The uncertainty surrounding the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has led to a delay in the issuance of central contracts for the national cricketers. Today marks the expiration of the current contracts, but the players have not yet received new contract offers.
Sources indicate that the delay is due to the absence of a permanent chairman for the PCB. Currently, the day-to-day operations are being managed by Acting Chairman and Election Commissioner Ahmed Farooq Shehzad Rana. It is expected that several changes, including personnel and policy modifications, will take place within the PCB after the appointment of the new chairman.
There is a likelihood that the structure of the central contracts will be altered, with a potential consideration of a 25% increase in retainers. The PCB is also deliberating whether to continue awarding separate contracts based on white-ball and red-ball cricket.
As the contracts are renewed, some players are expected to be excluded from the centrally-contracted players list. Veteran batter Azhar Ali, who has retired, will not be included, and other players such as Fawad Alam, Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali, Khushdil Shah, Usman Qadir, and Zahid Mehmood may also lose their central contracts.
Earlier this week, the elections for the new PCB chairman were postponed due to a stay order issued by the Balochistan High Court. The elections, initially scheduled for June 27, have been halted until July 17. The court order came in response to a petition filed by Gul Mohammad Kakar, a former member of the PCB management committee, challenging the legitimacy of the chairman elections and calling for the suspension of the Board of Governors (BoG) until the court reaches a verdict.
Amidst these developments, the cricket community awaits further updates on the appointment of the new chairman and the subsequent issuance of the central contracts for the national cricketers.
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