Pakistan players will be fined 15 percent of their monthly retainer if they fail any aspect of the fitness test
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Pakistan’s centrally contracted players will be fined 15 percent of their monthly retainer if they fail any aspect of the fitness test that will be held at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on Monday and Tuesday.
All centrally contracted players have to attend the fitness test, but since left-arm seamers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz are currently playing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), they will do their tests on January 20 and 21.
Yasir Malik, Pakistan’s strength and conditioning coach, will be in charge of the fitness test, which will cover five major areas – fat analysis, strength, endurance, speed endurance and cross-fit.
Players who fail in any of those categories will continue being fined 15 percent of their monthly retainer until they meet the minimum requirement.
If players fail consecutive fitness tests, they could be demoted in regards to their central contract category.
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“There has always been an emphasis on the monitoring of players’ fitness levels,” Zakir Khan, PCB – Director, International Cricket, was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) website. “This time we have decided to enforce penalties, which is in accordance with the contracts, as part of our objective to make the players more accountable and responsible for maintaining high fitness standards throughout the year, which is one of the basic requirements any professional athlete.
“All the players were informed last month of the PCB’s expectations and potential sanctions in the scenario of failures.
“These fitness tests will not be limited to the centrally contracted players, but will trickle down to the six Cricket Association teams. Their tests will be conducted by their respective coaches and trainers as per their own schedules and players failing to pass fitness tests will jeopardise their chances of featuring in the Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament to be held from 25 March to 19 April.”
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