Fakhar Zaman Excluded from Pakistan Cricket Board’s 2024-25 Central Contracts
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its central contracts for the 2024-25 season, with some surprising omissions. Notably, veteran batter Fakhar Zaman, who previously held a Category B contract, is not included. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi explained that fitness concerns were the main reason for Zaman’s exclusion. Additionally, a social media incident where Zaman criticized the PCB’s decision to drop Babar Azam during a Test series against England contributed to the decision.
Naqvi stated, “The tweet was an issue, but the bigger matter is his fitness. There is a show-cause notice pending against him, and we will see about that. He needs to prove his fitness.” Zaman last played for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024, where the team exited early after losses to the USA and India.
The PCB’s new contracts emphasize discipline and fitness, with several emerging talents receiving central contracts for the first time. The contracts aim to promote fresh talent while retaining experienced players. The categories are as follows:
| Category A | Category B | Category C | Category D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan | Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood | Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan | Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Usman Khan |
Doubts Revealed
Fakhar Zaman -: Fakhar Zaman is a famous cricketer from Pakistan known for his batting skills. He has played for the Pakistan national cricket team in many important matches.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) -: The Pakistan Cricket Board, or PCB, is the organization that manages cricket in Pakistan. They decide which players get to play for the national team and handle all cricket-related activities in the country.
Central Contracts -: Central contracts are agreements between the cricket board and players. These contracts ensure that players are paid a salary and are available to play for the national team.
Fitness Concerns -: Fitness concerns mean that there are worries about a player’s physical health and ability to perform well in sports. For cricketers, being fit is very important to play matches effectively.
Social Media Incident -: A social media incident refers to something that happened on platforms like Twitter or Facebook. In this case, it means Fakhar Zaman posted something controversial on social media.
Mohsin Naqvi -: Mohsin Naqvi is the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. He is responsible for making important decisions about cricket in Pakistan.
T20 World Cup 2024 -: The T20 World Cup 2024 is a big international cricket tournament where teams from different countries compete in T20 matches. T20 is a format of cricket with shorter matches.