Cricketers anxious over rigorous fitness tests, last-minute venue switch

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test squad and centrally contracted players are reportedly concerned about the upcoming fitness tests, which have become increasingly stringent. According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will conduct these assessments from September 7-9, in Lahore.

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The new fitness benchmark has been set at 60 per cent, higher than the global standard of 50 per cent, putting additional pressure on the national team. The tests will include exercises such as bench presses, skin folds, bench pulls, squats, jumps, a 2km timed run (to be completed in 8 minutes), and a series of 30-second intervals for three sprint runs, which must be completed six times within a 10-second window. The rigorous nature of these assessments has reportedly left players nervous.

Additionally, it is expected that the number of centrally contracted players will be reduced to 25 this year, down from 30 in the previous contract cycle. The PCB is set to finalise the contracts following the results of these fitness tests.

In a last-minute change, the venue for the fitness tests has been shifted from Lahore to Faisalabad to accommodate the players, as most are already present there for the Champions ODI Cup.

The decision was made based on suggestions from the mentors of the Cup teams, which the PCB accepted. The fitness tests will now be held alongside the preparations for the tournament.

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Players are required to report to Faisalabad for the Champions ODI Cup by tomorrow. The PCB had earlier announced the appointment of five mentors for the tournament, including Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Shoaib Malik.

Match officials have also been confirmed, with former ICC Elite Panel Umpire Aleem Dar and ICC International Panel Umpire Asif Yaqoob officiating the opening match between Wolves and Panthers on 12th September.