Overview:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially responded to widespread speculation surrounding the leadership roles of Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially responded to widespread speculation surrounding the leadership roles of Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan. Contrary to circulating rumours, the board has clarified that there are no plans to strip Shan from the Test captaincy or Rizwan from his position in the ODI setup.
As reported by Geo Super, PCB sources have labelled the claims as baseless, stating that no internal talks have taken place about appointing Saud Shakeel as Test captain or replacing Rizwan with Salman Ali Agha in the 50-over format. Rizwan’s omission from the squad for the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup had triggered speculation about a potential change in leadership.
In a separate development, the PCB recently unveiled its latest central contracts list. Former white-ball captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan were both moved to Category B. Interestingly, the board found no player who was deserving of the top-tier category this time. Instead, the revised list features 30 cricketers in B, C, and D categories.
“The contracts, valid from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, demonstrate the board’s ongoing commitment to acknowledging and supporting national talent. This year’s list includes ten players each in categories B, C, and D, while notably, no player has been awarded a category A contract in this cycle,” the PCB announced in a media release.
The board has not revealed the financial details of the new deals. The demotion for Babar Azam and Rizwan reportedly stems from their repeated failures, including the T20 World Cup, the ICC Champions Trophy, and bilateral series against Bangladesh and the West Indies.
On the other hand, Salman Ali Agha, who currently leads Pakistan in T20Is, received a promotion from category C to B. Saim Ayub and fast bowler Haris Rauf also climbed the ranks.
The PCB has increased the number of centrally contracted players from 27 to 30, introducing 12 new names.