Former captains Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez were left out of the list of players awarded central contracts for the 2019-20 season by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday.
Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, batsman Babar Azam and leg-spinner Yasir Shah were retained in category A.
Test opener Azhar Ali and left-arm pacer Mohammad Aamir, who recently announced his retirement from Test cricket, have been demoted in category B and C respectively.
The board has also reduced the number of centrally contracted players from 33 to 19 for the 2019-20 season during which the men's cricket team will play six World Test Championship Tests, three One Day Internationals and nine T20Is.
"While finalising the list of central contracts, which will run from 1 August 2019 to 30 June 2020, players' performances and fitness in the past 12 months and the formats they are likely to represent Pakistan in the upcoming season was taken into consideration," PCB said in a media release.
Despite Malik and Hafeez's omission, the PCB maintained the two will be available for selection.
"Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik have not been offered contracts but they will remain available for selection."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app