In Karachi, 25 Pakistani players begin their pre-season red-ball camp training with PCB

The pre-season red-ball camp started on Tuesday, June 25 at the esteemed Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi, and Pakistani players are getting ready for an exciting event.

Up to July 07, this two-week programme will bring together 24 gifted players; the identity of the 25th participant will be revealed soon. An important step towards preparing Pakistan’s cricket potential for the forthcoming season and beyond is the camp.

It is crucial to recognise the significance of this camp, particularly in light of Pakistan’s demanding schedule during the current World Test Championship cycle.

Nine Test matches are scheduled for the 2024–2025 season, featuring home series in August and October, respectively, against Bangladesh and England. The Pakistani team has to camp now more than ever because they have two Test matches against the West Indies at home in January 2025 and two away matches in South Africa in December and January of the same year.

Pre-season fielding and fitness camp commences in Karachi pic.twitter.com/THq9Yijlc7

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) June 25, 2024

Fantastic chance for us to improve our fitness: Imam-ul-Haq

A combination of seasoned Test cricketers and bright new talent make up the camp’s lineup. Imam-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique, and Imam-ul-Haq are among the eight players who have previously played Test cricket for Pakistan. An excellent atmosphere for learning and development is created by the combination of new talent and experience. The importance of the camp was stressed by Imam-ul-Haq.

The camp is a fantastic chance for all of us to improve our fitness and get ready for a demanding season, especially since we have nine Test matches planned in the forthcoming season. For children, those who excel at the national level are chosen for this upcoming camp. They have the chance to engage closely with veteran cricket players at the camp and understand what’s needed at the highest level,” Imam said in a statement sent to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

After this camp, 15 players will be chosen for the Pakistan Shaheens camp, which takes place from July 8–13. After that, the Shaheens will go to Darwin, Australia, for a tour where they will play a series of games, including two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, two one-day matches, and a nine-team Top End T20 Series.

The following players are part of the pre-season fitness and fielding camp: Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Hunain Shah, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Wasim Jr., 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.

Next week, one more player will be added to the camp.