Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Thursday (June 30), announced the men's central contracts list for the 2022-23 season, which came into effect from Friday, July 1.
It was also the first time the Pakistan Cricket Board had announced separate contracts for the players for red-ball and white-ball cricket.
A total of 33 players have received a contract from the PCB, which is 13 more than last year's contract. Pakistan's all-format skipper Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, have been in Category A of both the white-ball and red-ball contracts.
The former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led the Men in Green to the first-ever Champions Trophy in 2017, was slotted in the D category of red-ball contract alongside Abid Ali, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Yasir Shah.
Meanwhile, the former Pakistan pacer Tanvir Ahmed has weighed on the topic and questioned Sarfaraz for his silence on his demotion to Category D. The 43-year-old also took a dig at the wicket-keeper batter and said that some players somehow just want to stay in the team irrespective of the treatment they get from the board.
"I don't know why Sarfaraz is silent, a captain who has won the Champions Trophy. A player who has several achievements, I don't know why he is tolerating such an attitude from PCB," Tanvir told a local media website.
"Had I won the Champions Trophy and faced such an attitude, I would have told PCB what they actually deserve. But, I think some players somehow want to be in the team regardless of respect," he shared his two cents.
The former pacer is also not pleased with Pakistan's central contract list as he took a dig at PCB for keeping Fawad Alam in the B category, stating it is unfair to slot him in the B category as he only plays Test cricket and his performance in the red-ball cricket speaks volume.
"They have facilitated all of their friends in full capacity. Otherwise, Fawad should have been in the A category of red-ball format contracts. He only plays Test format and looks at his performance; it's an injustice to give him the contract in the B category," added Tanvir.