"The board's ad-hoc committee has approved the continuation of central contracts of all 17 players for another year," spokesman Abbas Zaidi told AFP.

Pakistan's top 17 cricketers were given a monthly salary of around 1,200 to 3,500 dollars under the first ever national contracts introduced last year which expired after the team's West Indies tour earlier this month.

But contracts of all unfit players or those under scrutiny for illegal bowling actions would be reviewed after six months, Zaidi said.

Fiery pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who missed both West Indies and Indian tours due to fitness problems also got a renewed contract ending speculation he could be dropped from the list of contracted players.

The 29-year-old Akhtar was the last player to sign the contract after he raised certain objections over personal sponsorship.