PCB set to award central contracts to twenty leading players today.

LAHORE -- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is somehow looking in a hurry to announce the next central contract of the players on Tuesday, in times when uncertainty is looming over the resumption of the international cricket activities around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic

Moreover, the cricket committee meeting of the PCB is also going to be held on Wednesday to discuss the future of departmental cricket, which has been abolished by the incumbent management of the PCB, rendering thousands of cricketers jobless. It will also consider the point of awarding central contracts to the domestic players of six provincial teams.

PCB chief executive Wasim Khan, in a media talk on Monday, said that head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq has prepared a list of 19 or 20 players for the central contracts and their names would be announced on Tuesday.

'Head Coach and Chief Selector Misbah-ul-Haq was working on finalising the contracts for the last two to three weeks. Misbah has now shortlisted the names to 19 or 20. The list will be discussed internally before it is sent to the Chairman for his approval. The contracts are likely to be divided in three categories, despite the prevailing situation the Board is thinking of increasing the value of the contracts rather than decreasing their value,' said Wasim.

However, what is perplexing is that the existing contracts of the players will expire on June 30, so the PCB has enough time to assess the situation regarding the resumption of international cricket. At present the situation is uncertain as the staging of the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20 - to be held from September to November this year - is still unclear.

Pakistan's cricket tour of England, comprising three Test and as many T20Is - is scheduled to start from July 30, but still doubts are hanging over it.

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