Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) announcement of central contracts for the 2025–26 season has sent shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity. At the heart of the storm is the demotion of two of Pakistan’s most celebrated cricketers, Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan, from the prestigious Category A to Category B. The decision, arriving just days after their controversial exclusion from Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, marks a seismic shift in Pakistan cricket’s direction and has sharply divided fans on social media.
Babar Azam & Muhammad Rizwan demoted in the PCB central contracts
For years, Azam and Rizwan stood as the faces of Pakistan’s batting order, dominating across formats and consistently carrying the nation’s hopes. Their fall from grace is nothing short of dramatic. Once the only two players in Category A, the duo now find themselves grouped with Category B names such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and promising spinner Abrar Ahmed.
The decision stems from a shift in philosophy. Chief selector Aqib Javed has openly criticized the duo’s T20I strike rates — Babar’s 129 and Rizwan’s 125 — arguing that they no longer fit into Pakistan’s new “aggressive cricket” blueprint. With neither featuring in T20Is since late 2024, their omission from the Asia Cup and subsequent contract downgrade feels like the PCB drawing a definitive line under an era.
The backlash has been swift. Fans question whether the PCB acted too harshly, while former pacer Tanveer Ahmed has even suggested the pair consider retirement if they feel disrespected, comparing their predicament to how Virat Kohli carefully managed his career transitions.
Breaking down the contracts: Money, status, and recognition
Central contracts in Pakistan cricket are more than a paycheck — they are a marker of status, recognition, and influence. Traditionally, Category A contracts, worth PKR 4.5 million per month (approx. $15,590), have been reserved for the nation’s true superstars. By contrast, Category B contracts provide PKR 3 million monthly, with Categories C and D ranging between PKR 0.75 million to 1.5 million.
In addition to salaries, centrally contracted players also receive a 3% share of the PCB’s annual ICC revenue distribution, further reinforcing the prestige attached to these deals.
The 2025–26 list, however, signals sweeping change. For the first time in recent memory, no player occupies Category A. The PCB has instead chosen to spread recognition more widely, expanding the pool from 27 to 30 players. Twelve new names, including Ahmed Daniyal, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Abbas, and Sufyan Moqim, have earned maiden contracts. Meanwhile, performers like Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shadab Khan have been rewarded with promotions from Category C to B.
At the same time, eight players from the previous cycle — including Aamir Jamal, Kamran Ghulam, and Usman Khan — lost their contracts altogether, underlining the ruthlessness of Pakistan’s current selection policy.
The most telling signal, however, is the deliberate absence of any Category A players. By eliminating the top bracket, the PCB appears intent on avoiding untouchable superstars and reinforcing a merit-based system, no matter how big a player’s past contributions have been.
Also READ: 3 key reasons why Pakistan’s exclusion of Babar Azam from the Asia Cup 2025 squad is a right call
Here’s how fans reacted:
OFFICIAL – PCB HAS DEMOTED BABAR AZAM AND MUHAMMAD RIZWAN TO THE B CATEGORY IN CENTRAL CONTRACT. pic.twitter.com/FPWfuMa5Rj
— Furqan👑🖤 (@furqan_ashfaq77) August 19, 2025
⚡️’Follow Kohli’s Path’
Tanveer Ahmed Urges Babar Azam & Rizwan to Retire from International Cricket pic.twitter.com/UvudGNY4WV
— The Great India (@thegreatindiav) August 19, 2025
سلمان آغا تینوں فارمیٹ میں ٹیم کا مستقل رکن بھی ہے اور ایک فارمیٹ میں ٹیم کا کپتان بھی ہے۔
جب یہی پرو فائیل رضوان اور بابر کا تھا تو وہ دونوں اے کیٹگری میں تھے۔
سلمان آغا کے ساتھ زیادتی ہے اسکو اے کیٹگری میں ہونا چاہیے تھا۔
لگتا بابر/رضوان کو برابر کرنے کیلیے سلمان B میں رکھا
— 🏏علی شیر پنڈت (@cric_pundit) August 19, 2025
🚨 BIG NEWS -Babar Azam, M Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi dropped from Category-A in Central Contracts 2025-26. #PakistanCricket #BabarAzam pic.twitter.com/fwGhJq0sUZ
— Behram Khan Sanzar (@behramsanzar7) August 19, 2025
List of this year’s centrally contacted players:
Category B (10 players): Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Category C (10 players): Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf,… pic.twitter.com/MtkQ975aw2
— Kashif (@cricstate) August 19, 2025
Harsh truth🔥🇵🇰
30 names, zero worthy of Category A!
Performance-based central contracts mean if you can’t win for Pakistan, inconsistency will drag you down. Once pillars, Babar & Rizwan now look like bricks.#PakistanCricket #BabarAzam #Rizwan #CentralContracts #PCB #Cricket pic.twitter.com/Ps4UYDIa50— Usman Khan (@usmann_khann) August 19, 2025
PCB themselves has admitted that they don’t have any A grade player. Players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi have also been thrown into the B category.
What a downfall of Pakistan cricket as well players. pic.twitter.com/TOWngkEaRV
— Satya Prakash (@_SatyaPrakash08) August 19, 2025
🚨 BIG NEWS -Babar Azam, M Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi dropped from Category-A in Central Contracts 2025-26. #PakistanCricket #BabarAzam #zonauang #helevier pic.twitter.com/Pairne5Hlw
— CricSter (@CricsterWorld) August 19, 2025
Babar Azam and Rizwan dropped from A to B category.. not a single player was able to make it to A category so A category spot remain blank .. while 12 new inductions and 8 players were dropped frm CC#Cricket #PCB #BabarAzam𓃵 pic.twitter.com/lPUSBjjilb
— Shakeel Khan Khattak (@ShakeelktkKhan) August 19, 2025
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan demoted to Category B in PCB central contract. pic.twitter.com/gpn6Z1rsvd
— 𝐅 𝐀 𝐈 𝐙 𝐀 𝐍 💫🇵🇰 (@Faizanali_152) August 19, 2025
Also READ: Fans react as Pakistan drop Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from Asia Cup 2025 squad
