Imam-Ul-Haq Among 25 Pakistan Players For Pre-Season Fitness & Fielding Camp Ahead Of BAN Tests

Pakistan players in military training session (X.com)

The PCB has announced a 25-member squad for a pre-season fitness and fielding camp meant to prepare the team for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.

After the 2024 T20 World Cup debacle, the Pakistan cricket team are on a quest to rebuild themselves, starting with the home Test series against Bangladesh.

Bangladesh will be touring Pakistan for a two-game Test series in August, and PCB will start preparations early to ensure no lapses in necessary training.

As per a media release, PCB has picked up 25 active players who will participate in a mandatory pre-season fitness and fielding camp. However, players who participated in the T20 World Cup and the ones currently featuring in County Cricket or Vitality Blast have been exempted from the camp.

That means regular players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Shan Masood, amongst many others, won’t feature in the camp.

Additionally, PCB has organised an extended tour for Pakistan Shaheens in Darwin in July. The tour will include two four-day matches against Bangladesh’ A,’ two 50-over matches against Northern Territory and Bangladesh, and a nine-team Top End T20 Series.

The Shaheens will be monitored by Pakistan’s red ball coach, Jason Gillespie, before the coach returns to Pakistan to overview preparations for the Bangladesh home series. 

That being said, Shan Masood will likely retain his red ball captaincy and lead Pakistan in the Bangladesh series. Moreover, Babar Azam is also expected to secure his white-ball captaincy despite the 2024 T20 World Cup humiliation.

Players for pre-season fitness and fielding camp for Pakistan

Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sameen Gul, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir, Umar Amin, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mahmood.