Pakistan Cricket Team's Intense Yet 'Thoda Casual' Training At Army Base Leaves Internet In Splits
The Pakistan cricket team is getting ready for the T20 World Cup 2024 in a special way. They're all training at a Pakistan army base in Kakul to get stronger in different ways than usual.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken an unconventional route in preparing the men's national team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Under the leadership of Babar Azam, the Pakistan cricket team is focusing extensively on fitness at the Army School of Physical Training in Kakul.
PCB
The decision follows concerns raised regarding the team's fitness standards during the ODI World Cup in 2023. Responding to complaints, the PCB has initiated rigorous training sessions, incorporating unconventional methods.
Videos circulating on social media showcase players engaging in activities such as sniper shooting, lifting individuals on their backs, and carrying stones uphill.
I feel like this training and fitness camp is all about "How to injure already injury prone players" #PCT
¡ª Mariya Rajput (@mariya_raj10) April 5, 2024
Video courtesy : Iftimania insta pic.twitter.com/8hNqoIlaHT
Not sure of the source of this video, but here's an attempt on Saim Ayub's back being broken #Cricket pic.twitter.com/qKb8k6a8fM
¡ª Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) April 4, 2024
Naseem is going though proper army training ?? pic.twitter.com/6YTcI6QzU7
¡ª Selenophile ???? (@Koi_Msla) March 31, 2024
In a video, Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali emphasized the significance of the army camp, stressing its role in achieving the necessary fitness levels ahead of the prestigious ICC tournament, slated to be jointly hosted by the Caribbean Islands and the United States of America in June.
? A candid peek into the Pakistan team's training at the Army School of Physical Training (ASPT), Kakul ?#PAKvNZ | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/d2DRn9miie
¡ª Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 31, 2024
These unorthodox training techniques have sparked widespread discussion among cricket enthusiasts, with social media flooded with memes and reactions. Take a look:
Cricket training ?
¡ª Johns (@JohnyBravo183) April 6, 2024
Asli maqsad ?
Pakistan isn't even hiding it anymore. pic.twitter.com/R8BqOD9bgC
Training ka tareeka thoda casual ha?
¡ª Global Rashid (@globalrashid007) April 6, 2024
Plan B ?#PakistanCricket #FakharZaman pic.twitter.com/bWkG53wEWY
¡ª ??? (@13hamdard) April 6, 2024
What the Hell just Sniper Shooting have to do with the T20 WC ????¡â?
¡ª Crazy Arpita (@ArpitaKiVines) April 6, 2024
All this Baseless training just to finish at bottom of Points Table ??#PakistanCricket #ShaheenShahAfridi #DHONI? #PAKvsNZ #RRvsRCB #RCBvsRR #ipl2024 #PakistanArmy pic.twitter.com/OOWXmQns8s
Concerns were also raised about the risks, especially for players with existing injuries, as a slip on the rocky terrain could potentially worsen their condition. As Umpire Richard Kettleborough humorously pondered, 'Which Mission is Pakistan Cricket Team Preparing for? This Kind of training can be injury prone for players, if anyone slips on this rocky areas. God knows what they all are doing.
Which Mission is Pakistan Cricket Team Preparing for ?
¡ª Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) April 5, 2024
This Kind of training can be injury prone for players, if anyone slips on this rocky areas ?
God knows what they all are doing ? #PakistanCricket #SRHvsCSK #CSKvsSRH #AbhishekKumar pic.twitter.com/Gm3kvt7Tcy
Former Pakistan director of cricket, Mohammad Hafeez, criticized the team's fitness standards earlier this year. He remarked on Pakistani sports channel, A Sports, stating that the players lacked the required fitness for international cricket.
Hafeez's tenure was cut short after Pakistan's defeat in the New Zealand T20I series, prompting him to express his dissatisfaction on Twitter, hinting at revealing factors behind Pakistan's poor performance.
Addressing the team, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently emphasized the importance of fitness, scheduling a 10-day training camp during the 2024 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at Kakul. Naqvi highlighted concerns over the team's six-hitting abilities and stressed the need to enhance strength and fitness levels.
With a packed schedule leading up to the T20 World Cup 2024, including series against New Zealand, Ireland, England, and the tournament itself, Naqvi urged players to prioritize national commitments over other engagements. The PCB recently revoked Haris Rauf's central contract and barred him from participating in overseas franchise T20 leagues until June 30, 2024.
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