The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have a stern warning to 6-7 centrally contracted players, urging them to improve their fitness or risk losing their contracts. Pakistan Cricket are currently at its lowest, they have been unable to perform since the 2022 T20 World Cup final. They failed to perform in the ODI World Cup 2023, and Asia Cup 2023 and the Men in Green suffered their biggest loss in the T20 World Cup 2024 where they lost a clash against the non-Test playing nation USA.
As per PTI, the fitness trainer and physiotherapist of the Pakistan team will conduct another round of fitness tests on Monday in Lahore, as some players did not meet the required benchmarks in the earlier tests held this month.
“The players who have central and domestic contracts have been told in clear terms that there will be no compromise on fitness and they have to meet the benchmarks set by the team’s fitness experts,” a board official told PTI.
The official said that "the two foreign head coaches, Jason Gillispie and Gary Kirsten had told the PCB Chairman that no player should be given any benefit as far as fitness levels are concerned.”
These fitness tests aim to assess stamina, endurance, muscle strength, and other crucial factors. The PCB has delayed the announcement of the list of players eligible for central contracts for the 2024/2025 period, which usually runs from July to July. Last year, this announcement was postponed until September due to changes in board leadership.
This year, it's expected that the board will reduce the number of players receiving central contracts from the current list of 27, as new coaches emphasize performance and behavioral evaluations. An official stated that players who struggled to meet fitness benchmarks in earlier tests were given two months to improve their fitness, with the tests on Monday being part of the evaluation process.
The Pakistan team has often faced criticism for its fitness standards compared to other international teams. Following the World Cup in India last year, team director Muhammad Hafeez and former captain Misbah ul Haq revealed that former head coach Mickey Arthur and captain Babar Azam had instructed the trainer not to pressure players regarding fitness, allowing them to concentrate on performance instead.
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