The Pakistan Cricket Board made waves on Tuesday with the announcement of its central contracts for the 2025-26 season, revealing a significant restructuring that sees no players awarded the prestigious Category A status for the first time in recent memory.
The most notable casualties of this shake-up are former stalwarts Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who previously held the only two Category A positions in the 2024-25 season. Both players have been relegated to Category B, marking a dramatic fall from grace for Pakistan’s former batting pillars.
Contract Overview
The PCB has distributed 30 central contracts across three tiers for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Each category now contains exactly 10 players, representing an expansion from the previous season’s 27 contracted players.
Category Breakdown:
- Category A: None (previously 2 players)
- Category B: 10 players (including demoted stars)
- Category C: 10 players
- Category D: 10 players
Fresh Faces and New Opportunities
The expanded roster includes 12 newcomers, signaling the PCB’s commitment to developing emerging talent. The new additions 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.
Rising Stars
Five players earned promotions based on their performances, all moving from Category C to Category B:
- Abrar Ahmed
- Haris Rauf
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Ali Agha
- Shadab Khan
Meanwhile, nine players maintained their positions from the previous season, including Abdullah Shafique, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Saud Shakeel.
Notable Omissions
Eight players lost their contracts entirely, including Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan.
Strategic Implications
The decision to eliminate Category A reflects Pakistan cricket’s transitional phase, with the board apparently unwilling to designate any player as deserving of the highest tier following recent struggles. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s exclusion from the T20 squad earlier this year foreshadowed this dramatic restructuring.
The PCB emphasized that this expansion demonstrates their “strategic focus on squad depth and future development,” suggesting a broader vision for Pakistani cricket that prioritizes building a deeper talent pool over relying on established stars.
Complete Contract Lists:
Category B: Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Category C: Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel
Category D: Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, Sufyan Moqim
