File photo of Pakistan cricket team.© AFP
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will conduct rigorous fitness tests before awarding central contracts for the next 12 months, fielding currently contracted players and other international and domestic players. The fitness test will be conducted between September 6 and 8 in Lahore and the process will be overseen by white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten and the team’s physiotherapist and trainer. The players will then leave for Faisalabad for the Champions Cup.
“The fitness tests will in principle determine which players will receive a contract this year, with priority also being given to performance,” a reliable source within the board said.
“Both foreign coaches (Kirsten and Jason Gillespie) have made it clear to the selection committee and the PCB that their first criterion in selecting players will be their fitness,” he added.
“Gillispie was unhappy with the fitness of some players in the recent Test matches against Bangladesh and felt they could not sustain their intensity and stamina throughout all sessions of the Tests,” the source added.
He said Kirsten had expressed similar sentiments about the fitness levels of some players during his meeting with the selection committee and board members.
“The fitness tests will include everything to determine how fit a player is, there will also be tests in the gym, endurance training, yo-yos and other tests,” he added.
Currently, the PCB has awarded central contracts to around 27 players, but there are indications that this number will be lower this time around, given the national team's performance in all formats over the past year.
Pakistan were recently defeated 2-0 in a Test series by Bangladesh, which led to a lot of criticism from players and management.
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