LAHORE: In its bid to continue to reward and incentives top-performing women cricketers, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) added three more spots in the central contracts for women cricketers for the 2021-22 season.
These contracts, which come into effect from 1 July, include 12 spots, divided between A, B and C categories, while eight cricketers have been retained in the emerging contracts list. In total, the PCB has awarded 20 contracts for the 2021-22 cricket seasons, which is two more than the previous.
Monthly retainers across all rungs - including the emerging category - have been increased by 10 per cent and the national women's selection committee has kept one spot open in the central contracts that will be awarded in the year based on on-field performance. For the central contracts for 2021-22 season, Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan are in Category-A while Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig and Nida Dar falls in Category-B. Anam Amin, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail and Sidra Nawaz are in Category-C. Ayesha Naseem, Kaynat Hafeez, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal and Syeda Aroob Shah were given contracts as emerging players.
The central contracts have been awarded after factoring in the on-field performances in the past one year at both international and domestic level, and with an eye on the future engagements, a PCB spokesman, said.
Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women's selection committee, said: "I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all the players who have received central contracts for the 2021-22 seasons. The emerging category retains eight players after Fatima Sana, who has shown some outstanding on-field performances and promise, has been awarded category C contract. Over the next year, the PCB, in total, will contract 20 women cricketers, which is an increase of two from the 2020-21season."
She said, "Though the sample size of the on-field performances is small due to the limited number of matches, we, while awarding the contracts, have also incorporated the feedback from the national coaching staff in regards to fitness and skill levels displayed at the high performance camps. To negate the element of complacency, the national selectors will hold a review after six months, and, if needed, the committee might revisit the categories. However, we are hopeful that these players, who are currently on the historic tour of West Indies, will continue to raise the standard of competitive cricket as we aim to become strong contenders at the international level."
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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