New Delhi: Pakistan have told their centrally contracted cricketers to improve fitness as per set standards or risk getting terminated after failing to meet them in tests held earlier this month.
The six-seven players with central contracts will undergo a fresh round of fitness tests on Monday in Lahore after some of them failed to meet the yardsticks set by the team’s fitness trainer and physiotherapist last month.
Pakistan’s red-ball coach Jason Gillespie and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten have insisted on a no-compromise policy on fitness.
“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 Pakistan Cricket Board official told PTI.
“The two foreign head coaches, Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten had told the PCB Chairman that no player should be given any benefit as far as fitness levels are concerned.”
As a result, the PCB has delayed announcing list of players who are eligible for central contracts for 2024-25 season. The deal generally runs from July to July though is was postponed till September as the board underwent leadership changes.
The PCB is expected to trim number of players in the contract lost from the existing number of 27 after taking factors such as behaviour into evaluation.
Pakistan players have received criticism for their suspect fitness standards in the T20 World Cup in June and the ODI World Cup last year, in both of which they failed to qualify for the quarter-finals.
After their poor ODI World Cup campaign, Pakistan’s team director Muhammad Hafeez and former skipper Misbah ul Haq revealed that the team’s trainer was instructed not to put pressure on maintaining fitness s levels by ex- head coach Mickey Arthur and captain Babar Azam.
Pakistan’s red-ball coach Jason Gillespie and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten have insisted on a no-compromise policy on fitness. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
