Following Pakistan’s elimination from the T20 World Cup 2024, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a significant step. It has decided to reevaluate the central contracts of national players, as per sources. The poor performance of the team in the ongoing event has prompted this reassessment, with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi calling for a ‘major surgery’ in response to the disappointing outcome.
Late into the night, senior officials of the cricket board were engaged in discussions at their offices, weighing the team’s subpar performance and the implications for the central contracts. The stakes are high. Players with unsatisfactory performances are expected to face demotion in terms of their central contracts, with several others likely to lose their contracts altogether, according to the sources.
The news of Pakistan’s elimination from the T20 World Cup, failing to advance to the Super Eight stage after losses to the United States and India, has sent shockwaves. With the recent match between the US and Ireland being abandoned due to rain, the co-hosts gained one point, effectively dashing Pakistan’s hopes of progression in the tournament. As a result, the national team’s final league game against Ireland will serve as a mere formality before the squad returns home.
This disappointing outcome marks the third instance in the tournament’s history in which Pakistan has been unable to progress beyond the league round. Previous reports suggest that the board is considering significant changes in the team, with certain players, including Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, and Usman Khan, likely to face challenges in maintaining their positions in the national side’s future.
Additionally, sources also disclosed that a trio of players from the Pakistan team were allegedly pressuring PCB officials, purportedly at the behest of the players’ manager, who represents all three of them. It was reported that the players’ manager had pressured the board for substantial remuneration increases in the players’ central contracts.
Notably, these players had reportedly pressured former PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf to secure a three-year central contract last year, which came into effect on July 1 and included increased remunerations. Since then, Pakistan’s performances in international tournaments, including the Asia Cup 2023, ODI World Cup 2023, and the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, have been underwhelming. Moreover, the national side faced setbacks in their tours of Australia and New Zealand.
In light of these developments, the PCB will now deliberate on the future remuneration packages of the players, considering their recent performances and the need for a revamped approach moving forward.
