The issuance of central contracts for cricket players has been postponed once again due to the Muharram holidays, according to sources.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) committee meeting with the relevant departments regarding central contracts has been completed. Next week, the PCB will give the final shape to matters concerning the contracts.

The chairman of the Cricket Committee will brief the Management Committee of the PCB on the central contracts issue.

After his approval, the players will be awarded new contracts, the sources added. There will be no further extension in the central contracts and it should be noted that in June, the PCB extended the duration of central contracts by one month upon their expiry.

According to media reports, national cricketers will get a 25-35% increase in their monthly salaries as well as match fees.

For reference, here are the current central contracts which were issued last year:

Red and White Ball (5)

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Category A), Hasan Ali (red-ball Category B, white-ball Category C), and Imam-ul-Haq (red-ball Category C, white-ball Category B)

Red Ball (10)

Category A – Azhar Ali

Category B – Fawad Alam

Category C – Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah, and Nauman Ali

Category D – Abid Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Yasir Shah

White Ball (11)

Category A – Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan

Category B – Haris Rauf

Category C – Mohammad Nawaz

Category D – Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir, and Zahid Mehmood

Emerging (7)

Ali Usman (Southern Punjab)

Haseebullah (Balochistan)

Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Mohammad Huraira (Northern)

Qasim Akram (Central Punjab)

Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab)

Source: Pro Pakistani