Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a comprehensive fitness testing regimen for its upcoming Domestic cricket season 2025-26, which begins with the Hanif Mohammad Trophy in August, followed by the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Sixteen regional teams are gearing up to conduct fitness assessments for their preliminary squads a week before the tournaments commence. The PCB has introduced a stringent two-tier fitness testing system, targeting both pathways’ players and those participating in premier domestic events.
Fitness testing, first implemented in the PCB Challenge Cup and Senior Inter-District tournaments, will now extend to about 400 players. These players, competing for regional team spots, will undergo tests at their regional headquarters in August.
Under-19 players, set to partake in the Regional U19 One-Day Cup, will also be subject to fitness evaluations prior to the tournament’s start. The tests aim to ensure players are physically prepared for competitive cricket and to identify candidates for domestic contracts.
For the first time, the PCB will oversee the fitness testing of departmental cricketers across Grades I, II, and III, marking a shift from the departments’ independent testing practices. The collaboration underscores the PCB’s emphasis on fitness as a priority.
The refined pre-season testing protocol is designed to ensure only fully fit players participate in domestic competitions, enhancing the overall quality of play. Players unable to meet the fitness standards, even after a retest, will be ineligible for the domestic tournaments.