Daily Times

In the modern cricket world, fitness has become the primary selection criterion for a player. All successful cricket-playing nations across the world have modernised their team-selection with technological advancements and achieving high standards of fitness. Gone are the days when players were selected for merely their batting or bowling prowess. But unfortunately, Pakistani cricketers still lag way behind their compatriots at international level. Despite the availability of modern facilities and world-class trainers, the fitness level of the majority of Pakistani players is nowhere closer to international standards. In a step that seemed unconventional to many in the cricketing fraternity, the management authorities of cricket decided to hold a fitness camp at the renowned military institution, the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul, for players to train under supervision of army coaches.

Whether some people consider this camp as a failure of trainers of Pakistan cricket team or blame it on the ‘attitude problem’ of some of the players, such camps should continue if the results are positive. The real results of this camp will only show once the tour of England gets under way in July. Both the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the general public will be hoping that the camp helps set and maintain benchmarks for fitness for the players. The intensity of the training exercises is evident from the footage made available by the PCB. Although these physical exercises will help boost the fitness levels of the players, the PCB must keep a check on the activities so that it is according to recognised international standards, and not very high-intensity military exercises that could harm fitness of players in any way.

Furthermore, the stance of the selection committee and team coaches have been encouraging with regards to making fitness as the primary criterion for selection in the team. During Waqar Younis’s tenure as the coach of the team, batting coach Grant Flower and fielding coach Grant Luden had complained about the players’ attitude towards training sessions. The selection committee has continued to select players without giving much importance to their physical fitness. But with the recent announcements from both the selection committee and the team coach that no compromise will be made on fitness, it could be hoped that this would lead to an improvement in the performance of the team. The effects of the decision might not become evident in the short run, but they will positively impact team’s performance in the longer term. Whether the cricket-mad nation Pakistan likes this step of boot camps at the PMA or not, if results are positive, such camps should be organised on a regular basis. *