Daily Times

LAHORE: The uncapped trio of Anosha Nasir, Eyman Fatima and Shawaal Zulfiqar were awarded central contracts for the first time by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday. Umm-e-Hani, who made her debut last year against Ireland, is the fourth player to earn her maiden central contract. Like last year, 20 players have been awarded central contracts, which are divided into four categories A, B C and D being an emerging category. The 20 players were offered central contracts last week for a duration of 23 months, commencing from August 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025. The performances of players will be assessed after a year. The contracts were signed by 19 players in Karachi during the series camp for South Africa. Eyman Fatima, who is not part of the white-ball series against South Africa, signed the contract in Lahore. Captain Nida Dar and experienced Bismah Maroof have been retained in the A category, which sees a 19 per cent increase in their retainers. Sidra Amin, who is currently second in the list of top run-getters of ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 with 535 runs from nine matches has jumped to A category from C.

The B category, which sees an increase of 32 per cent in players’ retainers, is occupied by four players. Muneeba Ali, who scored a century in this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, has been promoted from C to B category. Fast bowler Fatima Sana, who also captained Pakistan emerging women’s team in this year’s ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 has been retained in B category along with left-arm spinner Nashra Sundhu. Aliya Riaz has been demoted from A to B category.

In the C category, wicketkeeper-batter Sidra Nawaz has retained her position, while spinners Ghulam Fatima and Sadia Iqbal have been promoted from D to C category. Diana Baig, who missed out on most of the last year due to shoulder injury and later a finger injury has been demoted to C from B category. Omaima Sohail has been placed in C category compared to B category she was in last year’s central contracts list. The C category has 19 per cent increase in players retainers.

The D category, also known as the emerging category, features a total of eight players. Leg-spinner Tuba Hassan and right-handed batter Sadaf Shamas have retained their spots in the category which will see them register a 21 per cent increase in their retainers. Left-arm spinner Anosha Nasir, right-handed batters Eyman Fatima and Shawaal Zulfiqar, all of whom represented Pakistan U19 in the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup this year, have earned their maiden contracts. Wicketkeeper-batter Najiha Alvi and off-spinner Umm-e-Hani, both of whom represented Pakistan emerging team in ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, are also part of D category. Syeda Aroob Shah, who captained Pakistan U19 in ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, makes a comeback in central contract after missing out last year.

Anam Amin, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan and Kainat Imtiaz are the five players who have failed to retain this year’s central contract. All five players have been awarded the first-ever 11-month domestic contracts. Meanwhile, Ayesha Naseem, who retired from international cricket, is the sixth player to be left out from the contract.

Meanwhile, there is a 100 per cent increase in the match fee of players involved in an ODI match (playing and non-playing both). Also, there is a 50 per cent increase in match fees of players in a T20I match (playing and non-playing both).

Women’s Central Contracts (1 August 2023 to 30 June 2025):

Category A (3) -Bismah Maroof, Nida Dar and Sidra Amin

Category B (4) – Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali and Nashra Sundhu

Category C (5) – Diana Baig, Ghulam Fatima, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Sidra Nawaz

Category D (8) – Anosha Nasir, Eyman Fatima, Najiha Alvi, Sadaf Shamas, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani.