ICC World Test Championship: Misbah to command Pak conditioning camp

KARACHI: Pakistan have roped in the expertise of the their most successful Test captain in a bid to raise a strong team for the upcoming international season which includes 30 days of action in the longest format of the game.The country’s cricket chiefs have appointed Misbahul Haq, the man who helped Pakistan rise to number one spot in Tests three years ago, as ‘camp commandant’ for a pre-season training camp which will get underway at Lahore’s National Cricket Academy from August 22. The camp will help prepare the players for a series of upcoming assignments that include the inaugural World Test Championship.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Thursday that a total of 20 players will attend the training camp under Misbah’s supervision. Thursday’s announcement by the PCB have added weight to speculations that Misbah could succeed Mickey Arthur, who was dumped by the Board following Pakistan’s disappointing run in the ICC World Cup in England, as Pakistan’s new head coach.However, the Board said that the former Test batsman will supervise the preparations till a new coaching staff is hired for the national team.A PCB official said that the Board’s emphasis at the moment is preparing a solid Test squad.“Misbahul Haq, who has been Pakistan’s most successful captain, understands the arduous demands of the format in this day and age,” commented Zakir Khan, a former Pakistan Test pacer, who is currently serving as PCB’s Director International Cricket.“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,” he said.“This conditioning camp is of great significance. The players will undergo strenuous training sessions to prepare for a demanding season, which will see Pakistan spend 30 of their 42 cricket-playing days in Test cricket.“As five players are already playing active cricket in England and Wales, we have given exemptions to them but they have been advised to return to Pakistan in time to be available for the first round matches of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy,” he added.Fourteen centrally contracted and six additional men cricketers have been invited to attend the camp. The players will undergo two days of fitness testing, before the 17-day conditioning camp will begin on August 22 and run until September 7.According to the PCB, Misbah with the support of the NCA coaching staff, will craft the training programme and overlook of the camp until the recruitment process of new coaching staff has concluded.Apart from 31 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy first-class matches and number of domestic white ball matches in relation to the National T20 Cup and Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament, the Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to play six World Test Championship Tests, three ODIs and nine T20Is in the forthcoming season.Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali will join the camp from the outset after completing his contract with English county Somerset. Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Amir have been exempted from the camp so that they can complete their contracts with English counties Somerset, Glamorgan, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Essex, respectively. They will return to Pakistan in time to participate in the opening round matches of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.Following is the list of invited players:Centrally contracted: Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, M Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz and Yasir ShahNon-contracted players: Asif Ali, Bilal Asif, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mir Hamza, Rahat Ali and Zafar GoharNon-participating centrally contracted players: Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Amir.

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