The Pakistan cricket has been rocked by a major controversy after it was reported that wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan declined to sign his new central contract. The 33-year-old, who was just dropped as Pakistan's ODI captain and replaced by Shaheen Shah Afridi, is reportedly quite upset with the fact that he has been both demoted and left out of the T20I squad of the national team. A PTI report states that Rizwan is the only one out of 30 players who have been given contracts and has not signed the agreement, thus indicating that there is an increasing level of dissatisfaction with the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) latest restructuring among these players.
Mohammad Rizwan’s dispute with PCB over contract categories
As a result of its recent revamp, the PCB has done away with the elite Category A, which was normally reserved for players like Rizwan, Babar Azam, and Shaheen Afridi, and combined them with Category B. The decision is being interpreted as a warning signal from the board, conveying their displeasure with the team's performance during the last year.
On the other hand, it is reported that Rizwan has declined the new offer and believes that his relegation to a lower category is an insult that disregards his consistent contributions to Pakistan cricket. Insiders claim that his position is a combination of being professionally frustrated and personally disappointed due to the fact that he was removed as ODI captain earlier this month.
Besides that, Rizwan is said to have laid down two absolute non-negotiable conditions before the PCB: the first one being the restoration of Category A for seniors and top-notch performers, and the second one a definite term and authority of any new captain without the board interfering excessively.
As if the contract impasse was not enough, Pakistan cricket has gone through a rough time recently, and this situation has been affected by frequent changes in the leadership and management. The mysterious case of Rizwan’s continuous omission from the T20I squad, as he has not played since December 2024, is what makes the situation of the team’s most experienced and dependable members even more confusing. The stalemate has ignited a massive debate among the public and pundits about how the PCB treats senior players and what its long-term plan for the national team is.
