LAHORE: Taking what seems to be a decision lacking wisdom, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has extended up to March 31, 2015 the central contracts awarded to 31 players in four categories last year, which was ending on Dec 31, 2014.

The contracts for 2015 will be awarded from April 1, 2015.

Two new cricketers, both part of Pakistan’s World Cup squad, namely leg-spinner Yasir Shah and pacer Sohail Khan, are also included in the ‘D’ category raising the total number of contracted players to 33 from 31.

“The central contracts committee – headed by director cricket operations (international) Zakir Khan, and comprising director game development Haroon Rasheed, national selection committee chairman Moin Khan and Pakistan team head coach Waqar Younis -- met on Dec 7 to discuss various options. After due deliberations, it was decided to extend the existing contracts,” a press release of the PCB stated here on Wednesday.

However, looking at the list of centrally contracted players, it becomes very much evident that if merit has not been recognised fully at least in one case, the surprising decision to extend the contracts has also resulted in some excessive benefit to some of the players.

Dashing wicketkeeper/batsman Sarfraz Ahmed, to one’s bewilderment, has been kept in the lowest category contract ‘D’.

The 27-year-old player besides acting as a fairly nimble gloveman throughout 2014, emerged as a transformed, hard-hitting batsman scoring 743 runs with the aid of three fighting centuries and four half-centuries in nine Tests (average 67.54) against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. In ODIs too, Sarfraz remained impressive during 2014, totalling 254 runs in eight matches, averaging 36.28.

Moreover, the team’s first-choice wicket-keeper in the World Cup due to his newly found exploits with the bat last year, Sarfraz is also being considered as a third opener option, particularly in any uncertain situation that may develop during the mega event.

And if holding career batting strike-rates of 85.20 (ODIs) and 71.47 (Tests) achieved by a rejuvenated Sarfraz is not enough to impress the PCB think-tank, then one feels convinced justice has definitely been denied.

Talking of players gaining excessive benefit from the PCB decision, Saeed Ajmal tops the list.

Interestingly, the off-spinner, currently not available for national duty due to the ICC ban over his illegal bowling action, will benefit from this hasty decision to extend the contracts. The spinner will retain the top ‘A’ category, despite having nothing to do for national team during the next three months.

Similarly, left-arm paceman Junaid Khan, who could not play much cricket during 2014 (six ODIs and four Tests) due to fitness problems will also benefit from the PCB decision, remaining an ‘A’ category player in the next three months.

Moreover, veteran pace bowler Umar Gul and aggressive batsman Umar Akmal, despite having played little cricket last year for different reasons, were also retained in ‘B’ category.

Not to forget, Adnan Akmal, Khurram Manzoor, Nasir Jamshed and Abdur Rehman are in ‘C’ category for doing virtually nothing in 2014.

Centrally contracted players:

Category ‘A’: Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Junaid Khan.

Category ‘B’: Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul.

Category ‘C’: Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Adnan Akmal, Khurram Manzoor, Nasir Jamshed, Abdur Rehman

Category ‘D’: Sohaib Maqsood, Sarfraz Ahmed, Bilawal Bhatti, Sharjeel Khan, Zulfiqar Babar, Fawad Alam, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Raza Hasan, Umar Amin, Haris Sohail, Rahat Ali, Shan Masood, Mohammad Talha, Anwar Ali, Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2015

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