Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been hit by back to back setbacks just ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, which will be starting from September 9. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took a bold decision to demote senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the newly announced central contracts. Both the batters have been shifted from Category A to Category B which comes as a big shocker.
Both Rizwan and Babar were key figures in Pakistan’s T20 setup and they were once regarded as match-winners. But the impression has changed, the duo have been struggling with poor form and have failed to perform in the major ICC tournaments. In the recent ODI series against West Indies, they were miserable following which Rizwan and Babar got excluded from the Asia Cup 2025 squad.
Also Read: AUS Vs SA: Kagiso Rabada Ruled Out Of ODI Series, Kwena Maphaka Called Up As Replacement
One of the most shocking announcements that came was – there was no player included in category A.
| Category B | Category C | Category D |
|---|---|---|
| Abrar Ahmed | Abdullah Shafique | Ahmed Daniyal |
| Babar Azam | Faheem Ashraf | Hussain Talat |
| Fakhar Zaman | Hasan Nawaz | Khurram Shahzad |
| Haris Rauf | Mohammad Haris | Khushdil Shah |
| Hasan Ali | Mohammad Nawaz | Mohammad Abbas |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Naseem Shah | Mohammad Abbas Afridi |
| Saim Ayub | Noman Ali | Mohammad Wasim Jr |
| Salman Ali Agha | Sahibzada Farhan | Salman Mirza |
| Shadab Khan | Sajid Khan | Shan Masood |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Saud Shakeel | Sufyan Moqim |
Also Read: AUS Vs SA: Kagiso Rabada Ruled Out Of ODI Series, Kwena Maphaka Called Up As Replacement
Pakistan’s ODI performance has been downright abysmal with only 2 wins in 11 matches. The T20I record is a little more encouraging, with 7 victories and 7 defeats from 14 matches, but nowhere near what the top cricketing nation should be looking for.
