CricketViewer.com

Pakistan are planning to help their players shape up for a hectic international season that would pit them against top teams like Australia, South Africa and India both at home and abroad.

“Fitness is our major concern,” Pakistan manager Talat Ali told ‘The News’ in an interview. “We have some very tough assignments coming up and our boys will have to be in top physical shape to be able to give their best,” added the former Test cricketer whose team recently beat World Cup finalists Sri Lanka 2-1 in an ODI series in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan, who flopped miserably in the World Cup, have a few lean months ahead but would be facing a series of very important assignments beginning this September with the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

Just days after figuring in the 12-nation tournament, Pakistan would host South Africa for three Tests and five ODIs in September-October and would then tour India later this year for a potentially-explosive series against their greatest rivals. The tour would be followed by a home series against Australia, the world’s number one team, early next year.

“I’ve told the players that they have to bring a marked improvement in their fitness by August,” said Talat, also serving as Pakistan’s interim coach. “It would be almost non-stop cricket from September and that too against top teams like Australia and South Africa. It is clear that only a player who is a 100 percent fit would be able to perform during that hectic schedule.”

Talat said that it is clear that fielding is the team’s Achilles Heal and blamed some of the players’ less than satisfactory fitness levels for it. “A fitter player is in most cases also a better fielder,” he said.

Pakistan have made arrangements to help the players improve their fitness and would hold a 15-day physical training camp in Abbottabad next month. Around 22 of the country’s top players would participate in the team that would be supervised by a team of experts. The camp would take place from June 12-26.

“I believe the camp in Abbottabad would be a perfect opportunity for our players,” he said. “I’m sure that the exercise would help them improve their fitness to some extent.”

But Talat said that such camps can only provide a platform for the players. “In the end it is up to the individual how much he is willing to work on improving his fitness because you have to do that on almost a daily basis.”

He said that any complacency from the players would not be tolerated.

“Players cannot afford to be complacent because only form and fitness can now guarantee them a place in the team.”

Talat praised his players for a positive showing in the Abu Dhabi series saying that by beating Sri Lanka “we have taken a step ahead”.

“Our players overcame the World Cup debacle and played some good cricket in the series,” he said.

Talat said that his players were relaxed and played attacking cricket. “The team’s focus was on winning,” he said.

Pakistan won the first two games of the series convincingly but were outplayed in the final game in which they fielded a new-look combination.

“We wanted to try our other players including newcomers,” he said.

Talat was all praise for rookie medium pacer Najaf Shah, who made his ODI debut in the final game on Tuesday. “Najaf has a lot of potential,” he said.

The manager also backed young batsman Fawad Alam, who got out for a first ball duck on his debut in the same match. “Fawad was a bit unlucky, getting out on the first ball, but I’m sure he has a great future.”

Source:The News