Misbah to head Pakistan's pre-season camp

The training camp will run from 22 August to 7 September at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore after two days of fitness testing. Fourteen centrally contracted players and six additional cricketers have been invited to participate in the camp.

According to reports, Misbah, along with the help of NCA coaching staff, will preside and craft a physically strenuous camp aimed at conditioning the A-list cricketers so that they can be ready for a competitive domestic and international cricket season, beginning with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy from 12 September.

Fitness has been identified as a major issue for Pakistan over the last few years and their poor fielding emerged as one of the major problems in their 2019 World Cup campaign.

Pakistan are scheduled to play six World Test Championship Tests, three one-day internationals and nine Twenty20 Internationals in the forthcoming season. They begin with a two-Test home series against Sri Lanka in October.

"Misbah-ul-Haq, who has been Pakistan's most successful captain, understands the arduous demands of the format in this day and age. With the advent of the World Test Championship, the PCB wants Pakistan to turn up with their best red-ball game when they face Sri Lanka in the two-match Test series at home," said Zakir Khan, Director of International Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Board.

"Ahead of the Sri Lanka series, these players will be a part of the initial rounds of what will be a highly competitive Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. So, this camp will further benefit them in gearing up for an exciting cricketing season."

Azhar Ali, who will soon finish his county stint with Somerset, is expected to be available for the full duration of the camp. However, Fakhar Zaman (Glamorgan), Babar Azam (Somerset), Mohammad Abbas (Leicestershire), Imad Wasim (Nottinghamshire) and Mohammad Amir (Essex), will only be available for the opening round matches of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

**Contracted players at the camp:**Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah

Non-contracted players at the camp: Asif Ali, Bilal Asif, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mir Hamza, Rahat Ali, Zafar Gohar