ISLAMABAD: Mohammad Rizwan, the former Pakistan limited-overs captain, has not yet signed the central contract offered by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), according to sources familiar with the matter. The wicketkeeper-batsman has reportedly put forward some demands, which the PCB has not yet accepted.
Rizwan, who was replaced as ODI captain by Shaheen Afridi, was among 30 Pakistan players who received central contracts for the upcoming 2025–26 international season, spanning from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. He was assigned to the B category, along with nine other players including Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Afridi.
Interestingly, no players have been placed in the A category for this period. All other contracted players have signed their agreements, but Rizwan remains unsigned, reportedly due to specific requests made to the PCB.The PCB has declined to accept Rizwan’s demands, and there appears to be no indication that they will be approved in the immediate future, the sources added.
This development comes ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming ODI series against South Africa, beginning November 3, where Rizwan has been named in the 16-member squad. He was also part of the Test team that withdrew from a two-match series, which ended in a 1-1 draw, with Rizwan scoring 126 runs across four innings at an average of 31.5.
The PCB categorized the 30 players into three groups—B, C, and D—since no player was selected for the elite A category.Category B (9 players): Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Category C (10 players): Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel.Category D (10 players): Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, Sufyan Moqim.
