PCB to fine centrally-contracted players for below-par fitness

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has warned its centrally contracted players that they will be fined for their below-par fitness.

The fourth term fitness tests of the centrally contracted players will be held at the National Cricket Academy on January 6 and 7.

A player failing to meet the minimum fitness requirements will be fined 15 per cent of his monthly retainer, which will remain effective until such time he achieves the minimum fitness standards. A player failing consecutive tests will risk the chances of retaining his central contract category and may face demotion.

All the available centrally contracted players will attend the two-day testing. Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir and Shadab Khan, who are busy with their commitments in the Bangladesh Premier League, will undergo the tests on 20 and 21 January.

The fitness tests, to be conducted by Yasir Malik, the strength and conditioning coach of the Pakistan national men's team, will cover five major areas, namely fat analysis, strength, endurance, speed endurance, and cross-fit, and will carry equal weightage.

"There has always been an emphasis on the monitoring of players' fitness levels. 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," Zakir Khan, PCB - Director, International Cricket, said in a statement.

"All the players were informed last month of the PCB's expectations and potential sanctions in the scenario of failures," he added.

Centrally contracted players:

Category A - Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Yasir Shah.

Category B - Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Abbas, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Category C - Abid Ali, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zamam, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Usman Shinwari and Wahab Riaz.