The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed its central contracts for the 2025-26 season, encompassing 30 players. Notably, no player has been included in Category A this time. Prominent cricketers like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been demoted from Category A to Category B. However, the overall list of central contracts has been expanded from 27 to 30 players. Among these, 13 players are new additions, not previously included in the central contract list.
The PCB has added several new names to the central contract team. These include Hasan Nawaz, Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, and Sufiyan Muqeem. Young batsman Hasan Nawaz’s recent outstanding performance has earned him his first central contract. Sufiyan Muqeem also makes his debut on this list.
On the other hand, experienced bowlers Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, and Mohammad Abbas have made a comeback, improving their form. Mohammad Haris also missed out on a central contract last time. Hussain Talat and Khushdil Shah are included this time. Fakhar Zaman, who missed out on a central contract in 2024 after eight years, has returned to Grade B. Conversely, players like Amir Jamal, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Irfan Khan Niazi, and Usman Khan have been excluded from receiving central contracts this time.
PCB 2025-26 Central Contract List
Grade B: Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Grade C: Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, and Saud Shakeel
Grade D: Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, and Sufiyan Muqeem.