Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz lose their PCB central contracts, Fatima Sana moves to category A

Former captain Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz have been omitted from PCB’s new set of central contracts announced on Saturday. Sixteen players were announced in the new contracts, with Fatima Sana, who took over from Dar as captain, moving up to Category A.

Dar was in Category A in last year’s contracts, while Riaz had been demoted to Category B, although their omissions were not entirely unexpected. As well as the dip in form, there were reportedly concerns over their attitude within the team which were discussed with the PCB hierarchy.

Eyman Fatima, Anoosha Nasir, Sidra Nawaz and Shawaal Zulfiqar are also missing contracts this season, while Bismah Maroof’s retirement earlier this year means she no longer features. The board said: “These players will remain available for selection, as the PCB focuses on developing the next generation of cricketers, in line with the ICC Women’s FTP (Future Tours Programme) for 2025 -29″.

Twenty players were given two-year contracts last year, with a significant salary increase, but on the condition that their performance be re-evaluated after one year.

Sana’s promotion is a reward for a series of outstanding all-round performances before and during the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the tournament, but lost their other three group matches to eventual champions India, Australia and New Zealand.

Keeper-batsman Muneeba Ali has also been promoted to Category A, joining Sidra Amin who retains her position. Gull Feroza and Rameen Shamim return to the central contract list for the first time since 2018 and 2022-23 respectively, while Tasmia Rubab is included for the first time.

The contracts have been awaiting approval for some time now and expired at the end of July. Players will, however, receive amounts backdated from this date. The delay in contracts is part of a general trend of upheaval and uncertainty in Pakistani women’s cricket, where the PCB has struggled to get projects off the ground. The most notable among them is the women’s PSL, long promised by Ramiz Raja as president almost three years ago, but yet to materialize. Tania Mallick, head of women’s cricket since October 2021, told PK Press Club earlier this year that she expected a women’s PSL to take place within the next 12 months. Last month, however, she left that role, with no sign of introducing this tournament in the near future.

“The 2024-25 central contracts reflect our forward-looking strategy as we prepare for the new ICC Women’s Future Tours programme,” said PCB’s new chief operating officer Sumair Ahmad Syed. “By investing more in established players through significantly improved retentions and providing clear pathways for emerging cricketers, we aim to strike a balance between nurturing future stars and maintaining competitiveness at the highest level.”

List of contracts in Pakistan:
Category A: Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali and Sidra Amin
Category B: Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal
Category C: Diana Baig, Omaima Sohail
Category D: Ghulam Fatima, Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani

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