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Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi relegated to category B as Pakistan Men’s Central Contracts announced for 2025-26 season

zaidihusain said:
Absolutely and also Shadab has no plans to play test cricket. His focus is only on T20s and leagues. He should be in maximum D category. Unfortunately PCB is wasting money on many players in Category B & C who are not going to add any value to Pakistan cricket
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I think Sajid and noman + saud should have been there..
 
BouncerGuy said:
I think Sajid and noman + saud should have been there..
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The PCB need to make a model where it’s the T20 revenue generated that pays the big contracts in Test. And established Test cricketers are definitely Cat A.

I don’t understand this horse…where you get a category according to how many formats you feature in.

How is it that a guy who plays T20 and is incapable of playing Test is awarded the same contract as a guy who is only capable of playing Test cricket? Both feature in one format. Both are cat C. That’s ridiculous.
 
If the budget is to pay £100 per player (an example),

The established Test player should get £60

The ODI player should get £30

The T20 player should get £10


You want £60 payday? Prove you are good enough to play the toughest format!
 
Rana said:
The PCB need to make a model where it’s the T20 revenue generated that pays the big contracts in Test. And established Test cricketers are definitely Cat A.

I don’t understand this horse…where you get a category according to how many formats you feature in.

How is it that a guy who plays T20 and is incapable of playing Test is awarded the same contract as a guy who is only capable of playing Test cricket? Both feature in one format. Both are cat C. That’s ridiculous.
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Yep.. There should be some sort of model to deal with such things...
 
Rana said:
You had no issue when Rizwan was made category A whilst not even being fit to play one format lol

Let me find the threads from 2022-23 where this guy was given the Cat A. Let’s see how much crying you have done in those threads!
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Why would he have any issues? Just look at his old classic PFP? Probably changed it due to Rizzu losing relevance now.

Caved is a bit too close minded in his approach towards cricket I'm afraid
 
Lol at Dr Nauman Niaz and Rashid Latif parroting the same narrative and conspiracy that Babar, Rizwan are paying the price for saying no to accepting sponsorship from the betting, surrogate advertising companies in the PSL
 
Savak said:
Lol at Dr Nauman Niaz and Rashid Latif parroting the same narrative and conspiracy that Babar, Rizwan are paying the price for saying no to accepting sponsorship from the betting, surrogate advertising companies in the PSL
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They pull this narrative out when the main one fails.

The main one is “Pakistan need Babar and Rizwan at all costs because the guys replacing them are useless”
 
I think rightfully your captain should be in category A but here we have situation the captain is in category D what does this tell you why is a captain regarded as a category D player he's is your leader how can he lead players who are considered better than him.
 
People are wasting too much time and energy trying to apply logic to an illogical situation.

When have these central contracts ever made sense or followed any clear rationale ?

Everyone can see PCB are making it up as they go along. Look at the Champions Cup and mentors - introduced with much fanfare but scrapped after one season.
 
Markhor said:
People are wasting too much time and energy trying to apply logic to an illogical situation.

When have these central contracts ever made sense or followed any clear rationale ?

Everyone can see PCB are making it up as they go along. Look at the Champions Cup and mentors - introduced with much fanfare but scrapped after one season.
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The Champions Cup was scrapped because Naqvi has badly mis managed the PCB's finances and any reporter who pinpoints this out is targeted by the PCB and PDM.
 
Markhor said:
People are wasting too much time and energy trying to apply logic to an illogical situation.

When have these central contracts ever made sense or followed any clear rationale ?

Everyone can see PCB are making it up as they go along. Look at the Champions Cup and mentors - introduced with much fanfare but scrapped after one season.
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There is clear intent here to teach a few players a lesson. Only two cricketers have been slapped with an actual demotion here, and both have been unceremoniously dropped from the team by the PCB.
 
Slim said:
Fakhar’s removal was completely justified as he let his account get utilized by Saya mafia. You are under contract and cannot run your mouth on social media. Had Fakhar not been such a vital player he prolly would have been punished much worse.

Similar case with Jamal, even tho i am against his removal from the list of contracted players but invoking politics in cricket is a big no no. But i guess hes being punished too harshly and thats where PCB has gone OTT in his case.
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Nope. It wasn’t justified. You don’t drop players from central contract, keep them out of the team for years, damage team results just because of a tweet.
 
Mamoon said:
The only person making dumb statements is you, because you want to pass something as a “fact” even though it is just an assumption. It is just a theory.

Note that I am not saying that this wasn’t the reason why he was axed. I am saying that there is no evidence to support this assertion.

It may or may not be true, but you have brainwashed yourself into believing that this is the only reason why he was axed which is hilarious.

You are also failing to consider that Mike Hesson has coached Faheem in the PSL before, so perhaps he likes him as a player and wants to give him preference over another all-rounder?

Numbers? What numbers?

Amir Jamal averages 93 with the ball in T20Is. In the PSL this year, Faheem was far better than him.

But no, this can’t be it. The fact that he is worse than Faheem (who is a bad player anyway) in T20 cricket must not have anything to do with his non-selection.

It must be because he supports PTI because you and a couple of others have cooked up this theory.

With all due and undue respect, I don’t your intelligence highly enough to believe in your theories when there is no shred of evidence to support it. You can believe what you want to, but don’t sell it to me unless you come up with actual evidence.
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Looks like I hit a nerve, but who cares. You are one of the dumbest posters on PP, so you’d be the last person I’d seek intelligence ratings from. Also, I haven’t tried to sell you anything but only pointed out what’s obvious to see for everyone; except you. So, stick you sense of self-importance where the sun doesn’t shine.

you can say spew whatever drivel you want to, Jamal was rated highly after the Aus tour and had good numbers. Given how our team is not setting the world on fire especially in the test arena, it’s certainly a shocker her been completely dumped!
 
Obaidd said:
Shadab, Faheem, Hassan Ali, Haris Rauf are not Saya players?
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Faheem is I think

This was an issue during the 2023 World Cup

The accusation was that Inzimam, Rizwan, Babar slotted Faheem in for the Asia Cup (before the World Cup) favouring him because of his agency
 
Rana said:
Faheem is I think

This was an issue during the 2023 World Cup

The accusation was that Inzimam, Rizwan, Babar slotted Faheem in for the Asia Cup (before the World Cup) favouring him because of his agency
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Do you think Haris/Shadab/Hassan should be in category B when Saud and Shan are in category C and D?

I get your valid points for demotion of Babar and Riz.
 
Snowflake said:
Looks like I hit a nerve, but who cares. You are one of the dumbest posters on PP, so you’d be the last person I’d seek intelligence ratings from. Also, I haven’t tried to sell you anything but only pointed out what’s obvious to see for everyone; except you. So, stick you sense of self-importance where the sun doesn’t shine.

you can say spew whatever drivel you want to, Jamal was rated highly after the Aus tour and had good numbers. Given how our team is not setting the world on fire especially in the test arena, it’s certainly a shocker her been completely dumped!
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You wish you had hit a nerve, because that would mean that I would be taking you seriously. However, I cannot take you seriously when you want to pass around your assumption as facts.

A. Jamal is an average player who has been poor in T20s and even worse than Faheem who himself is poor, but no, he got axed because he is a PTI supporter.

No more replies unless I see something intelligent.
 
Obaidd said:
Do you think Haris/Shadab/Hassan should be in category B when Saud and Shan are in category C and D?

I get your valid points for demotion of Babar and Riz.
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Hassan Ali no.

Shadab and Rauf are clearly in the white ball plans. They will depend on those two going forward. Hassan Ali is one pasting away from being discarded indefinitely. He may have improved but he just isn’t capable of bowling to world elite batters anymore with his lack of pace.

Hesson likes Shadab. Aqib loves Rauf. They see these two as their key players.
 
Mamoon said:
You wish you had hit a nerve, because that would mean that I would be taking you seriously. However, I cannot take you seriously when you want to pass around your assumption as facts.

A. Jamal is an average player who has been poor in T20s and even worse than Faheem who himself is poor, but no, he got axed because he is a PTI supporter.

No more replies unless I see something intelligent.
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Jamal is pro IK. Faheem is pro Nawaz

Simple logical trail
 
Anytime, anywhere, in any situation, whether it’s sports or anything else, when someone new comes in and takes charge, the sensible thing is to give them the benefit of the doubt, wish them well, and hope for the best. Situations keep changing, and naturally, opinions and comments are made based on what’s happening at the time. You’d have to really go out of your way not to understand this.

My past comments were based on the circumstances back then, and they cannot be compared to what’s going on now. At that time, I supported certain decisions and hoped for the best, because that’s what any supporter is supposed to do when following a team. But the old post being quoted here has no relevance to what I’m saying today. Yet, as usual, some low IQ posters drag up old stuff when they’ve got nothing intelligent to add.

Back then, I said I was afraid things might eventually fall apart with the PCB and look how right I was. Right after that meeting, the decline began. They stripped big name coaches of their powers, handed everything to Aaqib, let him hop from one position to another, and made constant unnecessary changes. Every move only exposed the corruption further, upset the players, and dragged this team to an all time low.

Discussion is always about the present, what’s happening now and what should be done now. And not every topic requires me to chime in at the time it’s posted. Like everyone else, I have a life outside of here, and it’s impossible to be on 24/7.

So stop with the nonsense. You’re not as smart as you think. The best thing you can do is sit back, read, and maybe learn something instead of spamming the forum with pointless posts.
 
RidiculousMan said:
Jamal is pro IK. Faheem is pro Nawaz

Simple logical trail
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Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen are all pro Imran Khan.

I didn’t see any of them being hounded for their political support. Babar was reinstated captain by Naqvi. Rizwan was given a chance to captain straight after

It has nothing to do with political support, they can keep it personal to them and no one cares!
 
Caved12 said:
My past comments were based on the circumstances back then, and they cannot be compared to what’s going on now. At that time, I supported certain decisions and hoped for the best, because that’s what any supporter is supposed to do when following a team. But the old post being quoted here has no relevance to what I’m saying today. Yet, as usual, some low IQ posters drag up old stuff when they’ve got nothing intelligent to add.
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Very rich

What’s high IQ?

- Not having consistent views?
-Shifting goal posts when convenient?
 
Caved12 said:
So stop with the nonsense. You’re not as smart as you think. The best thing you can do is sit back, read, and maybe learn something instead of spamming the forum with pointless posts.
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Get one thing engraved into your head.

I will not allow you to distort the truth. I will not allow you to act like people here are a bunch of watermelons who you think you are addressing. I will shut down dishonest narratives. I will expose your double standards. I will expose your hypocrisy.

Post very carefully. Truthfully. Without dishonesty, without thinking that you will go unquestioned….you will be fine.

If you don’t, then you will be challenged. And challenged hard! I’m not going to allow rubbish to be normalised. Not on my watch.
 
2 different people. The first one is someone who’s OK with Babar and Rizwan escaping the Cat A axe last year even though Pakistan had lost to USA and that extremely poor run into the World Cup.


If Naqvi has truly stepped up and adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards the issues in our cricket setup, then I'm all for his approach. However, it might be wishful thinking, as history suggests the PCB often reverts to its usual ways. Fakhar’s exclusion from the central contract was justified; he overstepped by publicly questioning the selection committee on social media. Moreover, no player should undermine their coach, captain and management, especially during team meetings intended to bridge divides within the squad. The players demoted to lower category contracts had it coming. We haven’t achieved anything significant in recent years, yet somehow, players seemed to gain star status despite the losses.
Caved12 said:
No player should ever consider themselves bigger than the team. Right now, we’re at our lowest point: our pacers are unfit and frequently injured, and our batters struggle with situational awareness and constructing solid innings. It seems that the only thing some players have mastered is their PR game. Given the current state of Pakistan cricket, I’d fully support a strict, no-nonsense policy to prioritize discipline, accountability, and team cohesion above all else.
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The second one is one that scorned at the fact that Babar and Rizwan have been demoted from Category A once the performances are abundantly clear and indefensible anymore.

By refusing to place any players in Category A, the PCB has essentially sent a humiliating message, not just to its own players, but also to the rest of the cricketing world that Pakistan is a minnow level side with no world class talent. At this rate, Naqvi’s tenure will go down in history as one of the darkest chapters of Pakistan cricket, remembered for dragging the PCB to an all time low. And the worrying part is, he doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere for the next couple of years.
Caved12 said:
Yes, we don’t have the strongest pool of players right now, but completely ignoring Category A is the wrong message to send. Even a struggling team needs its players to feel valued, respected, and backed by the board. Right now, the PCB is doing the exact opposite.
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So now tell me, this is your high IQ reasoning?
 
Caved12 said:
Anytime, anywhere, in any situation, whether it’s sports or anything else, when someone new comes in and takes charge, the sensible thing is to give them the benefit of the doubt
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Naqvi did that didn’t he? So what’s the issue now? He gave Babar and Rizwan a very fair chance even though he must have heard from plenty around him they are an issue. Why are you crying then?
 
