No central contract for Test opener Mahmudul

28 players retained, top tier remains vacant

FE Team | Published: February 20, 2026 00:21:34

Test opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy has failed to make the cut as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced its 28-member men's national contract list on Thursday, report agencies.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has published its new central contract list for the national men's team for 2026, featuring a total of 28 cricketers.
Notably, no player has been awarded the highest 'A Plus' category in the latest grading system, which evaluates players based on their recent performance and experience.
The new central contract structure divides the players into four active grades out of a possible five. The vacant 'A Plus' grade offers a top monthly salary of BDT one million (10 lakh). Among the active tiers, four players have been placed in Grade A, earning BDT 0.8 million (8 lakh) per month.
The bulk of the players, 11 in total, are in Grade B with a monthly salary of BDT 0.6 million (6 lakh). Additionally, six cricketers are in Grade C earning BDT 0.4 million (4 lakh), and seven players have been handed Grade D contracts worth BDT 0.2 million (2 lakh) per month.
The four cricketers securing the top available Grade A contracts are Test captain Najmul Hossain, ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, T20I captain Litton Kumar Das, and fast bowler Taskin Ahmed. Taskin's placement marks a downgrade, as the pacer held an 'A Plus' contract last year.
The Grade B category includes veteran campaigners such as Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mominul Haque, alongside Taijul Islam, Towhid Hridoy, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, and fast bowler Nahid Rana.
Meanwhile, the Grade C bracket comprises Soumya Sarkar, Jaker Ali, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, and Khaled Ahmed. Finally, Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Shamim Hossain, and Nurul Hasan make up the Grade D list for the upcoming year.