Lahore — August 19, 2025
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled its revamped central contract list for the 2025–26 season, signaling a strategic shift toward emerging talent and squad depth. Notably, star players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been moved from Category A to Category B, while no cricketer has been retained in the top tier this year.
The new contract cycle, effective from July 1, 2025, includes 30 players across three categories:
🔹 Category B (10 players)
- Babar Azam
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Shaheen Afridi
- Fakhar Zaman
- Haris Rauf
- Shadab Khan
- Abrar Ahmed
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Ali Agha
- Hasan Ali
🔹 Category C (10 players)
- Abdullah Shafique
- Faheem Ashraf
- Hasan Nawaz
- Mohammad Haris
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Naseem Shah
- Noman Ali
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Sajid Khan
- Saud Shakeel
🔹 Category D (10 players)
- Ahmed Daniyal
- Hussain Talat
- Khurram Shahzad
- Khushdil Shah
- Mohammad Abbas
- Mohammad Abbas Afridi
- Mohammad Wasim Jr.
- Salman Mirza
- Shan Masood
- Sufyan Moqim
The PCB’s decision to exclude Category A contracts this year reflects a broader recalibration, with 12 new players added to the list. Both Babar and Rizwan were recently omitted from Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, further underscoring the board’s evolving strategy.