The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced its central contracts for the 2025–26 season on Tuesday, confirming a major shake-up: no player has been awarded a Category A contract this year.
Former captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, previously mainstays in the top tier, have both been placed in Category B. They are joined there by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Saim Ayub.
PCB officials said the restructuring aims to distribute rewards more evenly across a wider pool of players rather than concentrating benefits at the top.
This year, 30 cricketers have been offered contracts up from 27 last season with 12 new faces including Ahmed Daniyal, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, and Hasan Ali. On the other hand, eight players lost their contracts, among them Aamir Jamal, Mohammad Huraira, and Usman Khan.
The Board also handed out five promotions based on recent performances. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed and all-rounder Shadab Khan moved up from Category C to B, while Test captain Shan Masood faced a demotion to Category D.
The new contracts run from July 2025 to June 2026. PCB officials expressed confidence that the expanded list and revised structure will foster greater competition and reward consistency across formats.
