Pakistan’s star cricketers Mohammad Rizwan and former captain Babar Azam have been left out of the top tier of PCB central contracts for the 2025–26 season.
The PCB confirmed on Tuesday that no player has been awarded a Category A contract this year, a major change from previous seasons.
Instead, both Rizwan and Babar have been placed in Category B, alongside several other key names such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Saim Ayub. The PCB explained that the new structure is designed to spread rewards across a wider group of players rather than concentrating them at the top.
In total, 30 cricketers have been offered contracts, compared to 27 last year. The expanded list includes 12 new faces such as Ahmed Daniyal, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, and Hasan Ali. At the same time, eight players who were part of the system last year failed to secure contracts, including Aamir Jamal, Mohammad Huraira, and Usman Khan.
Five players were promoted due to strong performances over the past year, most notably Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed, who both moved up from Category C to Category B. Shan Masood, however, saw a significant drop, moving down to Category D.
The PCB said the contracts will run from July 2025 to June 2026. By expanding the pool and reshaping categories, the Board hopes to create a more competitive environment and reward consistent performers at all levels.
