The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its central contracts for the 2025–26 international season in a significant reshuffle that sees former captain Babar Azam and ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan demoted to Category B. For the first time in years, no cricketer has been placed in Category A.
In its official release, the PCB stated: “The contracts, effective from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, reflect the Board’s continued commitment to recognising and supporting national talent. This year’s roster sees ten players each placed in Categories B, C, and D. Notably, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle.”
The board further emphasized the broader scope of its new structure, noting: “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.”
Player Promotions and New Entrants
Among the key moves, Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Abrar Ahmed have all been promoted to Category B following strong recent performances. A dozen fresh faces, including Ahmed Daniyal, Hasan Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, and Salman Mirza, have been awarded central contracts for the first time.
Meanwhile, eight cricketers — Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan — have missed out entirely.
Central Contracts 2025–26 (Full List)
| Category B | Category C | Category D |
| Abrar Ahmed | Abdullah Shafique | Ahmed Daniyal |
| Babar Azam | Faheem Ashraf | Hussain Talat |
| Fakhar Zaman | Hasan Nawaz | Khurram Shahzad |
| Haris Rauf | Mohammad Haris | Khushdil Shah |
| Hasan Ali | Mohammad Nawaz | Mohammad Abbas |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Naseem Shah | Mohammad Abbas Afridi |
| Saim Ayub | Noman Ali | Mohammad Wasim Jnr |
| Salman Ali Agha | Sahibzada Farhan | Salman Mirza |
| Shadab Khan | Sajid Khan | Shan Masood |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Saud Shakeel | Sufyan Moqim |
🚨 3️⃣0️⃣ players have been awarded central contracts for the 2025-26 international season 📝
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/g9epcZUovJ pic.twitter.com/2JGR7kId1Y
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 19, 2025
Hesson on Babar’s Future
The demotion of Babar Azam comes amid mounting scrutiny over his performances in major tournaments and his omission from the Asia Cup 2025 squad. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson addressed the situation during a press conference following the Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement, saying: “There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on.”
However, Hesson also praised Pakistan’s current performers: “But at the moment the players we have, have done exceptionally well. Sahibzada Farhan has played six games (against Bangladesh and West Indies) and won three Player of the Match awards.”
Looking ahead, Hesson stressed that opportunities remain for Babar to return: “A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player not to consider.”
