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Comprehensive Summer Training Camps at the NCA
The National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore is set to host intensive training camps for both red and white-ball cricketers over the summer. This strategic initiative is designed to prepare Pakistan’s elite players for a demanding schedule of upcoming international and domestic matches. The specialized camp for red-ball players will start on Monday, June 8. Meanwhile, the white-ball specialists are scheduled to report to the academy on June 15. Once both groups have arrived, the two training camps will run simultaneously to maximize coaching resources and player development.
Detailed Schedules and Future Assignments
The PCB has planned the training timeline to align with Pakistan’s future international commitments. The red-ball camp is scheduled to conclude on July 10. Following this, the players will enter a specialized pre-tour camp ahead of their two-match Test series against the West Indies. The national squad is expected to depart for the Caribbean on July 15. On the other hand, the white-ball training camp will have an extended duration, running all the way until September 18. This long-term preparation is geared toward several crucial white-ball campaigns, including the T20 Asian Games in Japan during September and October, and a highly anticipated home ODI tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and England, which is expected to take place in October and November after Pakistan hosts Sri Lanka for two Test matches.
Coaching Leadership and Roster Management
Pakistan’s newly appointed format-specific head coaches will head the training operations. Red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and white-ball head coach Mike Hesson will supervise their respective camps at the NCA. The training program will initially feature 49 players, consisting of 22 red-ball specialists and 27 white-ball players. The NCA management reserves the option to add more players as the camps progress. Notably, players currently holding active contracts with English counties for the summer season have been excluded from the initial roster. These county-based players may be integrated into the Lahore camps toward their final stages if they are under active consideration for national selection.
Coaches Sarfaraz and Hesson plan to dynamically swap players between the camps as tactical needs dictate. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s ODI captain, is initially named in the 27-man white-ball squad. However, he is also expected to spend time during the next month focusing on his red-ball bowling workload and mechanics. Shaheen, along with other players who participated in the recent three-match ODI series against Australia, will officially join the training camp on June 15.
Skill Development, Fitness, and Game Scenarios
The curriculum of the camps extends beyond basic physical conditioning. Players will engage in comprehensive skill development, tactical sessions, and simulated scenario-based practice matches. According to an official media release from the Pakistan Cricket Board, both camps have been specifically devised to prepare players for upcoming international and domestic events. During their time at the NCA, players will work closely with national coaches, academy staff, and the PCB medical team to elevate their fitness standards and refine their techniques. Additionally, individual one-on-one sessions will be conducted to ensure players clearly comprehend the elite physical and technical standards required at the international level.
Addressing Recent Competitive Struggles
This prolonged training intervention comes at a critical juncture for Pakistan cricket. The national coaching staff and selection committee are banking on these extensive camps to reverse a period of poor on-field results. While Pakistan recently secured a 2-1 ODI series victory against Australia, the triumph came with caveats; the matches were played on spin-friendly home tracks against an under-strength visiting side. Prior to that, Pakistan suffered an ODI series defeat in Bangladesh and experienced an early exit in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup. This marked the fourth consecutive ICC white-ball tournament where Pakistan failed to reach the knockout stages, following disappointing group-stage exits in the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the home Champions Trophy in 2025.
The team’s Test match record is equally concerning. Pakistan has not registered an away Test victory since 2023 and recently suffered a 2-0 series defeat at home against Bangladesh. Out of four matches played in the current World Test Championship cycle, they have managed only a single victory, leaving them in eighth place on the nine-team standings after finishing the previous cycle at the very bottom. The upcoming months present an intense red-ball calendar to correct this course, starting with the West Indies series in July, followed by England in August-September, and Sri Lanka in September-October.
Pakistan’s 22 red-ball camp players
- Aamir Jamal
- Abdullah Fazal
- Abrar Ahmed
- Ali Usman
- Amad Butt
- Azan Awais
- Babar Azam
- Imam ul Haq
- Khurram Shehzad
- Mohammad Abbas
- Mohammad Ali
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Muhammad Awais Zafar
- Muhammad Ghazi Ghori
- Obaid Shah
- Sajid Khan
- Salman Ali Agha
- Saqib Khan
- Saud Shakeel
- Shahnawaz Dahani
- Shahzad Gul
- Shan Masood
Pakistan’s 27 white-ball camp players
- Abdul Samad
- Abdul Subhan
- Ahmed Daniyal
- Akif Javed
- Ali Raza
- Arafat Minhas
- Faisal Akram
- Fakhar Zaman
- Farhan Yousaf
- Haider Ali
- Hasan Nawaz
- Khawaja Muhammad Nafay
- Maaz Sadaqat
- Mohammad Salman Mirza
- Naseem Shah
- Razaullah
- Rohail Nazir
- Saad Baig
- Saad Masood
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Saim Ayub
- Sameer Minhas
- Shadab Khan
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Shamyl Hussain
- Sufyan Moqim
- Usman Khan