Babar Azam may lose top PCB contract spot

Former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam may struggle to retain his place in the top category of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contracts, following a dip in form over recent months.

Sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday that the new central contract list is in its final stages and is expected to be announced next week.

They added that significant changes are under consideration, with several players likely to be promoted while others could lose their contracts altogether.

According to insiders, Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed are among the names being considered for an upgrade to the higher categories.

Meanwhile, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali and Khushdil Shah are also expected to secure contracts under the revised list.

New names likely to appear include Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz and Sufiyan Muqeem, reflecting the PCB’s efforts to reward recent performers and encourage emerging talent.

However, not all players are set to benefit. Usman Khan, Haseebullah and Khurram Shahzad may be left out of the new structure, sources indicated.

The shake-up comes as the PCB seeks to restructure its contract system, giving more weight to current performance and potential rather than past records.

For Babar Azam, once the automatic choice for the top bracket, this development signals a challenging phase in his career, as selectors weigh his recent form against expectations.