Islamabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be reducing the number of central contracts of players with an aim to improve players’ superiority instead of their numbers.
PCB official said board wants to reduce the central contracts from 35 to 25 or 24. “PCB had awarded central contracts to 35 players last year, which also included a stipend category,” he said.
The official said the board is thinking to remove the stipend category and include the best performing players from this category to A, B and C categories,” he said. “The amount the players are getting for their respective categories won’t be reduced but instead increased.”
He said PCB wants to build a formidable pool of players for the 2019 World Cup to be held in England and Wales, from May 30.
“Therefore PCB wants to award central contracts only to the best performing players who can represent the country in the World Cup,” he said.
The PCB also confirmed that a prominent cricketer has tested positive for a prohibited substance but refused to reveal the name as per International Cricket Council (ICC) rules.
“A player has reportedly tested positive for a prohibited substance. But under ICC rules PCB cannot name the player or chargesheet him until the chemical report is confirmed by the anti-dope agency of the government. We should have an answer in a day or two,” the tweet read.
The PCB is awaiting the results of a blood sample from Pakistan’s anti-doping department, which will rubber stamp the doping although the test has come back positive.
The test is understood to have taken place during the recent domestic 50-over tournament in Faisalabad, according to an espncricinfo report.
Depending on the nature of the prohibited substance, the player could face up to a two-year ban.
The last Pakistan international to suffer that fate was Raza Hasan, who tested positive for cocaine in 2015, and was banned till 2017.
