Aaqib Javed, head of the High-Performance Centre, has highlighted particular areas in Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s gameplay that require fine-tuning, stressing the importance of consistent improvement, even outside the regular season.
Emphasis of the Skills Development Camp
Speaking to the media at Gaddafi Stadium on the final day of the Skills Development Camp, Aaqib Javed emphasized that the core purpose of the camp was to ensure players remained engaged and physically active during the off-season. He stated:
“The thought was to keep players active during this break. Even though technical issues cannot be addressed in a few days, we can at least point them in the right direction.”
The camp concentrated on working on areas that needed focus and keeping players match-ready.
Short Camp, Big Picture Goals
Recognizing the limitations of a short-duration camp, Aaqib remarked:
“You can’t fix technical errors in six or seven days, but you can definitely show them what is required from the players and where they need to develop.”
The agenda wasn’t to remake techniques but to create a guide for personal development. The focus was on ensuring consistency and concentration, even during the off-season.
Working With Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan
Aaqib Javed confirmed that senior players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan took an active part in the camp, fully engaging in the training and feedback sessions. He added that these players were receptive to suggestions and had one-on-one sessions with them for improving their techniques.
“We were working very closely with Babar and Rizwan, telling them how they can improve themselves. Their participation was inspiring for other young players as well.”
Future Plans: Developing Backup for Each Player
Glimpsing into the future, Aaqib shared that these training sessions would go on until November, and the larger objective behind that is to establish a strong bench player for each position in the national team.
“This practice will go on till November. We want to ensure we have good replacements and a strong depth pool available at all times.”
Conclusion
The Skills Development Camp was an excellent program for identifying performance gaps and keeping players—senior as well as emerging—in tune throughout the off-season. Having experienced personalities such as Aaqib Javed at the wheel, Pakistan cricket appears to be headed towards a more organized and aggressive style of talent development.
