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Players with contracts for between $7–7,500 have received a harsh warning from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), telling them to get fitter or face termination. On Monday in Lahore, the physiotherapist and fitness trainer for the Pakistani team will administer further fitness tests, as some players failed the last round of testing earlier this month due to insufficient physical 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 board official said.
The official said that “the two foreign head coaches, Jason Gillispie and Gary Kirsten had told the PCB Chairman that no player should be given any benefit as far as fitness levels are concerned.” These fitness tests are aimed at assessing stamina, endurance, muscle strength, and other crucial factors.
The list of players qualified for central contracts for the 2024–2025 season, which normally runs from July to July, will not be released until later by the PCB. Due to a shift in board leadership, the announcement was delayed until September of last year.
The current roster of 27 players is expected to have fewer core contracts awarded by the board this year as a result of the new coaches’ emphasis on behavioural and performance evaluations.
According to the official, the players who performed poorly on fitness tests earlier this year were given two months to improve, and the tests on Monday are a component of the evaluation process.
The Pakistani team has been under fire on a regular basis for having lower fitness levels than other international teams.
Team director Muhammad Hafeez and former captain Misbah ul Haq disclosed following the World Cup in India last year that former head coach Mickey Arthur and captain Babar Azam had told the trainer not to put too much pressure on the players’ fitness so they could concentrate on performance.