PCB makes random fitness test mandatory for players

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has introduced random fitness tests to judge the fitness level of each aspirant vying for a place in the national teams. A well-placed source has told ‘The News’ that the random testing has been introduced so that the leading cricketers could stay fit throughout the year.

“Any player could be asked to appear for a fitness test at any time. Such a step has been taken to keep cricketers fit and ready throughout the year. Say if a cricketer expects going through a fitness test randomly, he would work on his fitness and will keep himself fit and ready throughout the year. Such measures have been introduced to keep a player fit. You never know which player gets a call for national duty.”

When such a measure was not operational, cricketers only used to start training when series or international duty was around the corner. “Now it is believed that every leading cricketer, who lies in the range of radar, would make efforts to keep himself fit and ready,” the source said.

Mohammad Abbas though not a part of the contractual cricketers went through the fitness test ahead of traveling to South Africa to play in the Test series. “Others including Nauman Ali and Test captain Shan Masood, Saud Skakil also went through the process.” Last week, off-spinner Sajid Khan was asked to appear for a random test.

Meanwhile, ‘The News’ has also learnt that some of the players who just returned from South Africa were asked to appear for fitness tests, a claim which was denied by the PCB. “We will give these players proper time to rest before asking them to appear for the fitness tests,” a PCB official, when contacted, said.

There was no rest, however, for the leading cricketers who were asked to play the Champions T20 Cup final. Haris Sohail, Tayyab Tahir, Abrar Ahmad and Jahandad Khan were asked to play for Stallions just a day after returning back from South Africa.

“It is unjust to play top-class cricket straight away after getting back from such a high-profile series. Rest is a must before asking tired and exhausted players to appear in a top class event,” one of the managers involved in the just-concluded Champions Cup, said.