No player in A+ category as BCB names new players' contract

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) named 28 cricketers in its national players’ (Men) contract for 2026, but left the highest-paying A+ category vacant, with no player earning a place at the top tier.

Pacer Taskin Ahmed was the only A+ category player in last year’s national contract. This year, he has been demoted to A category, alongside Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, ODI skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and T20I captain Litton Das. The monthly salary grade for Category A is Tk 8,00,000.

A total of seven new players have been added in this year’s contract -- T20I vice-captain Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanvir Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan Sohan.

Last year, 22 players were in the players' contract. However, Mahmudullah Riyad only opted to be in the contracts till February 2025.

All seven additions were named in Category D with a salary grade of Tk 2,00,000.

Test opener Shadman Islam has been bumped to Category B from C, along with Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Tanzid Hasan Tamim.

Category B, with a salary grade of Tk 6,00,000, has 11 players in total -- the most for any category this year. Experienced stars Mushfiqur Rahim, Taijul Islam and Mominul Haque are also in Category B.

Pacer Khaled Ahmed has been promoted to Category C from D with a salary grade of Tk 400,000.

The Tk 10,00,000 salary grade of Category A+ remains vacant.