’s new contract system? Mohammad Rizwan’s placement remains uncertain. Since he has not been a regular Test player recently, Track BC, which covers ODI and T20I specialists, appears more likely than Track AB. PCB has said individual track allocations will not be made public.
Why did PCB scrap the old A, B, C, D contract categories? PCB replaced the old system to evaluate players by format specialization rather than a single contract ladder. The new five-track structure separates Test, white-ball, franchise, and development players, allowing contracts to better reflect modern cricket roles.
Does the new PCB contract system mean players must play domestic cricket? Yes. PCB has made domestic cricket participation mandatory for central contract eligibility and national selection. Players must compete in relevant domestic tournaments for their format to remain eligible.
What happened to Shan Masood’s contract after he was placed in Category D? Shan Masood was placed in Category D in the 2025-26 contracts despite being Pakistan’s Test captain. Under the new system, Track A is designed for red-ball specialists, making it the most likely fit if PCB maintains its focus on Test cricket.
Source: PCB press conference, Lahore, June 15, 2026. ESPNcricinfo, Dawn, Pakistan Today.
