The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to decide whether it will publicly announce the list of players receiving central contracts for the 2026-27 season.
The board traditionally releases its centrally contracted players by the first week of August, with contracts covering the June-July fiscal cycle. However, a source told PTI that the PCB was considering keeping the names undisclosed, viewing the contracts as an internal matter.
Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, when asked about the issue during a media interaction in Multan on Monday, said he was unaware of the board’s decision.
The PCB has already announced a new format-based central contracts system for 2026-27. Under the criteria, male players who have featured in at least four Tests, six ODIs or six T20Is during the preceding 12 months will be eligible for contracts.
According to the source, the new format-specific structure has also created difficulties for the board in determining which categories individual players should be placed in.
The uncertainty comes amid increased scrutiny of the PCB’s financial affairs. Last week, the Islamabad High Court granted the board a stay until September 22 after a government agency sought financial and other details of its accounts.
The PCB, currently headed by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, has also faced criticism over financial transparency. The board has not published audited financial statements on its website since 2023, despite doing so regularly in previous years.
