The PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi wants the country’s players to train with the Pakistan Army to improve upon their fitness standards, in a camp that will be arranged from March 25 to April 8, as per a report in ESPNCricinfo. Naqvi made the announcement for the Pakistan cricketers at a hotel in Islamabad on Tuesday.
“When I was watching the matches in Lahore, I don’t think a single one of you hit a six that went into the stands,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
“Whenever a six like that was hit, I used to think a foreign player must have hit that. I have asked the board to make a plan that gets every player’s fitness up to speed. You’ll have to make a proper effort for that.
“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.”
Timing of the Camp Questionable
While the camp is scheduled to begin a week after the PSL gets over, this could have been the time for the Pakistani players to get some rest, who too have been playing non-stop cricket for months. What could make the camp even more tricky is the fact, the camp falls in the second half of Ramzan for the Pakistani players, who most likely, fast during the time.
Naqvi in Attack Mode on Pakistan Cricketers
Naqvi also spoke about the pressing issue of players missing national commitments over T20 leagues around the world. “I’m not going to say you mustn’t earn money, or ask you to make sacrifices we are also not ready to make. But let me give you one example. One year ago, I was asked to become the chief minister of Punjab, and it caused me a financial loss in my business. I had to leave that aside and incur several extra costs. But I had a desire to represent Pakistan, and so I had to make that sacrifice.
“I will support you 100%, but I’ll just ask you to make Pakistan your first priority, and T20 leagues your second priority. It’s unfortunate when money becomes first priority and the country second. If you do that, then we might have a problem. We can even look at central contracts and bolster them further if you desire, but you must be available for Pakistan first and foremost.”
