16/06/2026
PCB’s new central contract structure as I have understood.
There is now a massive incentive for players who excel in Test cricket. The top tier in the AB category (for players who specialize in Tests and ODIs) has a monthly retainer of 48 lakh PKR, which amounts to 5.7 crore (or nearly 200,000 USD) a year. That is the retainer alone and does not include match fees.
Test match fee is 15 lakh and ODI fee is 7.5 lakh. A top player who is available for Tests and ODIs can roughly take home about 8 crore a year. That’s also the amount a white-ball specialist would have made in the previous years. Pertinent to mention here that the AB player will also play in PSL and will be allowed to play in one overseas league per year.
A player who specializes in Tests and ODIs can make around 15 crore PKR (which is more than half a million USD) a year from their retainer + match fees + PSL + one overseas league.
An AB category player will also be eligible to play T20Is if selected. So, the rumours that someone like Babar Azam, if he wants to specialize in Tests and ODIs, will not be considered for T20Is are completely false.
Although the future of Tests in countries outside of Australia, England and India remains debatable, Pakistan is putting its best efforts to save Test cricket by making it lucrative. Pakistan have some important tours coming up (twice to England and once to Australia) in the next year and a half.
Currently, T20 cricket is more lucrative in Pakistan, but in the new model, if a player knows he can make half a million USD by specializing in Tests and be in the category of players who are going to play in the 2027 Cricket World Cup, he is likely to prioritize the other formats too.
PCB has also incentivized domestic cricket for those who specialize in the longer formats. A top-tier category player will receive a 7.5 lakh PKR match fee for playing a single first-class match. Additionally, there is a 500% match fee bonus for winning an ICC tournament and a 300% bonus for winning an ACC tournament.
There were some posts on social media asking, "What if a player is picked for white-ball cricket. Can he not play Test cricket?" The simple answer is he can. If a player chooses to be a white-ball specialist (ODIs and T20Is), he will still be eligible to play Test cricket if Pakistan needs him.
There is also a category that allows a player to be a T20I and franchise cricket specialist with unlimited NOCs for overseas leagues. However, such players must play at least 10 T20 games in Pakistan and will have a reduced monthly retainer compared to AB category, which specializes in Tests and ODIs. But NOCs are also conditioned with medical NOCs meaning a player must clear certain physical tests before featuring an overseas league.
One of the best things in the new model is there is also a category for budding cricketers with a monthly retainer of 10 lakh rupees. Such players will be part of PCB’s development programs, able to use NCA facilities and will be considered for A team tours.
