Babar, Rizwan among first batch of players called up for Skills Development camp

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday, announced calling a 15-player batch to the Skills and Development camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) here, including former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

According to the cricket board, a total of 47 players will participate in the 20-day camp, with the first batch set to undergo training sessions from June 16 to 21.

The subsequent batches, comprised of 16 players each, will participate in the camp from June 23 to 28 and June 30 to July 5, respectively.

The cricket board further shared that the players will participate in fitness and fielding sessions from 6 am to 8 am, while skill-based sessions (net practice) will be held from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground and NCA from Monday to Thursday.

They will engage in match scenarios at the LCCA Ground on Friday and Saturday.

Director High-Performance Aqib Javed, in a statement released by the PCB, shared that the players were invited to the camp after ‘detailed discussions’ with newly-appointed white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.

Javed said that the camp would provide the 47 players with an opportunity to fine-tune their skills during a brief pause from competitive cricket.

“We have invited 47 players to the 20-day skills camp at the National Cricket Academy following detailed discussions with white-ball head coach Mike Hesson,” said Javed.

“This is an invaluable opportunity for the players to take a brief pause from competitive cricket and focus on enhancing their fitness and refining key aspects of their game.

“With a busy international calendar ahead, this window allows us to provide targeted support to the players, so they can return better prepared for the challenges to come.

“There is a complete alignment between the coaching staff at the National Cricket Academy and the national men’s team. We are working in close coordination to ensure that every initiative contributes to the long-term progress of Pakistan cricket.

Javed further shared that the upcoming camp will also allow players to engage directly with the coaches, which would help them finely identify the areas of improvement in their skills.

“A central feature of this camp is the one-on-one coaching sessions. These personalised interactions allow each player to engage directly with coaches, understand the finer details of their game and identify areas that need attention. It is about giving players the clarity and tools to improve.

“In addition to supporting player development, this camp will also serve as a useful resource for the selectors as they begin to shape squads for both the Pakistan men’s side and the Pakistan Shaheens ahead of upcoming international commitments.”

First batch of Pakistan players called up for Skills Development camp:

Aamir Jamal, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Babar Azam, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufyan Moqim