Lahore, Aug 8 (IANS): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced central contracts for the year 2019-20 with only three cricketers finding a place in the top category.

The PCB reduced the number of players who have been awarded central contracts to 14 from last year's 33, but has "increased the financial value" for each category.

Babar Azam, skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed and Yasir Shah have been awarded 'A' category contracts while Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Abbas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Wahab Riaz are in the 'B' category.

Abid Ali, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood and Usman Shinwari have been roped in the 'C' category.

"I want to congratulate all those who have been offered central contracts for the next season," PCB Managing Director Wasim Khan said in an official statement.

"We have significantly increased the financial value of the 2019-20 retainers across categories. This is over and above what had been agreed in the current agreement, which is due to run until 2021," he added.

The announcement came a day after it emerged that the PCB has decided not to renew Mickey Arthur's contract as head coach.

The Grenn Brigade will play 6 Tests, 3 one-day internationals and 9 Twenty20 internationals in the 2019-20 season.