Senior stars demoted, central contracts face backlash
Pakistan cricket is grappling with a storm of discontent after the latest central contracts stripped away the Category A tier and demoted stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to Category B. For the first time in years, no player has been given the top slot, a move that has reportedly stunned the dressing room and unsettled the country’s most high-profile cricketers.
According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, Babar and Rizwan are even considering pulling out of their contracts altogether, feeling disrespected by both the demotion and the lack of clarity from the board.
The new list expands the pool from 27 to 30 players and introduces 12 fresh faces, with 10 names each distributed across Categories B, C, and D. While the PCB has pitched the overhaul as merit-driven and future-facing, senior players are privately furious at the removal of Category A and the treatment of proven performers.
Naqvi: “I don’t have even 1% role” in selection
With the controversy spilling into the Asia Cup squad announcement, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi addressed the uproar head-on, making it clear that selection decisions are outside his remit.
“First of all, I don’t have even 1% role in putting players into the team or taking them out,” PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi said during a press conference in Lahore.
“We have a selection committee and then an advisory body; they all sit together. The process goes through a lot — discussions that last 8–10 hours, sometimes for 2–3 days. Definitely, if a team is being selected, it’s in good hands; all professionals are there. I’ve only told them one thing — whatever decision they take, it should be on merit, and I will support that,” he added.
Naqvi also highlighted the broader direction the PCB is pursuing:
“With whatever lot was available, I polished it and carried it forward. Now our effort is to bring in as many new players as possible so that there is more competition in cricket and the best of the best can come forward.”
Hesson explains Babar’s omission
Head coach Mike Hesson, speaking during a press conference after the Asia Cup squad announcement, shed light on why Babar was left out of the T20I group.
“Babar had been asked to improve ‘in some areas’ including his strike rate and play against spin,” Mike Hesson said.
“At the moment, the players that we have, (they) have performed exceptionally well,” Hesson had added.
“But certainly a player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and start to show that he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player for us not to consider.”
Hesson’s remarks underscore that while Babar remains an elite player, his T20 game requires visible adjustments before he can reclaim his spot.
Hafeez criticises contract system on X
Former captain Mohammad Hafeez has been one of the most outspoken critics of the PCB’s contract reshuffle. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Hafeez blasted the board for devaluing Test cricket and ignoring Pakistan’s red-ball performers.
“No A-category player in Pakistan cricket. Test captain in D category. Test match and series winners like Sajid Khan, Noman Ali & Saud Shakeel are in C category. Less importance to Test cricket and first-class cricket is the biggest reason for the recent downfall,” he wrote. — Mohammad Hafeez
His comments reflect a growing sentiment that the new contract structure prioritises white-ball cricket and commercial formats at the expense of the traditional game.
A deepening rift in Pakistan cricket
The removal of Category A, the demotion of icons like Babar and Rizwan, and the contrasting public remarks from administrators, selectors, and ex-players point to a widening gulf within Pakistan cricket.
While the PCB insists the changes were made on merit, reports of senior players considering rejecting contracts altogether have exposed simmering divisions. With the Asia Cup looming, Pakistan enters another high-profile tournament with both its cricketing structure and player morale under scrutiny.
