The newest contract announcement of the Pakistan Cricket Board has led dissatisfaction with senior players. On Tuesday, PCB confirmed central contracts for 30 male cricketers for the period 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. But unlike in previous years, there was no category A, so big names were left behind such as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Last season, Babar and Rizwan were the only players in category A. This time both were moved to category B, while the entire Pool is the same divided into categories B, C and D.
A total of 12 new players have been added compared to the 27 contracted last year. According to Cricket Pakistan, senior players were “not only shocked but also dissatisfied, not respected.”
Some of them reportedly discussed to reject their contracts, although players can still represent Pakistan, even without one. The board informed players a day before through an official call, but there were no selectors present to explain the move.
The report also hinted at internal mutter of favoritism, with claims that a few names were promoted under the influence of bowling coach Aaqib Javed and head coach Mike Hesson.
For example, questions were asked about the recording of Fahraf Ashraf, despite playing only nine T20is this year, where he scored 97 points and grabbed six wickets.
PCB sources, however, denied such allegations. They insisted that “100% merit was followed” and that the categories of players will improve as their performance improves in the future.
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