In another update, the PCB has also hiked the match fee across all formats by 10% for playing members. Non-playing members' fees have also been increased; they used to earlier get 50% of what the playing members earned as match fees, but will now get 70%.

Babar, Pakistan's all-format captain, will also get a special allowance as a part of a renewed agreement to "compensate the team captain for additional responsibility".

"We have also expanded our category of emerging cricketers from three to seven as it is very important for us to groom those cricketers who have the potential to make it to the top level and give an incentive to those players who have excelled in our domestic tournaments."

Ashraf had a Category B contact in the last cycle, but struggled to make it into the playing XI in ODIs and T20Is. He has, however, been on the fringes of the Test team since he offers balance in the XI with his multiple skills. But in the past 12 months, he played five Tests, getting eight wickets and scoring 141 runs, not enough to be a top pick in the side. In the same period, he played just three ODIs, with no wickets and just 16 runs, and was not considered for T20Is at all.

In Hasnain's case, though he has been in and around Pakistan's white-ball teams, the suspension for the illegal action might have worked against him even though he can now bowl internationally again.