The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled its central contracts list for the 2024-25 season on Sunday, featuring captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan in the top category. The announcement comes ahead of Pakistan's upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, set to begin on November 4.
The new contracts, effective from July 1, 2024, include a total of 25 players. This year, the PCB has opted for 12-month contracts, a change from the three-year agreements offered before the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Notably absent from the new contracts are Babar's close friends, Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Ali, along with several others, including Imam-ul-Haq, Zaman Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Imad Wasim.
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Among the significant changes, Test captain Shan Masood has been promoted from Category D to B after leading Pakistan to a 2-1 series victory over England at home. Young fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have been demoted to Category B.
The PCB has also awarded central contracts for the first time to five emerging players: Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan, all placed in Category D.
Central Contract List for Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team 2024-25
| Category | Players |
|---|
| A | Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan |
| B | Shan Masood, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi |
| C | Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan |
| D | Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr |
