A significant news related to Pakistan cricket has emerged. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a major change to the player contract system for the domestic cricket season 2025-26. The board has announced that a total of 157 players will be offered domestic cricket contracts this time.
PCB Contract 2025-26: The Pakistan cricket team is currently playing a three-match T20 International series against South Africa. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a major decision regarding its domestic cricket structure. The board announced on October 30 that significant changes have been made to player contracts for the domestic season 2025-26.
Under the new announcement, a total of 157 players will be awarded domestic cricket contracts this season, which is 26 more than the previous season. The PCB states that this step is a major improvement towards empowering domestic cricket in Pakistan, increasing competition, and providing more opportunities for young players.
PCB's Big Step – A New Direction for Domestic Cricket
In its statement issued on October 30, 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board stated that the domestic contract system has been made more transparent and performance-based. The PCB says that the objective of this change is to provide players with stable income and a competitive environment, so that emerging talents from all regions of the country can get opportunities.
This decision is expected to inject new energy into Pakistan's domestic cricket structure, which had been undergoing a restructuring process for the past few years. This time, the PCB has divided players into four new categories – A, B, C, and D. This classification has been done based on their performance, experience, and contribution.
According to the PCB, the category distribution is as follows:
- Category A: 30 players
- Category B: 55 players
- Category C: 51 players
- Category D: 21 players
This system has been implemented for the first time to allow the board to reward players according to their abilities and to encourage competition at the domestic level.
Improvements in Salaries and Match Fees
Although the PCB has not shared the exact salary details for the 2025-26 season, board officials stated that the new salary structure will be better and more attractive compared to the previous season. In the last season (2024-25), players were given monthly salaries as follows:
- Category A: ₹550,000 Pakistani Rupees
- Category B: ₹400,000 Pakistani Rupees
- Category C: ₹250,000 Pakistani Rupees
In addition, players were also paid match fees:
- First-Class Match: ₹200,000 per match
- List-A (One Day) Match: ₹125,000 per match
- T20 Match: ₹100,000 per match
According to the PCB, these rates may see an increase of 10-15% this season. This will enhance the financial stability of players and make domestic cricket more competitive.
