PCB warns centrally contracted players to improve fitness or face contract termination

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a stern warning to 6-7 centrally contracted players, urging them to improve their fitness or risk losing their contracts.

The Pakistan team fitness trainer and physiotherapist will conduct another round of fitness tests on Monday in Lahore after some players didn’t meet the required benchmarks in the tests held earlier this month.

“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 PCB has delayed the announcement of the list of players eligible for central contracts for the 2024/2025 period, which typically runs from July to July. Last year, the announcement was postponed until September due to changes in board leadership.

This year it is anticipated that the board will reduce the number of players receiving central contracts from the existing list of 27 as the new coaches are also laying a lot of stress on performance and behavioural evaluations.

The official said the players found struggling to meet the benchmark in fitness tests earlier this year had been given two months to work on their fitness and the tests on Monday are part of the evaluation process.

The Pakistan team has frequently faced criticism for its fitness standards compared to other international teams.

After the World Cup in India last year, team director Muhammad Hafeez and former captain Misbah ul Haq revealed that former head coach Mickey Arthur and captain Babar Azam had instructed the trainer not to pressure players on fitness, allowing them to focus on performance.