LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has added three more spots in the central contracts for women cricketers for the 2021-22 season including 12 spots, divided between A, B and C categories, while eight cricketers have been retained in the emerging contracts list, to be effected from July 1.

Last year the PCB had awarded the contract to 18 players.

According to the details, a 10 percent increase has also been given to the players in all the categories.

Moreover, the national women’s selection committee has kept one spot open in the central contracts that will be awarded in the year based on on-field performance.”The central contracts have been awarded after factoring in theon-field performances in the past one year at both international and domestic level, and with an eye on the future engagements. The national women’s team host England for two T20Is and three ODIs in October, before they play ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in December and feature in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and Commonwealth Games next year,” a PCB press release stated on Monday.

All-rounder Nida Dar has been promoted to category B from C.

Fatima Sana, the PCB Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2020, has been elevated from the emerging list to category C, while Kainat Imtiaz has also been given a category C contract.

Slow left-armer Nashra Sandhu has also been handed a category C contract.

Javeria Khan is retained in the top category along with Bismah Maroof, who is currently on maternity leave.

Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Sidra Nawaz has been demoted to category C from B.

Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women’s selection committee, said: “I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all the players who have received central contracts for the 2021-22 season. The Pakistan Cricket Board has increased the list of central contracts from nine to 12 as it continues to value and reward the best performers on the circuit.”

Central contracts for women’s cricketers for 2021-22 season:

Category A — Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan.

Category B — Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Nida Dar.

Category C — Anam Amin, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Nawaz.

Emerging: Ayesha Naseem, Kaynat Hafeez, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Syeda Aroob Shah.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2021