The core contracts for the 2025–26 season, which will run from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, have been formally released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). All categories have seen a 50% rise in retainers.

Twenty female cricket players in all have been given contracts; they fall into five categories: A, B, C, D, and the recently added Category E, which is dedicated to spotting and developing up-and-coming talent.

The inclusion of Sadia Iqbal, the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world, in Category A together with captain Fatima Sana, wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali, and Sidra Amin is the most noteworthy development. Recognizing the women s team s increasing success, the PCB has raised retainers by 50% in all categories.

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A fresh addition is Category E (Emerging), awarded to Eyman Fatima and Shawaal Zulfiqar, both of whom are part of the Pakistan squad currently touring Ireland for a three-match T20I series. Both players also represented Pakistan in the inaugural ICC Women’s U19 World Cup in 2023.

Promotions have also been granted to Diana Baig, who moves from Category C to B, and Rameen Shamim, who is upgraded from D to C. Meanwhile, players like Aliya Riaz, Natalia Parvaiz, Sidra Nawaz, and Waheeda Akhtar have also been included as new names in the 2025–26 contract cycle.

These contracts are seen as a strategic move, aligning with Pakistan’s packed women’s cricket calendar, which includes the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (Sept–Oct 2025), the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (June 2026), and multiple home and away bilateral series.