KARACHI: The red-ball pre-season fielding and fitness camp starts Tuesday at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi. The camp, running until July 7, includes 24 players, with the 25th player to be confirmed soon. A PCB official stated that players began reporting on Monday.
After this camp, 15 players will join Pakistan Shaheens’ pre-departure camp from July 8 to 13. The Shaheens will depart for Darwin, Australia, on July 14 to play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, two one-day matches, and participate in the nine-team Top End T20 Series.
The camp includes eight cricketers with Test experience: Abdullah Shafique (17 Tests), Imam-ul-Haq (24 Tests), Khurram Shahzad (one Test), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (two Tests), Sarfaraz Ahmed (54 Tests), Saud Shakeel (10 Tests), Umar Amin (four Tests), and Zahid Mahmood (two Tests).
This camp is crucial for the players as Pakistan is set to play nine Test matches in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 during the 2024-25 season. The schedule includes two home Tests against Bangladesh in August, three home Tests against England in October, two away Tests against South Africa in December/January, and two home Tests against West Indies in January 2025.
