After the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mr Ramiz Raja announced an increase in the retainers of domestic contracts by PKR100,000 across all five categories, the cricket board confirmed the list of 191 players who will be offered the enhanced packages for the 157-match six senior men’s events from 15 September to 30 March. Monday’s announcement means 10 players in A+ category will now receive a monthly retainer of PKR250,000 each, followed by PKR185,000 each for the 40 cricketers in Category A, PKR175,000 each for 40 players in Category B, PKR165,000 each for the 64 players in Category C and PKR140,000 each for the 37 players in category D. The retainers are in addition to the match fees, daily allowances, share in prize moneys and PCB-arranged lodging, boarding and traveling the domestic cricketers will receive during the six-and-a-half months of cricket. As such, a Category A+ player, featuring in all matches, can earn up to PKR5million, whereas, a Category D player, who shows fitness and form throughout the season, can earn up to PKR3.75m annually. This is a significant rise compared to a flat retainer of PKR50,000 that was offered to the domestic cricketers when the revised cricket structure was launched in the 2019-20 season. In the 2020-21 season, slab system was introduced and remunerations were fixed at PKR150,000 for A+ Category, PKR85,000 for Category A, PKR75,000 for Category B, PKR65,000 for Category C and PKR40,000 for Category D. The latest announcement reflects the value and importance the PCB has decided to put into its domestic events as it aims to attract, incentivise, challenge and provide opportunities to the talented youngsters so that top-notch cricketers can graduate to the next level and strengthen the men’s national cricket team. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “It is extremely important that our domestic cricketers are paid well-enough so they continue to focus on upgrading their skills and fitness levels without worrying about how they have to take care of their families, loved ones and careers. “It is duty of Pakistan Cricket Board to look after the cricketers in the country and I am very happy to announce this move. The significant increase in salaries, which I am hopeful will improve further in future, strengthens our current domestic system and removes ambiguities surrounding the welfare and sound earning opportunities for our cricketers who can adopt first-class cricket as a career.” Amongst the 191 cricketers who have been offered domestic contracts for 2021-22 include 20 cricketers from the recently-organised CCA two-day tournaments. Out of these 20 cricketers, 11 are from far-flung areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the PCB remains committed in not only tapping talent from these areas but also involving them in the national framework. The 20 players to breakthrough the CCA Two-Day Tournament are: Balochistan – Abdul Hanan (Killa Abdullah), Aftab Ahmed (Loralai), Fahad Hussain (Jaffarabad), Mohammad Idrees (Quetta), Mohammad Javed (Pishin), Sana Ullah (Loralai), Syed Zainullah (Pishin) and Tariq Jameel (Loralai) Central Punjab – Haseeb-ur-Rehman (Lahore), Mohammad Irfan Jnr (Sheikhupura), Mohammad Tabriaz (Sialkot) and Mohammad Waheed (Lahore) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Mohammad Ibrahim (Swabi), Waqar Ahmad (Lower Dir) and Yasir Khan (Bannu) Northern – Asad Raza (Faisalabad) Sindh – Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (Karachi), Mushtaq Ahmed Kalhoro (Sukkur) and Junaid Ilyas (Karachi) Southern Punjab – Mohammad Shroon Siraj (Sahiwal) In a continuation of its policy of rewarding last season’s top-performing cricketers, Kamran Ghulam, the recipient of the PCB Domestic Cricketer of 2020 award, and off-spinner Sajid Khan, member of the Test side, have been promoted to A+ category from C and A categories, respectively. Kamran broke the 36-year-old record of the most runs in a first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament when he scored 1,217 last season, while his Khyber Pakhtunkhwa teammate Sajid was the most successful bowler as he snared 67 wickets at 25.09 runs apiece. The 191 domestic contracts have been split between the six CAs with each association earning a maximum of 32 players who were selected following a consultation process between the head coaches and