Another Shock for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan As PCB Snubs Ace Duo From ‘Category A’ Contract

Alfaaz – The Words Sports Desk

Srinagar: If being dropped from the Asia Cup squad wasn’t enough, Pakistan’s star duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have now suffered another shock as neither of them, nor any other player, have been awarded a prestigious ‘Category A’ central contract for the 2025–26 season.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Sunday that no player was deemed worthy of the top bracket this cycle, citing “poor performances” across formats. This is the first time in recent memory that Pakistan has left its elite category completely vacant.

Babar and Rizwan, the only cricketers holding Category A deals last season, have been demoted to Category B. The official explanation is blunt, their individual form over the past 12 months, much like the team’s overall record, was not strong enough to justify top-tier status.

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood, who was in Category B last season, has been pushed down to Category D. Meanwhile, promotions have been handed to the likes of Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha, and Shadab Khan, all now in Category B alongside Babar and Rizwan.

The PCB, in its statement, highlighted the unusual snub, “Notably, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle.”

The new list also includes fresh contracts for rising names such as Sufyan Muqim and Hasan Nawaz, while several players including Aamir Jamal, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, and Usman Khan have been axed completely.

This marks the final year of the historic three-year central contract deal that gave players record pay hikes and a share of PCB’s ICC revenues. But with Pakistan struggling for consistency, the board has taken a hardline approach, leaving its biggest names to rebuild credibility from a lower rung.