PCB demotes Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan to category 'B'

Lahore, Aug 19 (PTI) Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and current ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan have been moved to Category 'B' in the latest central contracts issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday.

The PCB has refrained from placing any player in the elite Category 'A,' instead listing 30 players across Categories 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' "The contracts, valid from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, emphasize the Board's dedication to acknowledging and promoting national talent. This year's roster includes ten players each in Categories B, C, and D, with no players in Category A," the PCB announced in a media release.

Although there is no mention of contract valuations, Babar and Rizwan appear to have been sanctioned for underperforming in major competitions, including the previous year's T20 World Cup, this year's ICC Champions Trophy, and bilaterals against Bangladesh and the West Indies.

Conversely, T20 captain Salman Ali Agha has been promoted from Category C to B. Other significant promotions include opener Saim Ayub and bowler Haris Rauf.

Expanding from the previous roster of 27 contracted players, the PCB now includes 30 players, with 12 fresh additions.

Newly contracted players are 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.

Nine players have maintained their previous contract categories, including Abdullah Shafique (Category C), Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr in Category D, and Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel in Category C along with Shaheen Shah Afridi (Category B).

Meanwhile, eight players are no longer contracted this year. The excluded athletes are Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan—previously all in Category D.

Pakistan's Centrally-Contracted Players:

Category B (10 players): Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Category C (10 players): Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, and Saud Shakeel.

Category D (10 players): Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, and Sufyan Moqim.

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