Get fitter and earn more, PCB chief tells Pakistan players

KARACHI: Pakistan’s cricket chief Nasim Ashraf on Friday told top national cricketers their new pays would depend on the level of their fitness.

“I expect an improvement in the physical fitness of each player on a month to month basis,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman told the players during a visit of a training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.â€*”Your fitness will be a major element in monitoring the new central contracts,” he added.

The PCB is currently working on a new pay formula for its players after suspending the central contracts in the wake of Pakistan’s disastrous campaign in the 2007 World Cup. It has already announced that the new pays for the cricketers would be based on performance rather than seniority.

Ashraf made it clear that all the players will have to follow proper work ethics and improve the level of their performance and fitness. “All the players are professionals and the board expects them to behave in a professional way,” he said.

He told the players that the board will be closely monitoring their physical fitness levels adding that a baseline physical evaluation of every player was carried out recently.

The PCB chief hoped that the players had learnt their lesson from the World Cup debacle. Pakistan got dumped out of the 16-nation contest after a shock defeat against underdogs Ireland. The World Cup disaster was followed by the murder of Pakistan’s coach Bob Woolmer in Kingston (Jamaica). It also resulted in the resignation of captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Pakistan are now hoping that new captain Shoaib Malik would lift the team out of the present crisis.

Ashraf said that Pakistan will have to work hard in various areas, especially in the fielding department.

He also spoke on the importance of team work during the luncheon meeting at the NCA where the Pakistani players are currently preparing for a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka to be played in Abu Dhabi from May 18-22.

He asked the senior players to support new captain Shoaib Malik. “All the players must give their hundred percent support to the team captain,” he said.

The players, especially the senior boys — Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq — did assure their complete backing for the skipper.