On August 19, 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced its central contracts for the 2025-26 season, effective from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The roster of 30 players includes significant changes, with Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam shifting from Category A to Category B, and Shan Masood dropping from Category B to Category D.
The PCB expanded its contract pool from 27 to 30 players, introducing 12 new additions: Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim. Five players—Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shadab Khan—earned promotions from Category C to Category B due to strong performances.
🚨 3️⃣0️⃣ players have been awarded central contracts for the 2025-26 international season 📝
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/g9epcZUovJ pic.twitter.com/2JGR7kId1Y
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 19, 2025Nine players retained their previous categories: Abdullah Shafique, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. However, eight players, including Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, and Kamran Ghulam, were excluded from this year’s contracts.
- 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
The absence of a Category A designation reflects the PCB’s focus on performance-based evaluations, with Rizwan and Azam’s downgrade signalling heightened expectations. The inclusion of new talent and promotions for consistent performers like Saim Ayub highlights the board’s strategy to nurture emerging stars while rewarding reliability.
The 2025-26 contracts set the stage for Pakistan’s upcoming international fixtures, with players like Rizwan and Azam expected to lead despite their category shift. The PCB’s expanded roster aims to balance experience and youth, positioning the team for success in global competitions.
