PCB may not renew Shoaib's contract

With fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar missing most of the action during the last seven months, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Sunday that it couldn't guarantee a central contract to Shoaib when it offers fresh contracts later this month.

"If we decide to offer him a contract, it will then be a short term contract," PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan said in Karachi on Sunday.

The 29 year old Shoaib, who has been out of favour for various reasons, including fitness and discipline, has not played any cricket since January this year and the PCB is uncertain if he would be fit enough to serve the country in the hectic season ahead during which Pakistan will host England, India and the Asia Cup.

"In Barbados, we decided more or less on the number of players whom we will offer fresh central contracts after the present seven-month contracts expire on June 30. But we cannot guarantee a central contract to Shoaib Akhtar because we are not sure of his fitness. He has not played for Pakistan in the last five months," Shaharyar said.

The Board will offer full time six-month contracts from July 1 to December 31 while the short-term contracts, which could be for three months, from July 1 to September 30.

"Not only Shoaib, but we have to decide on Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed also. Umar Gul has not played for the last one year while Shabbir's bowling action is again under scrutiny. We will offer full contracts to only those who will be available for selection for the length of the contract," he said.

Shoaib, along with Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Abdul Razzaq under the present contract, gets a monthly retainer of Rs 2,00,000 while category B that includes Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Mohammad Sami and Shoaib Malik, get a monthly retainer of Rs 1,25,000.

Danish Kaneria, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Shabbir Ahmed, Kamran Akmal, Asim Kamal, Rana Naved, Salman Butt and Taufiq Umar are in category C and get a monthly retainer of Rs 75,000.

The players holding the central contracts get the monthly retainers, besides their match fees and daily allowances and other bonuses.

Shoaib is now in England and will be representing Worcestershire in the English County Championship. But his first major appearance in six months would at Lord's on June 14 when he takes part in a Tsunami Fund Raising game for Rest of the World.

Shaharyar said in Barbados, he met Saleem Altaf (PCB's Director - Cricket Operations), skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Bob Woolmer.

"We have decided that the number of players who will get contracts will be the same. But yes, there will be some relegations, promotions, inclusions and exclusions depending
upon the performances of the players.

"It was also decided that the experiment of offering central contracts was a success and it was specially praised by Bob Woolmer, who said Pakistan was the only country which was offering performance and seniority-based contracts," Shaharyar said.