PCB awards central contracts to five key players in men’s cricket

While Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan retain top spots in Category A, fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have been moved down to Category B, along with Test captain Shan Masood. The trio and Babar were also sidelined during the second and third Tests against England.

In a significant move to support emerging talent, the PCB has awarded central contracts to five young players—Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan, placing them in Category D. Category C features nine players, including Haris Rauf, Abdullah Shafique, and Shadab Khan, while Category D, with the largest group of 11 players, reflects PCB’s investment in potential future stars.

Several seasoned players, such as spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, along with opener Abdullah Shafique and Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel, have been relegated to Category C, marking a restructuring as PCB responds to recent international outcomes.

List of centrally contracted players:

Category A (2): Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan

Category B (3): Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood

Category C (9): Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan

Category D (11): Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Usman Khan