After being dejected over demotion from Category-A to B in the PCB central contract, all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is learnt to have considering different options including retirement from cricket and not to sign the central contract for the year 2018-19.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the list of its players who were awarded contracts in three categories - Category-A,B,C, D and E. Hafeez demoted in the list of 33 players. Hafeez, who has represented the men in green in 50 Tests, 200 ODIs and 83 T20Is, where he scored 11,224 runs with the help of 20 centuries, 55 half-centuries and also claimed 239 wickets, has had a difficult last year where he was once again reported for his bowling action and also lost his place in the limited overs side.
The decision to demote Peshawar Zalmi all-rounder was reportedly taken by Director Cricket Operations Haroon Rashid, Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq, Director Academies Mudassar Nazar and was approved by PCB Chairman Najam Sethi.
A source close to Hafeez claimed that the cricketer has decided not to sign the PCB contract and also considering an option to make himself unavailable for the national team selection in future.
"Hafeez has also decided to question the PCB as to why he was demoted to category B," the source. "If Hafeez fails to get any satisfactory reply, he may part ways with the national team without taking official retirement."
Hafeez had made a comeback in the squad for the recently concluded T20I and ODI tour of Zimbabwe, but his participation remained limited to only two matches in the 20-over format.
Hafeez, 37, had been a perennial recipient of the Pakistan Cricket Board's top category contract, but that changed when his place in the highly exclusive group of six was given to rising star Babar Azam.