Overview
- The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the overhaul at a Lahore press conference on Monday, June 15, 2026, replacing the old A/B/C/D salary grades with five format-specific tracks that link pay, privileges and eligibility to a declared pathway.
- The new tracks include a dual-format premium, a red-ball Test specialist track, a white-ball track and a T20/franchise specialist track that sits at the lowest tier for centrally contracted players.
- For the first time the PCB will permit Test specialists to play in major first-class red-ball leagues abroad while barring those players from franchise T20 competitions, formally protecting red-ball careers.
- Contract awards will be decided largely by data — 85% quantitative criteria and 15% selector discretion — and require a three-stage qualification of medical/fitness checks, domestic participation and a performance review.
- The board said it will not publish how many contracts sit in each track, a choice that may limit transparency and could affect player negotiations, franchise coordination and how Pakistan’s talent pipeline develops over time.