PCB announces 13-day red-ball camp in Lahore ahead of busy Test schedule

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday announced a 13-day red-ball training camp, which will be held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) from April 8 to 20 and will feature 18 players.

Those not involved in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11 will train under the supervision of NCA coaches. The programme will focus on skill development and fitness in preparation for the upcoming red-ball season.

As part of the camp, two 90-over practice matches will be staged in Lahore to provide players with valuable match exposure and help them acclimatise to the demands of the longer format.

The 18 selected players include six batters, three spinners, six fast bowlers, and three wicketkeepers.

It is pertinent to mention that in the current ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, Pakistan have played only a two-match Test series against South Africa, which took place last year. 

Since then, the national side has not featured in any red-ball fixture.

According to the Pakistan Men’s Future Tour Programme (FTP) 2023-27, the Green Shirts are next scheduled to play their second Test series of the WTC cycle against England, touring the UK for a three-match series from August 19 to September 13.

Shan Masood’s side are also likely to tour the West Indies before facing England, with a two-match Test series expected to take place in July and August.

Sri Lanka will later tour Pakistan for a two-match Test series in November, while New Zealand will travel for two Tests in March 2027.

18 players in alphabetical order:

Afaq Afridi, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Hasan Raza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Suleman, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Musa Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Naqeebullah, Niaz Khan, Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir, Saad Khan, Saifullah Bangash, Sajid Khan, Salman Khan and Waqar Ahmed.