Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the central contracts for the 2025-26 season with some major changes. Star players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been demoted while no cricketer has been placed in Category A this year. Instead, ten players each have been included in Categories B, C, and D. The list covers 30 players in total, compared to 27 last year, and will be effective from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. The board says the expansion is aimed at strengthening squad depth and focusing on future development. Twelve new players have been added to the contracts, including 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.
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, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, and Saud Shakeel.
Category D (10 players): Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, and Sufyan Moqim.
