For the first time ever, the Pakistan Cricket Board is to enter into a contract with a clutch of national cricketers for a whole season.

The contract is being drafted in accordance with ICC instructions, and the relevant clauses regarding match-fixing are also incorporated, said a PCB spokesman.

Similar contracts will also be offered to manager Yawar Saeed and physiotherapist Dale Naylor. The contracts are likely to be signed by players during the national training camp, which commences from August 1st.

The international home season kicks off early this year, with an Asian Test Championship fixture against Bangladesh at Multan on August 29. India visit Pakistan after a gap of nearly a dozen years in the second week of September for an Asian Test, while New Zealand's return tour starts in mid-September, with the first one-dayer on the 19th.

At this point, the number of players to be offered a contract is not certain, but the Board is thinking along the lines of 20 to 25 cricketers.

© CricInfo Ltd.