BCB follows BCCI, scratches off A-plus contract as key players demoted
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has scrapped the A-plus category from its 2026 central contracts list, effectively reshuffling the pay structure for the national men’s team. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who was the sole cricketer in the top A+ bracket in 2025, has been moved to Grade A. Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim has been downgraded from Grade A to Grade B.
Under the revised structure, no player occupies the A+ tier this year. Taskin now joins Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and T20I captain Litton Das in Grade A. The second-highest bracket carries a monthly salary of BDT 800,000 (approximately US $6,535), compared to the BDT 1 million (around US $8,169) previously awarded to the A+ category.
Contract Adjustments Across Grades
The rationale behind Taskin’s demotion has not been formally outlined, despite his consistent performances across formats. In recent seasons, team management has carefully managed his workload to maintain fitness and effectiveness. Nevertheless, the removal of the A+ slot means the fast bowler’s contract value has automatically adjusted downward.
Mushfiqur, who retired from ODI cricket in 2025, now falls into Grade B, earning BDT 600,000 (approximately US $4,901) per month. He shares this category with ten other players, including Test specialists Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam and Shadman Islam. Notably, Shadman is among four players promoted from Grade C to B, alongside Tanzid Hasan, Rishad Hossain and Mahedi Hasan.
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Expanded Lower Grades and Upcoming Fixtures
The board has also widened the lower brackets. Grade D, which previously included only two players, now lists seven cricketers. Among them are Saif Hassan and Nurul Hasan, both of whom returned to the T20I setup last year. Grade C players receive BDT 400,000 (approximately US $3,267) per month, while Grade D contracts are valued at BDT 200,000 (approximately US $1,633) monthly.
The restructuring comes as Bangladesh prepare to resume international cricket with a three-match ODI home series against Pakistan on March 12, 14 and 16. The contract overhaul signals an administrative reset, with the board aligning its pay hierarchy differently for 2026, leaving the once-exclusive A+ designation vacant.
2026 Bangladesh Central Contracts
Grade A:
Grade B: Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Towhid Hridoy, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana
Grade C: Soumya Sarkar, Jaker Ali, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed
Grade D: Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanvir Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan