The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has offered Mohammad Rizwan, their premier batsman and wicketkeeper, a new central contract for the 2025–2026 season, but Mohammad has reportedly declined. Following major structural changes to the central contract structure and recent captaincy reshuffles, the board and senior players clashed, leading to the decision.
Pakistan’s top players, including Mohammad, Babar Azam, and Shaheen Afridi, were previously eligible to play in the elite Category A, but the PCB recently changed its central contract policy, according to several reports. All three have been downgraded to Category B in the new system, along with a number of other senior players. There are now 30 contractual players instead of only 27, split evenly across Categories B, C, and D. Interestingly, nobody was kept in the now-defunct top tier.
Out of the 30 contractual cricket players, Rizwan is the only one who has managed to hold out. Rizwan has been a reliable performer for Pakistan in all formats. Rizwan is not happy with his relegation, according to people familiar with the situation, and he has presented the PCB with certain demands. He allegedly bemoaned the board’s frequent leadership changes and perceived lack of player empowerment, calling for larger autonomy and stability for national captains and the restoration of Category A for veteran players.
Pakistan’s 16-man ODI team for the South Africa series includes Rizwan.
Babar was replaced as captain across forms by Shaheen Shah Afridi following the 2023 ODI World Cup. But Shaheen’s tenure was short-lived as Babar was renamed in time for the 2024 T20 World Cup after just one series. When the batter resigned months later, Rizwan briefly became leadership of the ODI team. Both Babar and Rizwan had been ousted from leadership positions by the middle of 2025; Shaheen Afridi and Agha Salman were now in charge in separate capacities. The frequent changes in leadership positions caused Rizwan to become frustrated. His abrupt dismissal as ODI captain and his absence from the T20I lineup since late 2024 exacerbated the already escalating tension.
The PCB is allegedly unwilling to comply with Rizwan’s demands in the meanwhile. Authorities have insisted that the reorganization was a component of a larger policy change aimed at rewarding reliable performance and elevating up-and-coming talent. In spite of the controversy, Rizwan was included in Pakistan’s 16-man team, which is led by Shaheen Afridi, for the forthcoming ODI series against South Africa, which begins on November 3.
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