PCB mulling different options for England tour camp

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mulling different options for organizing national cricket team’s training camp for the tour of England.

“There are few options ahead of us which we are considering to prepare the team for the tour and soon we will take a decision in this regard,” said the sources in PCB while talking to APP here on Monday.

Pakistan team is scheduled to visit England in August to play three-match Test series and similar number of T20 games. According to the tour programme, Pakistan team is likely to fly to England in a special chartered flight in early July to compete the process of undergoing quarantine and to gear up at a training camp before starting the tour.

The sources said having a comprehensive training camp at home is a big challenge as keeping players at one place can be harmful in the ongoing scenario of rapid increase in Covid-19 cases.

On the other hand, the govt permission is also needed to organise a training camp under one roof as govt has imposed a ban on all sports activities and events. “We are in process of finalizing SOPs and a strict guideline for most likely starting the camp in the end of June and even players families or visitors will not be allowed to interact with them”, said the sources adding “Another option which is under consideration is to have camp in different groups at two venues”. “If we fail to conduct a training camp at home then we will definitely be having a short duration training camp in England,” they asserted.

In the prevailing circumstances the chances of having a short duration camp at home are quite bright and team’s head coach is discussing the matter with fellow team coaches and newly-appointed head of Players Development, former Test cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq. “Team’s head coach is of the view to have a training camp, no matter of short duration at home before team embarks upon the tour of England,” they said.