PCB Dismisses Rumors of Captaincy Changes, Confirms New Central Contracts
Speculation has been swirling across social media and mainstream outlets suggesting that Salman Ali Agha might be considered to lead Pakistan’s ODI side in place of Mohammad Rizwan, while Saud Shakeel could replace Shan Masood as Test captain.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has firmly rejected these claims. In a statement on X, the board clarified that neither topic was discussed in the recent selection committee meeting, nor has there been any change to any player’s central contract category. The PCB described all such reports as “baseless.”
Earlier, the PCB unveiled the updated men’s central contracts for the upcoming year, expanding the roster from 27 to 30 players. Notably, star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been moved down a category, according to reports.
The new structure places players into Categories B, C, and D based on performance, with 10 players in each group. The previous Category A, reserved for top performers, has been abolished.
As a result, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have shifted from the former top tier to Category B, joining Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha.
Category C now includes Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Sajid Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz, and Noman Ali.
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