Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz lose PCB key contracts, Fatima Sana promoted to Category A

Former captain Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz have been left out of the PCB’s new batch of key 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 are not entirely unexpected. As well as declining form, there are believed to have been concerns about their stance within the team set-up, which were discussed with the PCB hierarchy.

Eyman Fatima, Anoosha Nasir, Sidra Nawaz and Shawaal Zulfiqar also miss out on contracts this season, while Bismah Maroof’s retirement earlier this year means she is no longer involved. The board said, “these players will remain available for selection as the PCB shifts its focus towards developing the next generation of cricketers in line with the ICC’s Women’s FTP (Future Tours Programme) for 2025-29.”

Twenty players were awarded two-year contracts last year with a significant salary loss, but with the caveat that performance would be reassessed after a year.

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

Muneeba Ali, the wicketkeeper batsman, has also been promoted to Category A, joining Sidra Amin, who retains his 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, expiring at the end of July. However, players will be paid backdated amounts from then. The delay in the contracts is part of a general trend of upheaval and uncertainty in Pakistan women’s cricket, where the PCB has struggled to get projects off the ground. Most notable among them is the long-promised women’s PSL, which Ramiz Raja first promised as chairman almost three years ago but has yet to materialise. Tania Mallick, Head of Women’s Cricket since October 2021, told Pakinomist earlier this year that she expected a women’s PSL to take place within the next 12 months. Last month, however, she resigned, with no indication that that tournament would be introduced in the near future.

“The key contracts for 2024-25 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 further investing in established players through significantly improved containers and offering clear pathways for the emerging cricketer, we aim to strike a balance between nurturing future stars and maintaining competitiveness at the highest level.”

Pakistan Contract List:
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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