Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan furious with demotion in Pakistani contracts, can withdraw

Pakistan cricket team stars Babar Azam and captain Mohammad Rizwan are reportedly upset over their demotion in the central contracts. In the fresh list that was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on August 20, no stars were slotted in the A category while seniors like Rizwan and Babar were demoted to the B category. The duo are reportedly furious over the move and are reportedly contemplating withdrawing from the contracts.

Babar, Rizwan furious with PCB

As per Cricket Pakistan, Rizwan and Babar are reportedly angry with the PCB over the lack of reasoning given for their demotion. The stars allegedly exchanged their frustrations via direct messages. The report further claimed that both Rizwan and Azam are contemplating withdrawing from the contracts in the near future.

For years, Category A was reserved for Pakistan’s big guns. Babar and Rizwan, who carried that distinction just last year, now find themselves in Category B. Both men remain central to Pakistan’s cricketing identity, but their demotion comes after the duo was dropped from Pakistan’s Asia Cup squad as well.

Babar has been struggling to break free from the shackles of poor form across all formats of the game. He last slammed a century back in 2023 against Nepal in the Asia Cup. Meanwhile, despite being the ODI captain, Rizwan has been demoted in the contracts. It is pertinent to point out that the duo have been sidelined from T20Is since December 2024.

The expanded list features 12 new faces, including Ahmed Daniyal, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris and Sufyan Moqim. It is a mix that highlights Pakistan’s intent to freshen up the squad with aggressive options across formats. Five names have earned promotions, among them Abrar Ahmed and Haris Rauf, rewarded for consistent performances in 2024–25.