The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the central contracts for men’s cricketers for the year 2025–26. This time, the board has made a major change by not placing any player in the prestigious Category A. Instead, the contracts have been divided equally among Categories B, C, and D, with ten players in each group.
This year, the PCB has expanded the pool of centrally contracted players from 27 (last year) to 30, bringing in fresh talent while also rewarding consistent performers. Out of these, 12 cricketers have received central contracts for the very first time, which highlights the board’s focus on giving opportunities to new and emerging players.
New Faces in the Contracts
The fresh names added to the list include 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. Their inclusion reflects the PCB’s strategy of encouraging both young players and experienced domestic performers who can strengthen Pakistan’s bench strength.
Players Who Earned Promotions
Performance has been rewarded in this year’s list. Five players—Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shadab Khan—have all been promoted from Category C to Category B, following their strong displays in recent international and domestic matches.
Players Retaining Their Spots
Nine cricketers have managed to keep their places in the same categories as last year. Among them are Abdullah Shafique in Category C, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr in Category D. Similarly, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Saud Shakeel remain in Category C, while Pakistan’s star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi continues in Category B.
Players Dropped from Contracts
On the other hand, eight players who were part of last year’s central contracts have not been included this time. These are Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan. All of them were in Category D previously, but the PCB has decided not to offer them contracts for the 2025–26 season, possibly due to performance issues or lack of consistent opportunities.
Contract Duration
The newly announced contracts will be valid for one full year, starting from July 1, 2025, and ending on June 30, 2026.
Final List of Centrally Contracted Players (2025–26)
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
This new central contracts list shows the PCB’s effort to balance experience with new talent. The absence of Category A may be surprising to many fans, but it also indicates that the board wants to keep performance as the main standard for recognition rather than seniority.
READ MORE: India Media Criticizes Pakistan for Dropping Babar Azam from Asia Cup
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