Pakistan Cricket Board Announces 2024-25 Contracts

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced significant changes to its central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, affecting 25 players. Shaheen Shah Afridi has been demoted from Category A to Category B, while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan remain in the top tier. Several prominent players, including Fakhar Zaman and Sarfaraz Ahmed, have been excluded from the contracts entirely, with Fakhar missing out for the first time in eight years. The new contract system emphasizes player performance, fitness, and participation in domestic cricket, reflecting the PCB's commitment to fostering emerging talent. New entrants in the contract list include Khurram Shahzad and Muhammad Abbas Afridi, among others, categorized in D. This restructuring follows Pakistan's underwhelming performance at the 2024 T20 World Cup.