PCB warns players to get fit or take a pay cut

Pakistan’s cricket board Friday warned the national players to meet fitness standards or lose up to 15 percent of their salary, as officials seek to address the team's fall in the international rankings.

Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in England last year, and won only one of their six Test matches.

They also fared badly in one-day internationals, winning just nine of their 25 and just one of their ten Twenty20 internationals, leaving the team as low as seventh in Tests and sixth in ODIs. They did manage to cling to their world number one rankings in Twenty20 internationals -- but by just one point.

New head coach Misbah-ul-Haq had stressed fitness will be paramount as he tries to lift standards.

All the centrally contracted players have to undergo the fitness test which will be held on January 6 and 7. “Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir and Shadab Khan, who will be occupied with their commitments in the Bangladesh Premier League, will undergo the tests on January 20 and 21.”

The players will be tested in five major areas namely fat analysis, strength, endurance, speed endurance and cross-fit, with all five areas carrying equal marks.

The following are the categories of the players under PCB central contracts:

Category A – Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Yasir Shah.

Category B – Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Abbas, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

 

PCB warns players to get fit or take a pay cut

Pakistans cricket board Friday warned the national players to meet fitness standards or lose up to 15 percent of their salary, as officials seek to address the teams fall in the international rankings. Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in England last year, and won only one of their six Test matches. They also fared badly in one-day internationals, winning just nine of their 25 and just one of their ten Twenty20 internationals, leaving the team as low as seventh in Tests and sixth in ODIs. They did manage to cling to their world number one rankings in Twenty20 internationals -- but by just one point. New head coach Misbah-ul-Haq had stressed fitness will be paramount as he tries to lift standards. All the centrally contracted players have to undergo the fitness test which will be held on January 6 and 7. Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir and Shadab Khan, who will be occupied with their commitments in the Bangladesh Premier League, will undergo the tests on January 20 and 21. The players will be tested in five major areas namely fat analysis, strength, endurance, speed endurance and cross-fit, with all five areas carrying equal marks. The following are the categories of the players under PCB central contracts: Category A Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Yasir Shah. Category B Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Abbas, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.