As a result of an extension in the transition period, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has extended players’ central contracts for one month, leaving the future recipients up to the new administration.

Except for Azhar Ali, who has retired from international cricket, all others who received contracts almost a year ago will receive one-month extensions, meaning their contracts will now expire on August 1 instead of July 1.

The PCB introduced separate red-ball and white-ball contracts last year, and four more players were added to the Emerging Category. This means 33 players, 13 more than last season, signed one-year contracts. A one-month extension will now be granted to 32 crickets after Azhar Ali’s omission.

Both red-ball and white-ball contracts were awarded to Pakistan’s all-format cricket captain Babar Azam, along with Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Red-ball contracts are held by nine players. In the past year, 11 white-ball contracts were awarded to limited-over specialists.

In 2021-22, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan were in Category B, while Haris Rauf was promoted to Category B. Mohammad Nawaz was retained in Category C.

In addition to Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Zahid Mehmood were promoted from Emerging to Category D last year.

As part of its strategy to encourage, develop and incentivize up-and-coming domestic performers, the PCB increased the number of players from three to seven in the Emerging Category. The players in the Emerging Category are Ali Usman, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Huraira, Qasim Akram and Salman Ali Agha.

(5) Red-Ball and White-Ball Contracts:

Azam, Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi are all in Category A, Hasan Ali is in Red Ball Category B, while Imam-ul-Haq is in White Ball Category C.

(9) Red Ball Contracts:

Fawad Alam is in Category B

Nauman Ali, Naseem Shah, and Abdullah Shafique are in category C

Abid Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Yasir Shah fall under category D

Contracts made under the table (11):

The first category consists of Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan

Haris Rauf falls under Category B

Mohammad Nawaz is in Category C

We have Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir, and Zahid Mehmood in category D.

(7) Emerging Contracts:

There are four from Southern Punjab: Ali Usman, Haseebullah from Balochistan, Kamran Ghulam from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Haris from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Huraira from Northern Punjab, Qasim Akram from Central Punjab, and Salman Ali Agha from Southern Punjab.