their chairs and chief executives. These cricketers have been shortlisted from a pool of 40 players each per CA, who were announced on 4 September. Players who have not been offered domestic contracts, will remain available for selection for their association and, like last year, will receive match fee, daily allowance and share in prize money. A number of leading international cricketers have confirmed to the PCB they will prefer event-based contracts instead of the season contracts. These cricketers will be offered the agreed contracts in the lead up to the event they will make themselves available to participate in. The categories and their criteria are: A+ category (10) – Abdullah Shafiq (Central Punjab), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Naseem Shah (Southern Punjab), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Sohaib Maqsood (Southern Punjab) and Zahid Mahmood (Sindh) Criteria: Top scorer, best bowler and best player of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21; players who are part of current squads, but don’t have men’s central contracts; as only 10 places are available under this category, player seniority will be considered if there are more than 10 candidates A category (40) – Aamer Yamin (Southern Punjab), Adil Amin (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Ahmed Safi Abdullah (Central Punjab), Akbar-ur-Rehman (Balochistan), Anwar Ali (Sindh), Arshad Iqbal (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Asad Shafiq (Sindh), Asif Ali (Northern), Azam Khan (Southern Punjab), Bilal Asif (Central Punjab), Ehsan Adil (Central Punjab), Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Sohail (Balochistan), Hussain Talat (Central Punjab), Imran Khan Snr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Israrullah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Jalat Khan (Balochistan), Kashif Bhatti (Balochistan), Khalid Usman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mir Hamza (Sindh), Mohammad Amir (Northern), Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Musa Khan (Northern), Rahat Ali (Southern Punjab), Raza Hasan (Northern), Rehan Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saad Ali (Sindh), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Shan Masood (Sindh), Sharjeel Khan (Sindh), Sohail Khan (Sindh), Sohail Tanvir (Northern), Tabish Khan (Sindh), Umar Amin (Northern), Umar Siddiq (Southern Punjab), Usman Khan Shinwari (Northern), Usman Salahuddin (Southern Punjab), Waqas Maqsood (Central Punjab) and Zafar Gohar (Central Punjab) Criteria: Top eight run-scorers, top-eight wicket-takers, top two all-rounders and top two wicketkeepers of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21 as part of prioritising and valuing first-class cricket; current players part of the national side who are unable to earn Category A+ contract; players who have played Test and ODI cricket B category (40) – Ahsan Ali (Sindh), Ali Sarfraz (Northern), Ali Waqas (Balochistan), Amad Butt (Balochistan), Ashfaq Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Ayyaz Tassawar (Balochistan), Azeem Ghumman (Balochistan), Bilawal Iqbal (Central Punjab), Danish Aziz (Sindh), Faizan Riaz (Northern), Gohar Faiz (Balochistan), Gulraiz Sadaf (Balochistan), Hasan Mohsin (Sindh), Imran Rafiq (Southern Punjab), Irfanullah Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Jamal Anwar (Northern), Kashif Ali (Northern), Mohammad Ali (Central Punjab), Mohammad Hasan (Sindh), Mohammad Ilyas (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Irfan (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Saad (Central Punjab), Mukhtar Ahmed (Southern Punjab), Naved Yasin (Southern Punjab), Omair Bin Yousuf (Sindh), Rameez Alam (Southern Punjab), Raza Ali Dar (Central Punjab), Rohail Nazir (Northern), Saad Nasim (Central Punjab), Sahibzada Farhan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarmad Bhatti (Northern), Taimur Ali (Balochistan), Taj Wali (Balochistan), Umaid Asif (Balochistan), Umar Khan (Southern Punjab), Umar Waheed (Northern), Waqas Ahmed (Northern), Zain Abbas (Southern Punjab), Zeeshan Malik (Northern) and Zia ul Haq (Southern Punjab) Criteria: T20 International players; players with 50 or more first-class matches; Top 10 performers of National T20 Cup 2020-21; Top 11-16 performers of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21; Top 