Sufiyan is another player who has done very well in both ODIs and T20s, and deserved a better contract. The more you look at the list, the more you realize what a big mess this is.
 
RidiculousMan said:
Faheem was inducted and Jamal was ousted before PSL.

I didn't take you as 'charhte suraj ko salam' type.
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No no I agree with you. Amir Jamal averages 93 with the ball at an economy rate of 11 in T20 internationals because he is an Imran Khan supporter. We are on the same page here.
 
The guy who averages 93 with the ball at an ER of 11 in T20Is deserved to be part of the Asia Cup squad but the poor guy got neglected because of political affiliations.
 
This squad is absolute shambles, but let’s make one thing clear - A. Jamal did not deserve to be part of it.
 
RidiculousMan said:
Faheem was inducted and Jamal was ousted before PSL.

I didn't take you as 'charhte suraj ko salam' type.
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Well, Faheem was pretty much the best all-rounder in the Champions Cup. Jamal barely played the tournament. I know there was alot of criticism and political innuendo around his selection in the CT squad, but people need to accept that he is the best seam-bowling all-rounder that Pakistan have in white-ball right now...especially after his performances in the PSL.

That doesn’t mean he’s a good player, nor does it reflect well on Pakistan’s talent pool, but it is the reality.
 
I like Jamal and honestly rate him higher than Faheem, but to be fair, Faheem has outperformed all the other pace bowling all rounders over the past year. His batting has clearly improved, while his bowling hasn’t really gone forward, in fact, he looked a better bowler a few years back. Still, at the end of the day he has put in the performances, and that’s what matters in selection.

Jamal is someone PCB should invest in and keep in their long term plans. Unfortunately, after that Australia series he picked up an injury, which didn’t help his case at all. On top of that, he doesn’t have much time on his side since he’s already 30. For him, the time is now, he needs to channel all that energy and frustration into becoming a better all rounder and try to outperform the rest in domestic cricket.

The reality is he hasn’t done much recently, while Faheem’s numbers are better. But I still back Jamal and hope he improves with time. What’s crucial for him is fitness, he has to stay injury free if he wants a proper run. And honestly, he should stay away from politics or unnecessary distractions. Focus purely on cricket. No need to wear numbers on caps or get caught up in off field stuff that only harms your career. Too many of our youngsters lose focus on cricket and get involved in everything else.
 
Caved12 said:
I like Jamal and honestly rate him higher than Faheem, but to be fair, Faheem has outperformed all the other pace bowling all rounders over the past year. His batting has clearly improved, while his bowling hasn’t really gone forward, in fact, he looked a better bowler a few years back. Still, at the end of the day he has put in the performances, and that’s what matters in selection.

Jamal is someone PCB should invest in and keep in their long term plans. Unfortunately, after that Australia series he picked up an injury, which didn’t help his case at all. On top of that, he doesn’t have much time on his side since he’s already 30. For him, the time is now, he needs to channel all that energy and frustration into becoming a better all rounder and try to outperform the rest in domestic cricket.

The reality is he hasn’t done much recently, while Faheem’s numbers are better. But I still back Jamal and hope he improves with time. What’s crucial for him is fitness, he has to stay injury free if he wants a proper run. And honestly, he should stay away from politics or unnecessary distractions. Focus purely on cricket. No need to wear numbers on caps or get caught up in off field stuff that only harms your career. Too many of our youngsters lose focus on cricket and get involved in everything else.
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The better bowler out of the two should get the spot in the squad. Jamal could have been retained in Category D. Offloading him makes little sense as he’s the only other fast-bowling alrounder.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Well, Faheem was pretty much the best all-rounder in the Champions Cup. Jamal barely played the tournament. I know there was alot of criticism and political innuendo around his selection in the CT squad, but people need to accept that he is the best seam-bowling all-rounder that Pakistan have in white-ball right now...especially after his performances in the PSL.

That doesn’t mean he’s a good player, nor does it reflect well on Pakistan’s talent pool, but it is the reality.
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Faheem was a done and dusted case. The amount of chances he got and the consistent basis he was in the squad. Those chances could've gone to more deserving players like Aamer Yamin or Hammad Azam at the time.

And we know when PCB wants to treat someone like sh*t or get him out of the team. They do it - without hesitation.
 
Obaidd said:
The better bowler out of the two should get the spot in the squad. Jamal could have been retained in Category D. Offloading him makes little sense as he’s the only other fast-bowling alrounder.
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I agree that Jamal should have been retained in category D, but he really shot himself in the foot by getting injured and then getting into politics. Our players never learn, just play cricket and stop making stupid moves that only hurt the team and fans. He’s a decent prospect, but nowhere near good enough to survive these mistakes. If he wants a career, he needs to stay fit and keep his head down instead of wasting time on politics.
 
Mamoon said:
This squad is absolute shambles, but let’s make one thing clear - A. Jamal did not deserve to be part of it.
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No one is advocating for Aamir Jamals inclusion in the white ball team but to deny him any contract is blatant injustice
 
RidiculousMan said:
Faheem was a done and dusted case. The amount of chances he got and the consistent basis he was in the squad. Those chances could've gone to more deserving players like Aamer Yamin or Hammad Azam at the time.

And we know when PCB wants to treat someone like sh*t or get him out of the team. They do it - without hesitation.
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People need to stop promoting this fallacy that Aamir Yamin or Hammad Azam were international material, because they weren't. I don't even recall them having a single PSL season like Faheem had this year. They were bang-on mediocre players who probably would have been even worse than Faheem.

Hammad Azam is an old player. He played the 2010 U-19 World Cup with Babar and was in the system for a number of years when Pakistan were missing that seam-bowling all-rounder. And it's not like he wasn't given chances. He was, and he failed to give even a single performance of note.

At the end of the day, its simple. It's not about whether you or I like him or not, fact is he performed and earned his place in the side.
 
Rana said:
Shadab and Rauf are clearly in the white ball plans. They will depend on those two going forward.

Hesson likes Shadab. Aqib loves Rauf. They see these two as their key players.
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Looking at these two for a bit.

To be in white ball plans and being given category B contracts are two different things especially with how PCB management acted with giving contracts to test players like Saud (premium test batsman in category C) and Shan (test captain category D)
 
Snowflake said:
Nope. It wasn’t justified. You don’t drop players from central contract, keep them out of the team for years, damage team results just because of a tweet.
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Who dropped someone for a tweet from central contract? What are you on about?
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
People need to stop promoting this fallacy that Aamir Yamin or Hammad Azam were international material, because they weren't. I don't even recall them having a single PSL season like Faheem had this year. They were bang-on mediocre players who probably would have been even worse than Faheem.

Hammad Azam is an old player. He played the 2010 U-19 World Cup with Babar and was in the system for a number of years when Pakistan were missing that seam-bowling all-rounder. And it's not like he wasn't given chances. He was, and he failed to give even a single performance of note.

At the end of the day, its simple. It's not about whether you or I like him or not, fact is he performed and earned his place in the side.
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Aamir Yamin scored a match winning 50 in his debut series in ODI. A feat that Faheem failed to achieve in his entire career.

It's that simple. If you are a Faheem fan just say it. But there were better all round options at the time also.
 
RidiculousMan said:
Aamir Yamin scored a match winning 50 in his debut series in ODI. A feat that Faheem failed to achieve in his entire career.

It's that simple. If you are a Faheem fan just say it. But there were better all round options at the time also.
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So I guess that makes him the second coming of Razzaq then? Aamir Yamin was a bang-on mediocre cricketer. I saw hm play enough so nothing you say can change my mind about him.

Look, if you have trouble accepting the basic fact that when people perform, they get selected; that's your problem, not mine. If you don't like Faheem, then just say it instead of hiding behind these ridiculous arguments. Frankly I could care less if Faheem was dropped from the team today.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
So I guess that makes him the second coming of Razzaq then? Aamir Yamin was a bang-on mediocre cricketer. I saw hm play enough so nothing you say can change my mind about him.

Look, if you have trouble accepting the basic fact that when people perform, they get selected; that's your problem, not mine. If you don't like Faheem, then just say it instead of hiding behind these ridiculous arguments. Frankly I could care less if Faheem was dropped from the team today.
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That makes him better than Faheem Ashraf. Faheem hasn't done anything in that format. I don't endorse the comeback of a tried and tested failure.
 
Obaidd said:
Looking at these two for a bit.

