 "As part of their preparations ahead of the T20 World Cup, Pakistan cricketers took part in intense fitness drills that included carrying rocks on a mountain. Image: Iftikhar Ahmed / Instagram")
Pakistan cricket has faced a difficult few months recently. A group stage exit from the ODI World Cup in India last year was followed by captaincy changes, with Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi taking over as Test and T20I skipper. And Shaheen Afridi’s tenure as T20I skipper only lasted a few weeks after Babar Azam was renamed skipper of the limited-overs formats. Mohsin Naqvi recently took over as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with the board also in the hunt for coaches for different formats.
2024 is another crucial year for international cricket with the T20 World Cup to take place in West Indies and USA in June. Ahead of the tournament, 29 Pakistan cricketers are currently being observed by the military personnel at Abbottabad’s Army School of Physical Training.
The main aim behind this is that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi wants players to give priority to their fitness levels. The camp began on 25 March and will go on till Monday (8 April). Pakistan all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed recently shared a video on his Instagram account where he along with some of his teammates can be seen carrying heavy rocks on a mountain. Naseem Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan were among the cricketers who took part in the drills under the watchful eyes of the armed forces.
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More ShortsThe players also applauded wicketkeeper Azam Khan, who became the last to complete the drills. They could be seen chanting “Azam Azam” while appreciating his efforts.
Pakistan are next scheduled to take on New Zealand in a five-match T20I series at home starting from 18 April. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Pakistan are in Group A along with rivals India, USA, Canada and Ireland. The India-Pakistan clash will take place in New York on 9 June.