3-6 all-rounders of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21; Players who have represented Pakistan Shaheen or Emerging sides since 2020; Players who have been part of men’s national squad within a year C category (64) – Akif Javed (Balochistan), Khurram Shehzad (Balochistan), Muhammad Akhlaq (Central Punjab), Qasim Akram (Central Punjab), Rizwan Hussain (Central Punjab), Sameen Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Amir Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Irshad (Northern), Sohail Akhtar (Northern), Arish Ali Khan (Sindh), Abrar Ahmed (Sindh), Mohammad Umar (Sindh), Saim Ayub (Sindh), Usman Khan (Sindh), Ali Shafiq (Southern Punjab), Dilbar Hussain (Southern Punjab), Hassan Khan (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Imran Randhawa (Southern Punjab), Zeeshan Ashraf (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Faizan (Central Punjab), Maaz Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Imran (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Imran Dogar (Central Punjab), Waqar Hussain (Southern Punjab), Saad Khan (Sindh), Mehran Ibrahim (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Taha (Sindh), Kashif Iqbal (Northern), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahbaz Khan (Balochistan), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Central Punjab), Ali Usman (Southern Punjab), Asif Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Kamran Afzal (Central Punjab), Hayatullah (Balochistan), Shadab Majeed (Northern), Mohammad Junaid (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Asghar (Sindh), Saqib Jamil (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Farhan Shafiq (Northern), Saif Badar (Central Punjab), Nasir Nawaz (Northern), Raza-ul-Hasan (Balochistan), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Balochistan), Ali Zaryab (Central Punjab), Bismillah Khan (Balochistan), Hidayatullah (Balochistan), Ahmed Bashir (Central Punjab), Gohar Hafeez Butt (Central Punjab), Mohammad Mohsin Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Arif Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Munir Riaz (Northern), Khayyam Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Umair Masood (Northern), Ammad Alam (Sindh), Ali Shan (Central Punjab), Anas Mehmood (Central Punjab), Mohammad Irfan Jnr (Central Punjab), Saifullah Bangash (Sindh), Syed Faraz Ali (Sindh), Junaid Ali (Central Punjab), Musadiq Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Maqbool Ahmed (Southern Punjab) and Tayyab Tahir (Southern Punjab) Criteria: Players who played HBL Pakistan Super League 5 and 6; Top 20-30 performers of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21; Top 15 performers of three-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21; Players who have represented Pakistan U19 in the past; Players who have represented Pakistan ‘A’ in the past and those who have played for Pakistan emerging teams in the last two years; Players with 20 or more first-class matches D contract (37) – Najeebullah Achakzai (Balochistan), Mohammad Shahid (Balochistan), Zainullah (Balochistan), Abdul Hanan (Balochistan), Aftab Ahmed (Balochistan), Fahad Hussain (Balochistan), Mohammad Javed (Balochistan), Mohammad Idrees (Balochistan), Tariq Jameel (Balochistan), Sana Ullah (Balochistan), Syed Zainullah (Balochistan), Sohaib Ullah (Central Punjab), Haseeb-ur-Rehman (Central Punjab), Nisar Ahmed (Central Punjab), Mohammad Tabraiz (Central Punjab), Mohammad Waheed (Central Punjab), Aamer Azmat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Nabi Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Waqar Ahmad (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Aitizaz Habib Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Ibrahim (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Yasir Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Aamer Jamal (Northern), Ali Imran (Northern), Ather Mehmood (Northern), Mubasir Khan (Northern), Taimur Sultan (Northern), Ashiq Ali (Sindh), Jahanzaib Sultan (Sindh), Asad Raza (Northern), Ghulam Mudassar (Sindh), Junaid Ilyas (Sindh), Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (Sindh), Mushtaq Ahmed Kalhoro (Sindh), Ahsan Baig (Southern Punjab), Salahuddin (Southern Punjab) and Mohammad Sharoon Siraj (Southern Punjab) Criteria: Remaining players part of CA squads