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Following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly planning significant measures that could result in players losing their central contracts.
Led by Babar Azam, Pakistan entered the tournament as strong contenders but failed to advance past the group stage after losing two out of their four matches. Despite victories over Canada and Ireland, defeats to USA and India dashed their hopes of progressing to the Super 8s.
This setback adds to Pakistan’s recent struggles in international cricket, reflecting ongoing challenges on the field. Last year, the PCB overhauled its leadership and coaching staff after Pakistan’s early exit from the ODI World Cup. Although Babar Azam resumed captaincy duties after initially stepping down, the team has not seen the desired improvements.
Now, in response to the T20 World Cup performance, the PCB is considering actions against the players, including potential revisions to the central contracts originally issued under former Chairman Zaka Ashraf. These contracts typically span three years, and players may face demotions or contract terminations as part of the board’s review. According to reports from PTI, these decisions aim to address the team’s recent underperformance and initiate necessary changes.
“Most likely players, who have central contracts, will be demoted or even dropped because of poor performances and other perks awarded to the players will be looked into,” a PCB source told the news outlet.
PCB to reverse decision on selection committee:
In a significant decision, the PCB is poised to return to its previous selection committee setup following an experimental phase without a chief selector. Wahab Riaz, who previously held the chief selector role, remains part of the selection panel but no longer holds the chief selector position. Under the recent system, each committee member wielded equal decision-making authority.
“The board is likely to return to the old system of having a chief selector with two or three selectors and the captain and head coach not sitting in selection meetings with the selectors,” said the source.
