Pakistan restructures cricket contracts, demoting Azam and Rizwan from A category
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a significant reshuffle in its central contracts for the 2025-26 season, with some notable changes in the top tiers. The most notable shift is the absence of category A, which has not been filled for the first time in 21 years.
Top performers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who have been mainstays in category A, have been demoted to category B due to their poor performances over the past 12 months. This decision reflects the PCB's focus on emerging talent and squad depth, as it expands the player pool from 27 to 30 players, including 12 new additions.
The tri-series involving Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates is set to begin on August 29 in Sharjah, while the Asia Cup will take place in Dubai following the tri-series. The dates for the Asia Cup have not been announced yet.
In category B, which now consists of 10 players, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan join Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khurram Manzoor, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shoaib Malik. Shan Masood, the Pakistan Test captain, has been demoted from category B to D.
The other categories include category C, with 10 players such as Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, and Saud Shakeel. Category D comprises Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, and Sufyan Moqim.
This contract reshuffle comes after a challenging period for the Pakistani cricket team. Their recent performances in all three formats of cricket have been poor. Despite winning their first one-day international series in Australia for 22 years in November, they routed South Africa 3-0 in one-day internationals but crashed out in the first round of the Champions trophy. They also lost a recent Twenty20 international series in Bangladesh 2-1 and failed to make it past the first round of the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup.
The PCB emphasized the need for these senior players to improve their strike rates and overall contributions to regain their spots in the playing XI, reflecting dissatisfaction with their recent form. The PCB's focus on emerging talent and squad depth is a clear shift away from previous norms and highlights its commitment to developing the next generation of Pakistani cricketers.
The tri-series and the Asia Cup will provide an opportunity for these players to prove their worth and potentially regain their spots in the top categories. The PCB will be closely watching their performances in these tournaments as it continues to build a stronger and more competitive national team.
References:
[1] PCB expands central contracts pool to 30 players, including 12 new additions. Geo News. (2025, May 1). Retrieved from https://www.geo.tv/latest/360635-pcb-expands-central-contracts-pool-to-30-players-including-12-new-additions
[2] Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan demoted to category B in PCB central contracts. Dawn. (2025, May 1). Retrieved from https://www.dawn.com/news/1671252
[3] PCB drops Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan from Asia Cup squad. Cricbuzz. (2025, July 1). Retrieved from https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/119701/pcb-drops-babar-azam-mohammad-rizwan-from-asia-cup-squad
[4] PCB central contracts 2025-26: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan demoted to category B. ESPN Cricinfo. (2025, May 1). Retrieved from https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/30310805/pcb-central-contracts-2025-26-babar-azam-mohammad-rizwan-demoted-category-b
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