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Reports from Pakistan Today suggest that Pakistan cricket team players may reject central contracts if downgraded due to their early elimination from the T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan’s group stage exit came after losses to the USA and India in Group A, despite victories over Canada and Ireland. The team faced significant criticism, particularly targeting captain Babar Azam’s leadership and performance. Head Coach Gary Kirsten expressed concerns about the team’s atmosphere post-exit.
“There’s no unity in Pakistan’s team. They call it a team, but it isn’t a team. They aren’t supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I’ve worked with many teams, but I’ve never seen such a situation,” Kirsten said to Geo TV.
Meanwhile, concerns have arisen that if players reject central contracts, they may choose to compete without any imposed limitations. The PCB is currently awaiting reports from Gary Kirsten and Wahab Riaz, which will influence their decisions.
The board has postponed its decision-making process pending crucial reports from the head coach and chief selector. There is also discussion about potentially dropping several players due to their underwhelming performance in the recent major tournament. Changes to the structure of central contracts are also anticipated, according to the report.
It has been reported that Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan may face demotion from Category A in the upcoming central contracts. There are also deliberations regarding the establishment of a new category. A new committee will be formed to finalize the central contracts, although player salaries are expected to remain unchanged.
Following the early exit of the Pakistan national team, the PCB has opted to reassess the central contracts. The players have since returned to Pakistan.
Pakistan has secured automatic qualification for the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026, bypassing the need for qualifying rounds. Despite their early exit in the recent T20 World Cup events, including a group-stage departure following their third such occurrence, the team’s consistent performance in ICC T20I rankings has ensured their direct entry. This qualification comes in light of their current seventh-place standing, alongside New Zealand in sixth, both of whom have earned spots despite not advancing to the Super 8s stage in the tournament.
