Babar Azam And Mohammad Rizwan Demoted To 'B' Category In PCB Central Contracts
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are in Category B while no player has been deemed good enough for Category A.
In a major development, Babar Azam and current ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan have been downgraded to category B in the latest central contracts list released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday.
The PCB has found no cricketer suitable for the elite category, placing 30 players in Categories 'B', 'C', and 'D'.
The contracts, effective from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, reflect the Board's continued commitment to recognising and supporting national talent. This year's roster includes ten players each in Categories B, C, and D. Notably, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle, the PCB stated in a media release.
The PCB release does not mention the valuation of the contracts.
Babar and Rizwan have been penalised for their consistently poor performances across all major events, including last year's T20 World Cup, this year's ICC Champions Trophy, and the bilateral series against Bangladesh and the West Indies.
T20 skipper Salman Ali Agha, on the other hand, has been promoted from group C to B.
Other notable promotions include opener Saim Ayub and pacer Haris Rauf.
Compared to last year's list of 27 contracted players, the PCB has expanded the pool to 30, including 12 new additions.
The new entrants are Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim.
Additionally, nine players have retained their positions in the same categories.
They are Abdullah Shafique (Category C), Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr – all in Category D, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel – all in Category C, and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Category B).
Eight players who have missed out on contracts this year include Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan. They were all in Category D.
Pakistan's centrally contracted players
Category C (10 players): Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, and Saud Shakeel
Category D (10 players): Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, and Sufyan Moqim.
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