Preparations for the England tour are in full swing and players are going through the grind in an army-styled boot camp in Kakul. Pakistan players are spending some 20 days in Kakul, besides strenuous physical and mental exertion there will be various bonding exercises.
The camp was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) days before hiring Mickey Arthur as the team’s head coach. It is being considered that the boot camp will help improve chemistry between the players, as they train together really hard, it builds team spirit.
Other international teams particularly England and Australia have gain successes from organizing boot camps for their teams. But there is also a fear that if players are being given intense fitness camp, there may be chances of few injuries before the busy schedule of team as they are playing against England and latter at the end of the year with Australia. The Kakul camp can provide a much needed fitness fill-up but must be tackled carefully.
It has been witnessed that Pakistan players lack the fitness which required at the international level. This camp would be helpful for the players to gain fitness required to perform at the highest level. It is sad to know that despite of availability of modern facilities with best trainers, the fitness level of majority of Pakistani players is nowhere close to international standards. It is also truth that in modern cricket world fitness has become the primary selection criteria for a player. All successful cricket-playing nations across the world have modernised their team-selection with technological advancements and achieving high standards of fitness.
If results are positive, such camps should be organised on a regular basis.