The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday announced it would offer fresh one-year contracts to its players with a six-month review for cricketers who have been unfit or under scrutiny for illegal bowling actions.
The PCB, in a media statement after the ad-hoc committee meeting in Lahore, said: "The ad-hoc committee approved the continuation of central contracts for another year. One year contracts would be given from July 10, 1005 (after the present contracts expire on June 20, 2005) with a six months review for cricketers who have been unfit or under scrutiny for illegal bowling actions."
The PCB didn't name any players, but the statement clearly pointed that unfit cricketers included pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul while the bowler with suspect bowling action is Shabbir Ahmed.
Gul and Shabbir didn't get the contracts in December last year.
Shoaib Akhtar, who is retained in Category A along with Inzamam-ul Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Abdul Razzaq with a monthly retainer of Pakistan Rs 225,000, has not played for Pakistan since returning halfway from the Australian tour in the second week of January.
The PCB further said the present points system method for categorisation had been successful and additional points should be included to provide individual incentives for high performance.
"Accordingly, a bonus of five points will be awarded for each century scored in a Test or one-day, five bonus points will be awarded for five wickets or more in a Test; four points for four wickets or more in a one-dayer, while 10 points will be awarded for achieving any world record in any form of the game," the PCB said.
The committee also decided that apart from the existing bonus of 20 per cent between all players for each win, an additional 10 per cent would be paid for a series win.
"The ad-hoc committee further agreed that a special stipend should be given to bench squad players who would be prepared through fitness training and coaching to step into the national team. The names of the players being given central contracts as also of the bench squad will be announced shortly, after consulation with the selection committee," the statement added.
