On Sunday, October 27, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squads for their upcoming white-ball series against Australia and Zimbabwe via Twitter. What comes as shocking is that PCB has dropped their best white ball batter, Fakhar Zaman, for expressing support for Babar Azam. Fakhar is not the only one facing repercussions; Hassan Ali has also been left out. In a significant move, the PCB has withheld central contracts for the 2024-25 season from both Fakhar and Hassan, two key supporters of Babar Azam in the senior squad. The reason for this action was their recent support to their former captain, Babar Azam. Also Read: PCB Set To Take Strict Action on Ramiz Raja for Shan Masood Controversy Last year, Fakhar was included in 'Category B' and Hasan in 'Category D' of the central contract offered by the PCB. However, recent changes have led to both of these key players being excluded. It is worth mentioning that Fakhar had previously voiced his support for Babar after the PCB left him out of Pakistan’s squad for the final two Tests in the recently concluded three-match home series against England. Fakhar had questioned the logic behind "suggestions to drop arguably one of the best players Pakistan has produced," even drawing a comparison to India’s Virat Kohli who wasn’t dropped from the team during his poor patch. Fakhar’s tweet for Babar Azam: It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan… — Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) October 13, 2024 List of centrally contracted players for Pakistan (2024-25 season): Category A: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan Category B: Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood Category C: Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan Category D: Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Usman Khan