To be in white ball plans and being given category B contracts are two different things especially with how PCB management acted with giving contracts to test players like Saud (premium test batsman in category C) and Shan (test captain category D)
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If there's one thing these central contracts show it's that the PCB don't care about test cricket at all.
 
Obaidd said:
It’s pretty obvious they don’t.

Saud Shakeel: guaranteed spot in test xi, 50+ average, close to 7k FC runs, category C

Shadab: in white ball plans, barely plays, big smile, category B
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Premier red-ball spinners also in category C. Shan Masood in category D despite being the test captain. If you think so little of the guy, why did you make him test captain? Last time aswell here was an asterisk next to his name that central contract subject to captaincy, which is was so insulting.

You would think that the PCB would be more mindful of the fact that some of these players are playing red-ball only, and don't even play T20 leagues. And should therefore be incentivized to give their best to test cricket. Instead this just feels like a slap in the face.

Shadab in category B and Saud, Sajid and Noman being in category C are by far the most egregious allocations of all.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Premier red-ball spinners also in category C. Shan Masood in category D despite being the test captain. If you think so little of the guy, why did you make him test captain? Last time aswell here was an asterisk next to his name that central contract subject to captaincy, which is was so insulting.

You would think that the PCB would be more mindful of the fact that some of these players are playing red-ball only, and don't even play T20 leagues. And should therefore be incentivized to give their best to test cricket. Instead this just feels like a slap in the face.

Shadab in category B and Saud, Sajid and Noman being in category C are by far the most egregious allocations of all.
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True that was so disrespectful last time around as well. shani is a humble guy though, he did no disservice to Pak cricket.

Sat out when they made him, played the counties, performed over and over again, earned his comeback, stepped up to become captain when needed, thorough professional this guy
 
it's good that no one has been given the A category contract. Same should apply to the PCB admin. Give them like the job they have been performing.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Premier red-ball spinners also in category C. Shan Masood in category D despite being the test captain. If you think so little of the guy, why did you make him test captain? Last time aswell here was an asterisk next to his name that central contract subject to captaincy, which is was so insulting.

You would think that the PCB would be more mindful of the fact that some of these players are playing red-ball only, and don't even play T20 leagues. And should therefore be incentivized to give their best to test cricket. Instead this just feels like a slap in the face.

Shadab in category B and Saud, Sajid and Noman being in category C are by far the most egregious allocations of all.
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Shan being in D maybe gives you an indication of what it is to come. A new captain?
 
RidiculousMan said:
Shan being in D maybe gives you an indication of what it is to come. A new captain?
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If they wanna sack him then they should just go ahead and do that. What are they building all this suspense for? Seems really needless and showcases a distinct lack of empathy towards a centrally contracted player who has been your test captain for the last year. PCB, as an organization never fails to remind everyone just how classless it really is.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
If they wanna sack him then they should just go ahead and do that. What are they building all this suspense for? Seems really needless and showcases a distinct lack of empathy towards a centrally contracted player who has been your test captain for the last year. PCB, as an organization never fails to remind everyone just how classless it really is.
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PCB works in their own way. There's nothing sane about it.
 
I agree with quite a few posts here, especially the one about putting your Test captain in Category D. First things first, Shan Masood shouldn’t even be part of the Test squad, let alone be the captain. He’s taking up a spot that should go to someone more deserving, but that’s a separate conversation. Right now, the fact is that PCB has made him captain and hasn’t announced anything about removing him.

So if he's still the captain, how do you justify putting him in the lowest category? What kind of message does that send to the rest of the team? You're basically saying the guy we trust to lead your Test side isn't even good enough to be in the top three categories of central contracts. That’s just poor management. Either relieve him of his duties and then demote him, or don’t make a mockery of your own decisions.

And yeah, I get it, our players haven’t done great over the past year and fans are rightfully frustrated. I also understand why people are okay with no one being in category A. But this kind of move does more harm than good. It kills morale, especially for players who are already struggling. This isn’t the way to get the best out of them.

The way Aaqib and Naqvi are running things is honestly a joke. Constant changes, zero consistency, and it's clear they’re creating divisions within the squad. Just like many casual fans, they don’t seem to care about Test cricket either. I heard a few interviews from Aaqib where he was going on about grassroots, domestic structure, and the importance of Tests but when it comes to action, it’s all talk and no improvement.
 
