Lahore: Sadia Iqbal, who currently holds the top position in the ICC T20I bowling rankings, has been awarded a Category ‘A’ central contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as part of its Women’s Central Contracts for the 2025-26 season. The announcement highlights PCB’s commitment to nurturing talent, with a notable 50 percent increase in player retainers across all categories.
The PCB has also introduced an ‘E’ category, aimed at emerging players, with Eyman Fatima and Shawaal Zulfiqar being the first inductees. Both players are part of the Pakistan women’s squad traveling to Ireland for a T20I series from August 6-10, 2025. The pair previously competed in the inaugural ICC Women’s U19 World Cup in South Africa in January 2023.
A total of 20 players have been awarded contracts, spanning five categories. Notably, 10 players have been placed in Category D. The contracts, effective from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, were finalized by the women’s selection committee with input from head coach Muhammad Wasim.
In the coming year, the Pakistan women’s team is set to participate in two major ICC events: the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (September-October 2025) and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (June 2026), along with other bilateral series both domestically and internationally.
Among the 20 contracted players, new inclusions include Aliya Riaz (Category B), Natalia Parvaiz (Category D), Sidra Nawaz (Category D), Waheeda Akhtar (Category D), and the emerging talents Eyman Fatima and Shawaal Zulfiqar (both Category E).
In addition to Sadia Iqbal’s top-tier contract, Diana Baig and Rameen Shamim have also earned upgrades, moving to Categories B and C, respectively.
The full list of contracted players by category is as follows:
Category A: Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin.
Category B: Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Nashra Sundhu.
Category C: Rameen Shamim.
Category D: Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Nawaz, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, and Waheeda Akhtar.
Category E: Eyman Fatima and Shawaal Zulfiqar.
The PCB’s strategic focus on player development and retention marks a significant step forward for women’s cricket in Pakistan.