Babar Azam-Shaheen Afridi In Trouble, PCB To Punish Them

Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi [Source: AFP]In a development that could create problems for Pakistan's star cricketers, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi may see their central contracts put on hold. Recently, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi decided to bring major changes to Pakistan cricket by introducing a new central contract system. Notably, this new model is very different from the previous system used by the board. Instead of relying mainly on human judgment, the new system will depend heavily on data and analytics.In fact, Naqvi stated that around 85% of contract-related decisions would be based on data rather than human input.New Contract Structure Introduced By PCBDuring a media briefing ahead of the 2026 contract cycle, PCB officials, including Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, announced that the board would no longer use the traditional contract categories of A, B, C, and D. Instead, a new format-specific system with five different player tracks has been introduced.Under this new structure, Track A will include players who specialize in Test cricket. Tracks B and C will be for players who mainly play One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 cricket. Meanwhile, Track D will be reserved for players who focus only on T20 cricket and franchise leagues.Furthermore, Test specialists will receive Track A contracts, while players who participate in both Tests and ODIs will be placed in Track AB. White-ball cricketers will receive Track BC contracts, and T20 specialists will be given Track D contracts.Also Read: Shaheen Afridi To Earn Less Than Babar Azam? Pakistan Players' Salary As Per New PCB Contract DetailedBabar Azam And Shaheen Afridi Could Be AffectedAccording to Pakistani sports journalist Saleem Khaliq, some well-known cricketers could face difficulties under the new system because of their absence from domestic first-class cricket matches.Notably, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi are among the players who might be affected. Their central contracts could reportedly be placed on hold due to their non-participation in domestic first-class matches."Few star cricketers may have their central contracts put on hold due to non-participation in domestic first-class matches; Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam could be among those affected," Saleem Khaliq wrote on X.PCB Officials Backs New Contract StructureMeanwhile, it is important to note that Mohsin Naqvi, Aaqib Javed, and Mike Hesson all highlighted the growing role of data analytics in player selection and contract decisions. The PCB also revealed that this data-driven approach has already been used in domestic cricket over the past year. Speaking about the new system, Pakistan's white-ball coach Mike Hesson praised the framework and its focus on Test cricket."Every single Test nation is struggling to come up with a method or document for Test cricket and the challenges around that," Hesson said. "How do you value it from a financial point of view where you allow players to focus on Test cricket? The PCB have come up with a framework that caters for everything. It's an impressive document that gives true proof that they care about Test cricket.It also caters to the T20 player who could benefit from going around the world, learning their craft playing different tournaments and also be remunerated."It is important to note that the new contract system will come into effect after the current central contract cycle ends.Also Read: Niroshan Dickwella Pats On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Back As India-Sri Lanka Spat Ends