Shan Masood is a Mike Brearley-type captain (a pathetic batting average of 22.88 after playing 39 tests), but at least the latter was able to get some wins under his belt against Kerry Packer-depleted test teams
 
However, I disagree with Category D for Shan Masood. He did score a test hundred in South Africa and won the home series against England 2-1 be it on spin-friendly tracks. True, he has not been very consistent with the bat, but he still probably deserved C if not B.

Haris Rauf, who does not even play test cricket (which should be a cricket board's priority) and is a pathetic white ball bowler is in category B. How does one just justify that?
 
BouncerGuy said:
Five players have been promoted owing to their last year's performances. They are: Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha and Shadab Khan – all promoted from C to B category.
Click to expand...

What performances were there by Rauf and Shadab? I don’t recall any performance by these two let alone category changing.

As @Rana mentioned Aaqib’s fav is Rauf and Shadab’s Hesson’s guy.
 
Obaidd said:
What performances were there by Rauf and Shadab? I don’t recall any performance by these two let alone category changing.

As @Rana mentioned Aaqib’s fav is Rauf and Shadab’s Hesson’s guy.
Click to expand...
I already exposed shadab's numbers. He got a promotion out of nowhere... And Haris was promoted on LQ quota...
 
Rana said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1959635182610506166

@mominsaigol @topspin @shaz619

So many paragraphs of well written nonsense
Click to expand...

Written like a narcissistic freshie. He thinks this makes him eloquent and sophisticated but those who meet these qualities can write better than this in a more concise manner.

It’s quite obvious that him and some of the other journalists/ex-players have a financial stake somewhere that is reliant on the Rizbar brand.

Contrary to belief, Mamoon supports these two not because he wants to be a contrarian but because he’s financially connected as well, as we discussed during last year’s PSL.
 
topspin said:
Written like a narcissistic freshie. He thinks this makes him eloquent and sophisticated but those who meet these qualities can write better than this in a more concise manner.

It’s quite obvious that him and some of the other journalists/ex-players have a financial stake somewhere that is reliant on the Rizbar brand.

Contrary to belief, Mamoon supports these two not because he wants to be a contrarian but because he’s financially connected as well, as we discussed during last year’s PSL.
Click to expand...
“Rizwan, meanwhile, remains the country’s finest wicketkeeper, technically sound, unwaveringly professional, and every bit the antithesis of the part-time stoppers we’ve become used to in the T20 carousel.

He may never become an all-format legend, but he is not the reason for Pakistan’s descent into mediocrity. His flaws are visible, but so too is his effort, his discipline, and his unrelenting fitness.”

So what about all the actual deserving players like Sahibzada, Harris, Kamran Ghulam, Tayyab Tahir, Saud Shaqeel and many others who’s careers have been delayed, ruined or dented to make this guy Rizwan work? What about all of their hard work, fitness and dedication? We should just overlook Rizwan’s flaws because of his ‘discipline and unrelenting fitness”?? Discipline in what? In staying stubborn to not evolve and try to evolve? To stay stubborn in holding on to batting positions that you have no business occupying?
 
topspin said:
Written like a narcissistic freshie. He thinks this makes him eloquent and sophisticated but those who meet these qualities can write better than this in a more concise manner.

It’s quite obvious that him and some of the other journalists/ex-players have a financial stake somewhere that is reliant on the Rizbar brand.

Contrary to belief, Mamoon supports these two not because he wants to be a contrarian but because he’s financially connected as well, as we discussed during last year’s PSL.
Click to expand...
He is of the old school columnist of Pakistan. Writing with a very verbose vocabulary doesn't make your content more thoughtful.
 
RidiculousMan said:
He is of the old school columnist of Pakistan. Writing with a very verbose vocabulary doesn't make your content more thoughtful.
Click to expand...

I've also noticed this with Ramiz Raja as well, who tries too hard to throw all kinds of adjectives like "celestial in style". The worst thing about it these guys don't realise how cringe they sound.
 
Rana said:
“Rizwan, meanwhile, remains the country’s finest wicketkeeper, technically sound, unwaveringly professional, and every bit the antithesis of the part-time stoppers we’ve become used to in the T20 carousel.

He may never become an all-format legend, but he is not the reason for Pakistan’s descent into mediocrity. His flaws are visible, but so too is his effort, his discipline, and his unrelenting fitness.”

So what about all the actual deserving players like Sahibzada, Harris, Kamran Ghulam, Tayyab Tahir, Saud Shaqeel and many others who’s careers have been delayed, ruined or dented to make this guy Rizwan work? What about all of their hard work, fitness and dedication? We should just overlook Rizwan’s flaws because of his ‘discipline and unrelenting fitness”?? Discipline in what? In staying stubborn to not evolve and try to evolve? To stay stubborn in holding on to batting positions that you have no business occupying?
Click to expand...

We should give him a visit and kick some sense into him.
 
Wow, what a brilliant piece by Dr. Nauman Niaz. Honestly, every word was right on the money. People can argue, criticize, or say whatever they want for now, but time will eventually prove just how correct he is about Rizwan, Babar, and the overall pathetic state of Pakistan cricket. The way things are being run right now is nothing short of embarrassing. Those in charge have no clue what they’re doing, and instead of building around two of the finest players Pakistan has produced in the last 5–8 years, they seem determined to sideline them. It’s painful to watch this kind of mismanagement destroy talent and the team’s future.
 
Caved12 said:
Wow, what a brilliant piece by Dr. Nauman Niaz. Honestly, every word was right on the money. People can argue, criticize, or say whatever they want for now, but time will eventually prove just how correct he is about Rizwan, Babar, and the overall pathetic state of Pakistan cricket. The way things are being run right now is nothing short of embarrassing. Those in charge have no clue what they’re doing, and instead of building around two of the finest players Pakistan has produced in the last 5–8 years, they seem determined to sideline them. It’s painful to watch this kind of mismanagement destroy talent and the team’s future.
Click to expand...
Yes, every word of such people (hypocrites) turns out to be correct for you.

Just like your own assessments which age beautifully here.
 
topspin said:
We should give him a visit and kick some sense into him.
Click to expand...
The guy is finished bro.

He took on the wrong guy in Shoaib Akhtar. Shoaib dismantled his career and credibility systemically. Nauman eventually sacked and removed by PTV sports as their director. Now he only has his YouTube channel where he brings on Rashid Latif as his main guy. We all know Rashid’s two faced nature.
 
And another thing that always cracks me up is when people say Babar and Rizwan are “done and dusted” because teams have figured out their weaknesses and now they’ll never make a comeback. Seriously, if that’s the case with players who are technically better than the rest, then just imagine how quickly this current lot will get found out. These guys already struggle to score against weaker teams and oppositions ranked near the bottom, their careers would finish in no time once stronger teams properly work them out.
 
Caved12 said:
And another thing that always cracks me up is when people say Babar and Rizwan are “done and dusted” because teams have figured out their weaknesses and now they’ll never make a comeback. Seriously, if that’s the case with players who are technically better than the rest, then just imagine how quickly this current lot will get found out. These guys already struggle to score against weaker teams and oppositions ranked near the bottom, their careers would finish in no time once stronger teams properly work them out.
Click to expand...
Ah yes

Babar and Rizwan were Chris Gayle and Shane Watson, belligerent six hitting powe house T20 openers who had been found out…and then they became these mediocre snail batters who scorecard 55* off 50 against Canada in the World Cup!

It took them years to fall from grace once they were found out! Oh the sorrow!
 
I’m almost certain, knowing how stubborn and clueless PCB is, that they’re just waiting for the right time to dump Rizwan as ODI captain and Shan as Test captain, and hand everything over to Salman Agha. The only thing stopping them from pulling the trigger right now is that the whole world is already laughing at them for their endless captaincy musical chairs. They know people are begging them to stop with this nonsense, so they’re trying to play the long game.

The Shan situation is especially ridiculous. Honestly, he should’ve never been made captain in the first place with that pathetic Test average. But since PCB keeps changing captains every other month, they’ve boxed themselves into this mess and now don’t know what to do.

As for ODIs, I’ve always said one captain for both shorter formats makes sense. The moment Rizwan was removed as T20 captain after just one series, I knew this three captains strategy was going to blow up. Too many people in leadership only fuels politics in Pakistan cricket, and here we are: a complete circus.

At this point, PCB has created such a disaster that even if they try to correct it, every single move will backfire. It’s honestly unbelievable how they’ve managed to bring things to this point. You’d think it’s impossible to mess things up this badly, but then again, PCB always finds a way. They achieve corruption and incompetence at a level that would be impossible for most people, even if they tried to be this bad.

Best advice? Just pop some popcorn in the microwave, sit back, and enjoy the comedy show.
 
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