# PCB gives Under-19 players central contracts for the first time, after 3-1 in England Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/cricket/pcb-gives-under-19-players-central-contracts-for-the-first-time-after-3-1-in-eng) Type: News article Author: Searchable Editorial Published: 21 Sept 2026 Updated: 25 Sept 2026 Retrieved: 30 Sept 2026 > Mohsin Naqvi announced the contracts on Monday. The board has not yet published how many players, what categories, or how much they pay. The Pakistan Cricket Board has given its Under-19 players central contracts for the first time. Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced it on Monday at a meeting with the squad, after the team beat England 3-1 in a four-match youth ODI series. No U19 side in Pakistan has been on a retainer before. Until now the pathway was tour fees and match payments, with nothing between series. ## What the PCB has and has not said The board has confirmed the contracts exist and that they follow the England result. It has not published the number of players covered, the categories, the monthly retainer amounts, the contract length or the date they start. Those are the numbers that decide whether this changes anything, and they are not out yet. We will update this story when the PCB publishes the list. ## What the players said Captain Farhan Yousuf called the meeting with Naqvi encouraging and said the contracts were a source of great happiness. Aliyan Salman said the contracts would boost confidence and morale and let players focus more on cricket. Jahangir Bilal made the point that matters most at that age: the money lets a young cricketer support his family while he is still years away from a senior contract. Head coach Shahid Anwar said rewarding good performances boosts the confidence of young players. ## Why it matters Pakistan's U19 setup is the feeder for the senior side, and the gap between playing age-group cricket and earning from the game has pushed players towards club and league work early. A monthly retainer at 17 or 18 changes the calculation for families deciding whether a son keeps playing. The 3-1 series win in England is the performance that triggered it. Pakistan's U19 teams have produced Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Saim Ayub, among others, and the senior selectors watch this group closely. ## What to watch next The detail to look for is the category structure: a flat retainer for a whole squad is a different policy from a graded one that pays a handful of players properly. Also worth watching is whether the contracts survive the next squad turnover, since U19 sides change almost completely every two years. Our cricket coverage tracks Pakistan squads and fixtures, including the [women's team page](/news/cricket/pakistan-womens-cricket-team-squad-captain-fixtures-and-results) and the [Asian Games 2026 schedule in Pakistan time](/news/sports/asian-games-2026-schedule-pakistan-time). ## Frequently asked questions **How much do Pakistan U19 central contracts pay?** The PCB has not published the retainer amounts, the categories or the number of players covered. It has confirmed only that the contracts exist and that they follow the 3-1 youth ODI series win in England. **Who announced the U19 central contracts?** PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, at a meeting with the Pakistan Under-19 squad on 21 September 2026. ## Sources - PCB announces first-ever central contracts for Pakistan U19 players (Geo Super): https://www.geosuper.tv/latest/59800-pcb-announces-first-ever-central-contracts-for-pakistan-u19-players - PCB introduces first-ever central contracts for Pakistan U19 players (The Express Tribune): https://tribune.com.pk/story/2630552/pcb-introduces-first-ever-central-contracts-for-pakistan-u19-players - PCB introduces central contracts for Pakistan U19 players (ARY News): https://arynews.tv/pcb-introduces-central-contracts-for-pakistan-u19-players How to cite: "PCB gives Under-19 players central contracts for the first time, after 3-1 in England", Searchable, 25 Sept 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/cricket/pcb-gives-under-19-players-central-contracts-for-the-first-time-after-3-1-in-eng