Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with young domestic performers on Sunday and issued immediate directives to address their concerns regarding fitness, skills, and diet plans during training.
This meeting followed the national team's disappointing Champions Trophy campaign, where Pakistan became the first team to be eliminated despite being the tournament hosts.
Media reports suggest that these top-performing domestic players might be considered for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, where senior players could be rested.
The tour comprises a five-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series, scheduled from March 16 to April 5. The Pakistan team is set to depart for New Zealand on March 12.
During the meeting at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, the young cricketers discussed key training issues with Chairman Naqvi.
They highlighted challenges faced at high-performance centers, particularly in fitness management and diet planning.
In response, Naqvi assured them of the PCB's commitment to their development. He directed relevant authorities to resolve these issues and granted the young talents access to all cricket academies across the country.
Additionally, he instructed officials to implement a specialized diet plan to enhance players' physical fitness and performance.
Emphasizing the importance of professional training, Naqvi stressed the need for experienced trainers to oversee the players' conditioning.
Encouraging the young cricketers, he remarked, "You are the future stars of Pakistan. Providing you with the necessary resources is an investment in the bright future of Pakistan cricket."
The meeting was attended by several promising domestic cricketers, including Muhammad Ali, Ali Raza, Ahmed Daniyal, Nisar Ahmed, Mohammad Ibtisam, Mohammad Salman, Afaq Afridi, Abdul Samad, Saad Masood, Khawaja Nafay, Muaz Sadaqat, Arafat Minhas, Mubasir Khan, Haider Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Faisal Akram, Tahir Baig, and Qasim Akram.
Tickets refund
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday, announced the procedure for ticket refunds for two ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 matches that were abandoned without a ball bowled at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
A total of three matches of the ongoing tournament ended without results due to rain in Rawalpindi and Lahore but the ticket refund was announced for two matches - Australia vs South Africa on 25 February and Bangladesh vs Pakistan on 27 February.
Thus, the tickets for the Group B match between Australia and Afghanistan will not be refunded as the PCB Ticket Refund Policy for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 states that ticket holders are eligible for a refund if the match gets abandoned before the toss.
The cricket board further shared that the tickets for the Hospitality boxes and PCB gallery are also not available for refunds.
According to the PCB, the eligible ticket holders can claim their refunds from 10 designated outlets of a private courier company from March 10 to 14.
For the unversed, the ongoing ninth edition of the Champions Trophy is nearing completion as all four berths in the semi-final have been occupied by India, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.
However, the final match-ups for the knockout matches are not yet confirmed as it is dependent on the outcome of the last group-stage fixture between India and New Zealand, scheduled to be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday.
After the completion of the group stage, the top side from Group A will take on the second-placed Group B team, while the Group B toppers will lock horns with the second-placed Group A side.
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