The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the central contracts for the 2025-26 season, resulting in demotions and reduced salaries for key players. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have both been moved from Category A to Category B, meaning they will receive less compensation. The PCB also surprisingly demoted Shaheen Afridi from Category A. Notably, no player currently holds a Category A contract.
The PCB has offered central contracts to a total of 30 players, categorized into three groups. Category B includes Babar Azam, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Sam Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha, among others. Category C features players like Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah, Saud Shakeel, and Mohammad Haris. Additionally, players such as Sufiyan Muqeem, Salman Mirza, and Hussain Talat have received their first central contracts.
The specific players included in the PCB central contracts are as follows:
**Category B:** Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Sam 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:** Ahmad Danial, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, and Sufiyan Muqeem.
Besides Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, three other players have also been demoted. Test captain Shan Masood has been moved from Category B to D, while fast bowler Naseem Shah has been demoted from Category B to C, and Shaheen Shah Afridi has been demoted from Grade A to Grade B.