Star players felt 'disrespected, shocked' after PCB's decision to remove Category A contracts

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly shocked senior players by removing Category A from the central contract, which went into force on July 1, 2025, and lasted until June 30, 2026. The only two players in Category A the previous season were Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. On Tuesday, the PCB announced the news as 30 male cricketers received their contracts.

PCB increased the pool to 30 players, including 12 new recruits, from the 27 players on the contract list from the previous year. These players were split equally between B, C, and D categories. Interestingly, this cycle has seen no player nominated for Category A.

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Cricket Pakistan reported that senior players, who want to remain anonymous, "were not only shocked but also displeased, feeling disrespected." It also stated that some of these cricketers even contemplated rejecting the central contract after venting their frustrations to one another in private discussions. For those who are unaware, a player does not need a central contract to represent the nation.