Babar Azam hits the nets following Asia Cup, PCB central contract snub - WATCH

NEW DELHI: Babar Azam may be down but he is far from out. After being dropped from Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad and demoted in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contracts, the star batter has returned to the basics, working hard to stage a comeback.A video going viral on social media shows Babar training at the Ghani Institute of Cricket in DHA Lahore, fine-tuning his batting skills.The Pakistan selectors excluded both Babar and Mohammad Rizwan from the 17-member squad for the upcoming tri-series in the UAE, followed by the Asia Cup. The squad includes senior pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Wasim, and left-arm quick Salman Mirza.Ahead of the Asia Cup, Pakistan will play a tri-series against Afghanistan and hosts UAE in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7. The Asia Cup, in T20 format, will run from September 9 to 28 in the UAE. Pakistan are grouped with arch-rivals India, along with Oman and the UAE in Group A.Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025 and tri-series:Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.Meanwhile, the PCB also announced central contracts for the 2025–26 season, awarding 30 players but with a major shake-up. For the first time in years, no cricketer has been given a Category A contract. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who were both in Category A last year, have now been downgraded to Category B.The expanded list features 12 new players across Categories B, C, and D.Centrally contracted players 2025–26:Category B (10 players): Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah AfridiCategory C (10 players): Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Saud ShakeelCategory D (10 players): Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, Sufyan Moqim