Sports
Babar, Rizwan demoted to category ‘B’ as PCB awards central contracts
By Naeem Ahmed •
Published on August 20, 2025
In major reallocations made by the PCB, Test captain Shan Masood fell to ‘D’ category, the lowest of the central contracts while ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan and former captain Babar Azam were demoted from category ‘A’ to ‘B’.
National T20 captain Salman Ali Agha, on the other hand, was promoted to category ‘B’ from ‘C’. Besides Rizwan and Babar, cricketers included in category ‘B’ are Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
According to the PCB, five players got promotion in higher categories as 10 players were included in category ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’.
No player given category ‘A’
“The PCB has awarded central contracts to 30 male cricketers for the 2025-26 international season. The contracts, effective from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, reflect the Board’s continued commitment to recognising and supporting national talent,” the PCB said in a statement.
“This year’s roster sees 10 players each placed in Categories ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’. Notably, no player has been selected for Category ‘A’ in this cycle,” the statement added.
“Compared to last year’s list of 27 contracted players, the PCB has expanded the pool to 30, including 12 fresh additions, highlighting the emergence of promising new talent and the Board’s strategic focus on squad depth and future development.”
The players’ failure to earn category ‘A’ contract and a number of demotions are due to the fact that Pakistan in recent times have not fared well in any of the three formats at international level.
Due to a string of below-par performances, currently they are struggling at the seventh spot in Test cricket while lying at eighth in T20 Internationals. As regards to One-day Internationals, they are fifth. In their last nine Test matches, Pakistan tasted defeat in six while winning just three.
While suffering an embarrassing 2-0 home Test series whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh in August-September last year, Pakistan barely managed to draw a two-game home Test rubber 1-1 with the West Indies in January this year.
Pakistan could only manage to win a three-match home series against England 2-1 in October last year while losing the two-match away series to South Africa 2-0 in December-January.
In ODIs, the story is not very much different. Pakistan since November 2024 have played 21 ODIs winning just nine while facing defeat in 11 and one game was abandoned.
After losing a home tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa before embarrassingly exiting the ICC Champions Trophy in the preliminary round — again on home turf — Pakistan showed no signs of improvement in their backyard.
Away from home, the Green-shirts did well beating Australia 2-1 in November and whitewashing South Africa 3-0 during December.
In their last 35 T20 Internationals since April last year, including 28 played at off-shore and seven at home, Pakistan won 15 while losing 19 games while one ended as tie.
In away games, Pakistan lost 18 while winning 10, and at home they won five matches and faced losses in two.
The Green-shirts faced a humiliating exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup staged in the US and West Indies during June when they lost opening-stage games to arch-rivals India and minnows US.
The PCB statement on the central contracts further said: “The new entrants include 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.
“Five players have been promoted owing to their performances of last year. They are Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha and Shadab Khan — all promoted from ‘C’ to ‘B’ category.”
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 (category ‘D’); Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel (category ‘C’); Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi (category ‘B’),” said the PCB.
“Eight players have missed out on contracts this year. They are Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Usman Khan — all in Category ‘D’,” the statement said.
Centrally contracted players (2025-26): Category ‘B’: Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah AfridiCategory ‘C’: Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Saud ShakeelCategory ‘D’: Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, Sufyan Moqim.