Once again, Pakistan’s cricket setup has been rocked by internal controversy, and this time around, it is the wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan who has reportedly declined to sign his central contract for the 2025-26 season with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
As per various reports, Rizwan is the only player out of roughly 30 that received new contracts and has not yet signed. He was categorized under B in the new contract system after the PCB eliminated Category A completely, a decision that resulted in many veteran players being lowered in rank.
What’s Behind the Refusal
The decision made by Rizwan is thought to be linked to a combination of complaints. The most important one being:
- A while back, he was the captain of Pakistan in ODIs and for a short period in T20s but lately, he lost those positions of leadership as the board appointed Shaheen Shah Afridi to take his place as the new ODI captain.
- His getting knocked off from the “top category” and being pushed down to Category B has been one more reason for his annoyance: Rizwan was said to have demanded his former status back and asked for more clarification regarding captaincy and contract terms.
- The word out is that Rizwan is looking for some promises to be made: a well-defined term for the captain, time to realize his vision, and acknowledgement and respect for the experienced players.
Why This Matters
This particular occurrence gives an insight into the fundamental structural and leadership problems within the cricket system of Pakistan. The act of the PCB to do away with Category A completely and to lower the rank of the senior players indicates a change in strategy, possibly giving precedence to younger talents and managing costs.
The non-acceptance of Rizwan is adding up as another point to the existing dissatisfaction of the players in the team. Coupled with changing leadership and contract structures, the scenario is making one wonder about the relations between the players and the board, team stability and the future of the national setup.
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Why they removed Category A
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made it clear that no player has been able to reach the standard of “undisputed world-class” this time, which is a pretty strong message that even the most renowned players have to perform consistently well if they want to be in the uppermost tier.
Moreover, the board wanted to enlarge the group of players with contracts and to give a boost to the overall talent in the future; thus, they allowed 30 players instead of 27 and distributed them in Categories B, C, and D, with no one in Category A.
What amounts they are paying for Categories B, C and D
- Category B players: PKR 3 million per month.
- Category C players: PKR 2.5 million per month (up from PKR 2 million).
- Category D players: PKR 1.5 million per month (up from PKR 1.2 million).
What’s Next
Although the PCB has not officially confirmed that the PCB will meet Rizwan’s demands, Sources report that the board is not willing to change the contract structure at this time. In the meantime, Rizwan is still one of the players being considered for selection in the team, even though his public stance may affect his future role in the squad.
List of this year’s centrally contacted players:
Category B (10 players): Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi
Category C (10 players): Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, 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, Sufyan Moqim
Written By:- Manjunath S