"It is sheer injustice that a player who is presently embroiled in a court case with the Board, who has been banned and fined and whose fitness is still under doubt has been given a Category A contract," a former Test player said.

The Board did a big U-turn in the case of Akhtar, who was last year not awarded a central contract because of his disciplinary and fitness issues and instead was offered a retainer by the Board headed by the then Chairman Nasim Ashraf.

"Shoaib has basically been rewarded for his honest intentions and attempts to get back to full fitness. As far as his court case is concerned it is pending and the court has suspended the ban on him so he is eligible to play for Pakistan," said a senior official of the Board.

He also made it clear that once pacer Mohammad Asif's fate in the doping case linked to the Indian Premier League drugs inquiry tribunal is known, a decision would be made on him.

"If he is cleared he will definitely get a central contract," the official said.