Fast bowler joins captains Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Litton Das in Grade A as Bangladesh Cricket Board announces revised pay structure

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The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced its 2026 central contracts for the Bangladesh men’s cricket team, introducing notable changes to player gradings. Most significantly, no cricketer has been placed in the A+ category this year. Taskin Ahmed, who was the sole player in the top tier in 2025 with a monthly salary of BDT 1 million (approximately US$8,169), has been moved to Grade A — the second-highest bracket that offers BDT 800,000 (approximately US$6,535) per month. He now joins the three format captains — Najmul Hossain Shanto (Test), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (ODI) and Litton Das (T20I) — in Grade A.

While Taskin’s demotion comes despite his consistent performances across formats, veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim has also dropped a tier. After retiring from ODIs in 2025, Mushfiqur moves from Grade A to Grade B, where players earn BDT 600,000 (approximately US$4,901) per month. Grade B features 11 cricketers in total, including Test regulars Mominul Haque, Taijul Islam and Shadman Islam, along with four promotions from Grade C — Tanzid Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Shadman.

The board has also expanded Grade D in its revised structure. Seven players now fall under the lowest contract tier, compared to just two last year. Among them are Saif Hassan and Nurul Hasan, both of whom returned to the T20I fold in 2025. Grade C players will receive BDT 400,000 (approximately US$3,267) per month, while Grade D cricketers earn BDT 200,000 (approximately US$1,633).

Bangladesh are set to resume international cricket with a three-match ODI series against Pakistan at home on March 11, 13 and 15. The revised central contracts reflect a recalibration of the BCB’s grading policy as the team prepares for its upcoming international commitments in 2026.