KARACHI – The red-ball pre-season fielding and fitness camp will commence at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi on Tuesday. The camp includes 24 players who will undergo a two-week camp till 7 July. The 25th player in the camp will be confirmed in due course.
After the conclusion of the red-ball camp, 15 players will feature in Pakistan Shaheens’ camp which will run from 8 to 13 July before Shaheens’ departure for Darwin, Australia on 14 July. Shaheens, on the tour, will play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, two one-day games and also feature in nine-team Top End T20 Series.
Among the 24 players in the camp, eight cricketers – Abdullah Shafique (17 Tests), Imam-ul-Haq (24 Tests), Khurram Shahzad (one Test), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (two Tests), Sarfaraz Ahmed (54 Tests), Saud Shakeel (10 Tests), Umar Amin (four Tests) and Zahid Mahmood (two Tests) have represented Pakistan in Test cricket. Pakistan are scheduled to play nine Test matches of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 in the 2024-25 season and the camp will be a huge boost for the players to get themselves ready for the red-ball season.
Pakistan are scheduled to play two Test matches against Bangladesh and three Test matches against England – both at home in August and October, respectively. Pakistan will travel to South Africa to play two Test matches in December/January and later will play two Tests at home against West Indies in January 2025.
Test cricketer Imam-ul-Haq on the eve of the camp said: “Considering we are scheduled to play nine Test matches in the upcoming season, the camp is a great opportunity for all of us to work on our fitness and get ready for a busy season.
“For youngsters, they are selected in this forthcoming camp after performing at the domestic level. The camp provides them an opportunity to work closely with the senior cricketers and learn what is required at the highest level.”
21-year-old Mehran Mumtaz said: “I was recently invited at the NCA for the spinners camp and now this red-ball camp in Karachi will help me further improve my skills. Like me, it is an opportunity for the young players to learn from the experience of senior cricketers, who will be part of the red-ball camp.
