Islamabad - The Pakistan Cricket Board has awarded struggling wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal the highest category in player contracts.
Akmal is among seven players named in category A along with ODI and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi, Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar.
PCB said in a statement that contracts run until the end of June.
Each of the contracted players will be given a monthly salary of 250,000 rupees ($2,950).
Akmal's wicketkeeping has already cost Pakistan dearly in the World Cup. He dropped New Zealand's Ross Taylor on 0 and 4 before the Kiwi batsman went on to hammer a career-best 131 on Tuesday.
Pakistan lost the game by 110 runs - barely avoiding their worst ever defeat in the World Cup.