The rising side now sits above several established Test-playing nations in the global standings, having previously moved past teams such as Bangladesh, England and West Indies. The latest rankings update reflects their consistent upward trajectory in international cricket over recent years.

Afghanistan's ascent has been built upon a series of notable achievements on the international stage, including historic victories against heavyweight opponents such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2023. They also reached a maiden ICC Men's T20 World Cup semi-final appearance in 2024.

Statistical records highlight the team's growth in the format, having secured 96 victories out of their 191 matches in the ODI format with an impressive win-loss ratio of 1.09. Their recent results include a comprehensive 4-0 away series victory over Ireland.

In addition to their bilateral success against Ireland, the team maintained an unbeaten run in a recently concluded tri-series featuring hosts Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Following these limited-overs successes, the squad completed a clean sweep against Zimbabwe in the T20I format.

Looking ahead to their next international assignment, the team is scheduled to face Zimbabwe in an upcoming two-match Test series. The fixtures will offer another opportunity for the squad to test their skills in the longest format of the game.

A well-informed board source revealed that Hesson has recommended a fresh crop of young talent to be integrated into the new contracts, signalling a significant shift in the selection policy for the national teams across Test, ODI and T20I formats.

The players lined up for inclusion include Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig, Hasan Nawaz, Akif Javed, Ali Reza, Ahsan Daniyal, Sufiyan Muqeem, Maaz Sadaqat, Razaullah, Azan Avais, Imran Randhawa, Abdullah Fazal and Ghazi Ghori.

While these emerging talents are set to be rewarded, the source indicated that experienced campaigners are likely to face the axe, with Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq expected to miss out entirely on central deals.

Hesson has placed strict emphasis on physical fitness, tactical execution of coaching plans, a continuous drive for skill improvement and positive dressing room culture as core criteria for selection.

The coach believes that youngsters who demonstrate genuine potential and bring tangible value to the squad deserve immediate encouragement through lucrative central agreements.

Meanwhile, format captains Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sahabzada Farhan are expected to retain their places, alongside senior figures Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub.

However, some of these established names may find their contracts restricted exclusively to either red-ball or white-ball formats as the board manages player workloads and performance metrics.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has delayed the official announcement of the new contracts following the expiration of the previous agreements on July 31, allowing selectors to thoroughly evaluate player performances.

The delay was deemed necessary to assess ongoing domestic and international fixtures before finalising the roster of players who merit financial backing from the governing body.