Pakistan Cricket Board makes padel mandatory in long training camps

Pakistan Cricket Board has made padel a mandatory part of long training camps, ordering cricketers into about 40 minutes of court work every other day at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. The board is using the sport’s sharp lateral movement, quick reflexes and constant split-step reactions in cricket, especially in the field, while also breaking up the grind of extended camp schedules.

The courts have already been installed at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Aaqib Javed said the setup lets players use modern training and recreational facilities without leaving the premises, ending the need to travel elsewhere for padel. The board is also planning more sports and recreational facilities at the same site, including basketball courts.

Javed is leading the push. Appointed PCB director high performance on May 13, 2025, the former Pakistan Test fast bowler brought both administrative authority and playing experience to the role. He represented Pakistan in 22 Tests and 163 ODIs from 1988 to 1998, and his argument for padel is rooted in the physical demands he sees as relevant to cricket: short bursts of movement, coordination under pressure and the body control needed to turn in the field and react off the bat.

The PCB has folded it into a longer-term high-performance plan for the academy and for national and emerging players. A different sport can keep training fresh during long camps and put players through movements that resemble the angles, balance and footwork that matter at point, cover and in the deep.