PCB promotes Mohammad Rizwan to category A in the updated central contact list for 2020-21

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has been elevated to category A in the updated PCB Men’s central contracts for 2020-21. Rizwan has been in scintillating form across all formats in the ongoing season. The player joins Babar Azam, Azhar Ali, and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the top category.

PCB announced central contracts for the 2020-21 season on 13th May 2020. Since then, Rizwan has scored the most runs for Pakistan in the longest format of the game with 529 runs in seven Tests at a brilliant average of 52.90. He has also scored 350 runs in white-ball formats during the same period.

Rizwan was named the PCB Test cricketer of the year award in 2020 for his performances in the longest format of the game.

Pakistan middle-order Test batsman Fawad Alam has been promoted from A+ domestic contract category to category C of the PCB central contracts. He had also bagged the PCB Individual Performance of 2020 award at the start of this year.

PCB also offered a category C contract to veteran batsman Mohammed Hafeez but the all-rounder politely turned down the offer.

I am disappointed: PCB CEO on Hafeez’s decision

PCB CEO Wasim Khan congratulated the duo for their ‘well-deserved’ promotions, while expressing his disappointment at Hafeez's decision to decline the contract.

“I want to congratulate Rizwan and Fawad for earning well-deserved and well-earned promotions. Mohammad Hafeez declined the reward and while I am disappointed, I fully respect his decision. He wants to wait for the PCB Central Contract 2021-22 list, which he is fully entitled to. Hafeez has been one of our star performers of the season and we hope he will carry the form and momentum to Africa."

🔹Mohammad Rizwan has been promoted to Category A of the PCB’s Central Contract List 2020-21 🔹PCB has also elevated Fawad Alam from A+ domestic contract category to Category C of the PCB Central Contract List 2020-21More: https://t.co/kKVFgLpszg pic.twitter.com/Sb9iob20ms

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 24, 2021

Here is the updated PCB Men’s central contract list for 2020-21 season

Category A - Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Babar Azam (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Category B - Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Asad Shafiq (Sindh), Haris Sohail (Balochistan), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Shadab Khan (Northern), Shan Masood (Southern Punjab) and Yasir Shah (Balochistan)

Category C - Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imad Wasim (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab) and Usman Shinwari (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Emerging Players’ Category - Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Rauf (Northern) and Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh)