PCB to introduce radical new format-based central contract system

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have introduced a brand-new central contract system based on the format that players specialise in rather than the traditional category structure. According to ESPNcricinfo, the new system will be heavily reliant on analytics and data, with more than 85 per cent of decisions being taken by non-human technologies. 

Under the traditional system, Pakistan players were categorised from A to D. However, that will not be the case in the new system, which is called “format tracks” in the PCB documents. This will bifurcate players on the three formats of the game, namely Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

“The contracts players used to get always resulted in debates about why players were placed in a particular category. Even players were uncomfortable when they got a category they were not happy with. We’ve readied a document we’re sharing with you, in which 85% of the contract decision has been taken away from humans and towards data,” PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi said via ESPNcricinfo. 

“The criteria has been set to place players in any category. I’m confident that the process will be transparent and not in the hands of individuals. No one will be able to object to what category they have been placed in,” he added. 

Under the new system, Test specialists will be classified in Track A, and Test and ODI players in category AB. White-ball specialists will be put under the BC Track, while T20 players will be categorised under the new D Track. It is worth mentioning that players under track D will get greater freedom to secure No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to play in franchise leagues around the globe. 

However, there will be heavy restrictions imposed on players in Track A. But the aforementioned PCB document promises more financial support to players specialising in Test cricket to make the format more lucrative, with the board putting more emphasis on the longest format of the game.