Babar, Rizwan alone in top category as PCB awarded men's central contracts for 2024-25 season

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday also awarded the men's central contracts for 2024-25 to 25 cricketers, which have been effective since 1 July 2024. Five players have been offered the contract for the first time - Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Usman Khan have been placed in Category D.

Pakistan's Test skipper Shan Masood, who led the side to their first long-format series win since July 2023 this week, keeps his spot in Category B. Babar Azam, who was dropped from the second and third Test matches against England, his position in the highest category retained. Meanwhile, pacer Shaheen Afridi has been dropped to the second category. Mohammad Rizwan became the only other category A player along with Babar.

On the other hand, Fakhar Zaman missed out on the central contract for the first time in eight years. According to ESPNcricinfo, there were reported to be concerns over his fitness, though his relationship with the PCB has deteriorated of late. Earlier in the day, Pakistan announced 15-member squads for white-ball series tours to Australia and Zimbabwe starting from November 4 onwards, with star batter Babar Azam being rested from the Zimbabwe tour.

Mohammad Rizwan will be available for both Australia matches and the Zimbabwe ODIs but will not participate in the T20Is. Pakistan will also have three debutants in their midst - Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf and Sufyan Moqim, while Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Saim Ayub have joined the ODI squad for the first time.

Category A: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Category B: Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood.

Category C: Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan.

Category D: Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Usman Khan. (ANI)