The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its central contracts for the 2025–26 season, making a major statement by leaving Category A completely vacant for the year.

The new list covers 30 players — up from 27 last season — and is valid from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. While the expansion reflects PCB’s focus on developing squad depth and introducing new names, it also signals a shift in priorities, with even Pakistan’s biggest names missing out on the highest bracket.

Babar and Rizwan See Downgrade

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who were the only Category A players in 2024-25, have both been demoted to Category B. Their fall coincides with a difficult year, where both veterans were sidelined from the T20 setup and struggled to maintain the dominance they once held in Pakistan’s batting order.

They are now joined in Category B by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and four others.

Promotions and New Faces

Five players have climbed up the ladder thanks to consistent performances: Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shadab Khan — all moving from Category C to B.

Meanwhile, PCB has brought in 12 fresh names, signaling a deliberate attempt to widen the talent pool. Among them are Hasan Ali, Mohammad Haris, Sahibzada Farhan, Khushdil Shah, and Faheem Ashraf.

The full list is evenly split across three groups:

• Category B (10 players): Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, 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, 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, Sufyan Moqim

The Ones Who Missed Out

Eight players who had contracts last season have been dropped entirely. That list includes Aamir Jamal, Usman Khan, Kamran Ghulam, and Mohammad Huraira, among others. Most were in Category D previously.

What It Means

The absence of any Category A player is rare and reflects both Pakistan’s inconsistent performances and the board’s message that seniority alone will not guarantee top-tier recognition. Instead, PCB seems to be rewarding recent form and keeping the door open for emerging names.

For Babar and Rizwan, the demotion will be seen as a symbolic marker of their changing roles in the national setup — once automatic selections, now part of a larger pool fighting to prove themselves again.