📢 Introduction: A Shocking PCB Central Contract Announcement
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled its central contract list for 2025–26, and the cricketing fraternity is buzzing with reactions. The announcement has brought both joy for some players and disappointment for others. The most surprising update? 🥶 Superstars like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi—once considered untouchables in Category A—have been demoted to Category B.
This move marks a major shift in PCB’s selection policy and highlights how performances over the past year have been judged with utmost scrutiny. Fans are already debating: “Was this fair?” or “Did PCB make a huge mistake?”
In this blog, we’ll dive deep into:
✅ The complete list of central contracts 2025–26
✅ Which players got promoted, retained, or dropped
✅ The impact on Pakistan cricket’s future
✅ Reactions from fans & analysts
✅ Our final thoughts on PCB’s bold decisions
Let’s break it down step by step. ⚡
🔥 Big Shock: Babar, Rizwan & Shaheen Demoted
For years, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi have been the faces of Pakistan cricket. From match-winning innings to breathtaking bowling spells, these three names were always considered untouchable in Category A.
However, the 2025–26 contracts list has no Category A at all. Instead, all the former A-listers, including Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen, have been placed in Category B.
This is a historic shift because for the first time in years, no player in Pakistan cricket holds a Category A contract.
PCB’s reasoning seems to be a performance-based reshuffle, ensuring no one is guaranteed the top spot unless they consistently dominate across formats.
🚀 Players Who Got Promoted
Five players received deserved promotions owing to their excellent performances in the past year:
- ⭐ Abrar Ahmed – Pakistan’s mystery spinner has been sensational, particularly in Test cricket.
- ⭐ Haris Rauf – Despite injuries, he continues to shine in white-ball formats.
- ⭐ Saim Ayub – The stylish left-handed batter has been Pakistan’s new T20 sensation.
- ⭐ Salman Ali Agha – Known for his stability in the middle order and handy off-spin.
- ⭐ Shadab Khan – Pakistan’s vice-captain and all-rounder earned his upgrade.
📈 All five moved from Category C to Category B, proving PCB’s willingness to reward rising talent and consistent performers.
🔄 Players Who Retained Their Contracts
Nine players kept their spots in the same categories as last year. These include:
- Abdullah Shafique – Consistent Test opener.
- Khurram Shahzad – Upcoming fast bowler.
- Mohammad Abbas Afridi – Known for his wicket-taking in domestic and franchise leagues.
- Mohammad Wasim Jnr – Young pace-bowling all-rounder.
- Noman Ali – Veteran spinner, reliable in Tests.
- Sajid Khan – Off-spinner with red-ball potential.
- Saud Shakeel – Pakistan’s most consistent Test batsman of late.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi – Despite being demoted, retained a contract.
- Abdullah Shafique – Solid across formats.
This reflects PCB’s desire to keep stability in the squad while still promoting emerging players.
❌ Players Who Missed Out This Year
Eight unlucky players have been completely dropped from the central contracts list:
- Aamir Jamal
- Haseebullah
- Kamran Ghulam
- Mir Hamza
- Mohammad Ali
- Mohammad Huraira
- Muhammad Irfan Khan
- Usman Khan
These players, mostly from Category D, will now have to fight harder in domestic cricket to regain their contracts in the future.
📜 Final Central Contract List 2025–26
Here’s the complete breakdown of categories announced by PCB:
🅱️ Category B
- Abrar Ahmed
- Babar Azam
- Fakhar Zaman
- Haris Rauf
- Hasan Ali
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Ali Agha
- Shadab Khan
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
🅲 Category C
- Abdullah Shafique
- Faheem Ashraf
- Hasan Nawaz
- Mohammad Haris
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Naseem Shah
- Noman Ali
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Sajid Khan
- Saud Shakeel
🅳 Category D
- Ahmed Daniyal
- Hussain Talat
- Khurram Shahzad
- Khushdil Shah
- Mohammad Abbas
- Mohammad Abbas Afridi
- Mohammad Wasim Jnr
- Salman Mirza
- Shan Masood
- Sufyan Moqim
🔍 What This Means for Pakistan Cricket
The absence of Category A sends a very clear message from PCB:
👉 No one is bigger than performance.
👉 Every player has to earn their spot year after year.
👉 Youngsters like Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed are seen as the future of Pakistan cricket.
For Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen, this could serve as a wake-up call. While their demotion doesn’t take away their star power, it does highlight PCB’s new performance-first approach.
💬 Fan Reactions
Fans on social media reacted in mixed ways:
- Some argued it was disrespectful to legends like Babar and Rizwan.
- Others praised PCB for finally being bold enough to prioritize performance.
- Memes flooded Twitter, especially targeting the fact that no Category A exists anymore. 😂
Clearly, this decision has sparked debates that will continue for weeks.
🏆 Final Thoughts
PCB’s 2025–26 central contract list is a landmark announcement that signals a shift in cricketing culture.
- ✅ The promotion of young talent shows that Pakistan is investing in the future.
- ✅ The demotion of senior stars highlights a merit-based approach.
- ✅ The dropping of underperformers sends a clear warning: perform or perish.
While fans may disagree, there’s no doubt that this decision could fuel motivation among the players to give their best in upcoming series, the Asia Cup, and the 2025 ICC tournaments.
👉 Whether this bold step pays off or backfires will be revealed in the coming months.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. 🤔 Why were Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan moved to Category B?
A: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) clarified that the restructuring is based on performance, workload management, and financial balancing. Despite being Pakistan’s star trio, Babar, Shaheen, and Rizwan were shifted to Category B as part of a revised approach where no player currently holds the A category. This move emphasizes performance-based rewards rather than past reputation.
Q2. 🏏 Who are the biggest winners in the new PCB central contracts list?
A: The biggest winners are Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shadab Khan. All five earned promotions from Category C to Category B owing to their consistent performances in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is over the past year.
Q3. ❌ Which players missed out on central contracts for 2025–26?
A: Eight players failed to secure contracts this year, including Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan. All were previously in Category D and could not retain their spots.
Q4. 💰 What benefits do PCB central contracts provide players?
A: PCB central contracts include monthly retainers, match fees, performance bonuses, and other allowances such as travel, medical support, and fitness assistance. The higher the category, the greater the financial perks and security.
Q5. 🔮 What does this mean for Pakistan cricket’s future?
A: This new structure signals that the PCB is resetting its reward system to prioritize current performance and emerging talent. It gives younger players like Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed more recognition while pushing senior players to maintain consistency if they wish to be upgraded again.