Coronavirus Outbreak: Pakistan Cricket Board to organise online fitness tests for players amid COVID-19 pandemic

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board will conduct fitness tests for over 200 of its locked-down players via video link and the drills, among others, include push-ups, sprints, burpees and the ‘Yo-Yo’ test. [caption id=“attachment_7848591” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image of Pakistan Cricket Board. Reuters[/caption] The tests, a bid to keep the contracted players in peak physical condition in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be conducted on 20 and 21 April, ESPNCricinfo reported. Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, cricket in Pakistan, like the rest of the world, has been halted since 15 March, and the PCB is banking on the virtual initiative to give a peek into its players’ fitness. Pakistan’s coach cum chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq, along with team trainer Yasir Malik, has written a letter to the players, intimating them of the planned fitness tests. “With all the limitations and lack of resources at the moment, we have chalked out this new fitness battery with everyone given an equal opportunity,” the letter reads. “You have been informed well before time to make sure you are mentally and physically ready for it. All the tests will be carried out on video link by your team’s trainers. “To maintain your fitness level you need to be disciplined and keep working hard.” The centrally contracted cricketers will do the test in front of the national-team head trainer, while players within each province will perform in front of their respective trainers. The drills include 60 push-ups in one minute (full range), 50 sit-ups in one minute (full range), 10 complete chin-ups in one minute (full range), 30 burpees in one minute, 25 Bulgarian split squats (each side), 2.5 meter standing broad jump, Reverse plank for two minutes and Level 18 Yo-Yo test. Pakistan has six provincial teams, each of which has 32 contracted players - 16 each in the first and second XIs. The COVID-19 pandemic has so far claimed over 88,000 lives across the world while infecting more than 14 lakh people.