A collage exhibiting Pakistan’s quick bowler Shaheen Afridi (left) and batter Fakhar Zaman. — AFP/Reuters/FileSources say Fakhar, Imam-ul-Haq failed preliminary health take a look at.Duo will as soon as once more endure health take a look at in coming days.PCB hyperlinks Shan Masood’s central contract to his captaincy.
LAHORE: Pakistan’s left-arm pacer and former skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi has been demoted whereas batter Fakhar Zaman and others have missed out on the 12-month central contracts, based on an official announcement made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday.
In its record of central contracts for 25 gamers, the board has positioned Shaheen — who was beforehand in Class A together with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan — in Class B.
With Babar and Rizwan being the one gamers in Class A, a number of gamers will not be even a part of the central contracts. These gamers embody Fakhar, former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Ihsanullah, Shahnawaz Dahani and others.
Fakhar was beforehand positioned in Class B of the central contract by the board.
The event comes because the PCB, again in July, introduced going again to its outdated mannequin of granting a one-year central contract to the nationwide facet’s gamers — conditional to their efficiency.
The board had additionally determined that gamers’ health can be checked each three months and that it could be necessary for the athletes to take part in home cricket.
The transfer got here following the workforce’s dismal efficiency within the T20 World Cup 2024 whereby the nationwide facet crashed out of the event earlier than even getting into the Tremendous 8 stage.
— Reporter
The prevailing three-year central contracts had been awarded final yr and got here into impact from July 1, 2023.
Within the newest central contract record, Pakistan’s Check skipper Shan Masood has been positioned in Class B. Nonetheless, his inclusion within the mentioned class is topic to captaincy.
In the meantime, Shaheen’s demotion comes after he and Babar had been “rested” for the second and third Check within the just lately concluded three-match residence sequence towards England.
Each gamers had been a part of the primary Check which the Inexperienced Shirts misplaced and had been later excluded from the squad from the remaining matches.
Moreover, a number of rising cricketers have been awarded central contracts for the primary time which embody Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Usman Khan.
On the difficulty of these gamers excluded from the record altogether, sources say that Fakhar, Imam and Osama failed their preliminary health checks and can endure them as soon as once more within the coming days.
The trio’s inclusion, the sources added, within the central contract might be reviewed after the health take a look at.
Additionally they famous that no participant has opted out of taking the central contract.
PCB’s central contracts
Class A: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan
Class B: Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood
Class C: Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan
Class D: Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Usman Khan
