LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday unveiled a package of structural reforms aimed at professionalising player management, tightening selection criteria and boosting player welfare across all formats.
The PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi while making the announcement said the package includes a computerized central contract system, data-driven selection protocols, higher match fees and a renewed emphasis on domestic cricket — are intended to restore stability and meritocracy to Pakistan cricket.
Naqvi said the board will link central contracts and national selection directly to domestic cricket participation, fitness and on-field performance. “Only cricketers who play domestic cricket will be eligible for central contracts and selection,” he told journalists, reiterating a policy the PCB had signalled last year. The chairman warned that any player not meeting the required criteria would be excluded from the central contract structure.
A major element of the reforms is the introduction of a computer-based central contract and selection system designed to reduce human bias. Naqvi said about 85 percent of the selection process has already been automated and that a 15-point performance framework will guide selectors. The new structure will create five contract categories, including a newly formed emerging players category, and will allow players to hold contracts across Test and ODI formats while recognising T20 and ODI specialists separately.
On player welfare and remuneration, Naqvi announced increases in match fees for Tests, ODIs and T20s, along with higher payments for domestic cricketers. He said the PCB will also provide financial support to players who cannot afford essential expenses and is preparing a players’ hostel project, with a building already acquired and work to begin after coordination with a federal institution.
Naqvi defended recent administrative moves and highlighted early signs of progress under coach Mike Hesson, noting series wins though acknowledging tournament success remains a work in progress. He stressed that captaincy decisions will remain with the cricket management team and selectors rather than being decided unilaterally by the board.
