Pakistan Set For Major Central Contracts Shake-Up; Two Veterans Facing Axe: Report

The PCB is still to decide on retaining the experienced players in the contracts.© AFP

Pakistan's all format head coach Mike Hesson has recommended a clutch of young players to be considered for the PCB's central contracts for the 2026-27 season. According to a well-informed board sources, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Hasan Nawaz, Akif Javed, Ali Reza, Ahsan Daniyal, Sufiyan Muqeem, Maaz Sadaqat, Razaullah, Azan Avais, Imran Randhawa, Abdullah Fazal and Ghazi Ghori will all be included in the new central contracts. Besides these young players, the board is still to decide on retaining the experienced players in the contracts.

“Expect a few of the experienced seniors to be dropped from the central contracts list this year,” the source said.

He said senior players Muhammad Rizwan and Imam ul Haq will not be given central contracts.

The official said Hesson has been emphasising on adherence to fitness, ability to execute coaches' plans, the interest to improve skill levels and attitude in the dressing room to build solid squads across Test, ODI and T20I formats.

“Hesson is keen that the youngsters who have shown potential and the ability to bring value to the dressing room and team must be rewarded and encouraged with good central contracts,” the source added.

Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sahabzada Farhan, who lead Pakistan in the three formats, along with Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub are also set to be retained in the contracts.

But some of them could be restricted to red or white ball formats.

The PCB has delayed announcing the new central contracts as the old contracts expired on July 31.

But the source said the delay was to assess the performance of players in the ongoing international and domestic events before deciding on the players who deserve to be given contracts.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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