The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has, for the first time in recent memory, left its Category A central contracts blank. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the only occupants of the top band last season, slip into Category B for the new 12-month cycle back-dated to 1 July 2025.
A PCB official, speaking on background, admitted performance was the single overriding factor. “did not lend favour to any player deserving a category A contract” was the internal verdict. The board’s public release echoed that: “Notably, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle,” the statement said.
Key moves
• Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan drop from A to B.
• Test captain Shan Masood tumbles from B to D.
• Fakhar Zaman, absent last year after a disciplinary rap, returns in B.
• Thirty players now contracted, up from 27, spread evenly—ten per tier.
Promotions and returns
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, power-hitter Saim Ayub and quick Haris Rauf headline the list of five lifted to Category B. Left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqim, opener Hasan Nawaz and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris secure their first central deals, sliding into Category C in Haris’s case and D for the newcomers.
Fading from the list altogether are Aamir Jamal, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Irfan Khan Niazi and Usman Khan. Their omissions underline how brutal this review has been; a lean year for the men’s side across formats left little room for sentiment.
Money remains strong
This is the final season of the players’ three-year memorandum with the PCB. Salaries stay at the historic highs agreed in 2023 and, crucially, the squad continues to receive a fixed slice of ICC revenue—a model several other boards are watching closely. The only adjustment, then, is who sits where.
Category breakdown
B: Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi
C: Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel
D: Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim jr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, Sufiyan Muqim
Why no Category A?
Babar averaged under 35 in Tests last season and managed a modest T20I strike-rate. Rizwan, reliable behind the stumps, struck just one international hundred in 12 months. Pakistan, meanwhile, slid out of the World Test Championship race early and failed to reach the T20 World Cup semi-finals. In that context, the PCB felt a reset made sense.
Former selector Tauseef Ahmed sympathised with the move on local radio: “It hurts stars when you clip privileges, yet it also nudges them—a fresh challenge if you like.”
Room for upgrades
PCB officials stress that Category A is not closed forever. Mid-cycle promotions are possible once benchmarks—runs, wickets, fitness—are met. Babar, Rizwan and any others now have a tangible carrot.
Looking ahead
Pakistan tour Australia and host England before the contract year ends. A tough itinerary, but also a stage for someone to force the board’s hand. For now, the message is clear: reputation alone no longer guarantees top billing.
A snapshot, then: solid pay, strict standards, and a vacant penthouse waiting for the first occupant to prove, not presume, worth.
