Pakistan Cricket Board have adopted a unique approach to training the men’s national team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
The Babar Azam-led side are currently focusing on their fitness while training at the Army School of Physical Training in Kakul. The Pakistan team is being put through a gruelling training session after complaints were raised to the PCB about the team’s fitness standards during the ODI World Cup in 2023.
The Pakistan team is being tested through a variety of traditional exercises that the army goes through on a timely basis. The PCB have shown glimpses of the training camp on their social media accounts where the players have been seen doing a range of activities – from stone lifting to rope climbing.
Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali has been heard stating in the video that the camp is an important one for them as they look to get up to the required fitness standards ahead of the marquee ICC tournament, set to be jointly held by the Caribbean Islands and the United States of America later in June.
Back in February 2024, former Pakistan director of cricket had hit out against the national team. Speaking on Pakistani sports channel – A Sports – Hafeez had said that the Pakistan players did not have the fitness standard to play international cricket.
Hafeez was recently let go from the position of director of cricket after Pakistan were hammered 4-1 in the New Zealand T20I series. Hafeez had a contract of four years with the Pakistan team but it was cut abruptly by the cricket board. A furious Hafeez had taken to Twitter to show his discontent and had said that he would reveal factors behind Pakistan’s poor performance in international cricket.
MOHSIN NAQVI ORDERS ARMY TRAINING
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had instructed the Pakistan cricketers that they will train with the army in March and April with an eye to improving their fitness. The chief addressed a few players at a hotel in Islamabad on Tuesday, March 5 where he talked about the 10-day training camp during the 2024 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Naqvi said that he was disappointed with Pakistan’s batters’ six-hitting abilities and talked about the need to focus on strength and fitness.
Pakistan have a gruelling schedule in the run up to the T20 World Cup 2024, with bilateral series also coming up.
“We have New Zealand coming up, then Ireland, England and the T20 World Cup. I wondered, ‘When will we train?’ but there was no time. However, we’ve found a window where we’ve organised a camp in Kakul (military academy) from March 25 to April 8. The Pakistan Army will be involved in your training, and hopefully, they’ll help you out,” Naqvi said.
Naqvi also said that players should focus on playing for Pakistan and prioritise national commitments over anything and everything. Recently, the PCB revoked Haris Rauf’s central contract and had barred him from playing in overseas franchise T20 leagues until June 30, 2024.