NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and present ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan have been demoted to Class ‘B’ within the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) newest record of central contracts, launched on Tuesday. For the 2025–26 cycle, the PCB has not positioned any participant within the high Class ‘A’, as an alternative distributing 30 cricketers throughout Classes B, C and D.“The contracts, efficient from July 1, 2025, by June 30, 2026, mirror the Board’s continued dedication to recognising and supporting nationwide expertise. This 12 months’s roster sees ten gamers every positioned in Classes B, C, and D. Notably, no participant has been chosen for Class A on this cycle,” the PCB stated in a media launch.The board didn’t disclose the monetary particulars of the contracts.Babar and Rizwan’s demotion comes after a string of underwhelming performances in main tournaments, together with the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, and bilateral sequence towards Bangladesh and the West Indies.In the meantime, T20 captain Salman Ali Agha has been promoted from Class C to B, whereas opener Saim Ayub and pacer Haris Rauf have additionally moved up the ladder.The PCB has expanded its pool of contracted gamers from 27 final 12 months to 30 this 12 months, introducing 12 new names: 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.Pakistan Cricket Board’s newest record of central contracts:
| Class B | Class C | Class D |
|---|---|---|
| Abrar Ahmed | Abdullah Shafique | Ahmed Daniyal |
| Babar Azam | Faheem Ashraf | Hussain Talat |
| Fakhar Zaman | Hasan Nawaz | Khurram Shahzad |
| Haris Rauf | Mohammad Haris | Khushdil Shah |
| Hasan Ali | Mohammad Nawaz | Mohammad Abbas |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Naseem Shah | Mohammad Abbas Afridi |
| Saim Ayub | Noman Ali | Mohammad Wasim Jnr |
| Salman Ali Agha | Sahibzada Farhan | Salman Mirza |
| Shadab Khan | Sajid Khan | Shan Masood |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Saud Shakeel | Sufyan Moqim |
9 gamers have retained their locations in the identical classes, together with Abdullah Shafique (Class C), Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr (all in Class D), together with Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel (all in Class C), and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Class B).Alternatively, eight gamers have been dropped from the central contracts record: Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan — all of whom had been beforehand in Class D.