PCB mandates padel sessions for Pakistan players at National Cricket Academy
The Pakistan Cricket Board has introduced padel as a compulsory element of training at the National Cricket Academy, requiring players to complete 40-minute sessions every alternate day. The change is intended to bolster fitness, agility and fielding standards.
The decision forms part of a broader upgrade to the NCA’s training infrastructure overseen by the PCB. Alongside the new padel requirement, the board has added a padel court and installed an AI bowling machine at the facility. Officials have also outlined plans to build basketball and indoor sports facilities to broaden athletes’ cross-training options.
Under the new protocol, all Pakistan cricketers based at the National Cricket Academy must undertake 40-minute sessions every alternate day, a schedule the PCB has made mandatory. The board framed this as a targeted move to enhance the physical and reactive skills relevant to modern cricket. The introduction of padel aims to create short, high-intensity periods of movement that complement traditional nets and gym work.
Infrastructure changes at the NCA have been immediate, with a dedicated padel court now in place for scheduled practice. In addition to the court, an AI bowling machine has been installed to provide varied and programmable bowling deliveries for batsmen and fielding drills. These additions are part of the PCB’s stated effort to modernise training methods at its central academy.
The PCB has also announced plans to expand indoor options, specifying intentions to build basketball and indoor sports facilities. Those planned constructions are aimed at offering players alternative avenues for conditioning and skill development within the academy environment. The board has positioned these steps as complementary to on-field preparation rather than replacements for cricket-specific training.
Coaches and support staff at the academy will be responsible for integrating padel sessions with existing practice timetables and conditioning programmes. The PCB’s move brings a structured frequency and duration to the new activity, ensuring all players follow the same regimen while at the NCA. The AI bowling machine and additional indoor facilities are expected to support varied training objectives across batting, bowling and fielding units.
By mandating padel and investing in new equipment and facilities, the Pakistan Cricket Board has signalled a shift toward diversified, technology-assisted preparation at the National Cricket Academy. The measures are designed to raise fitness, agility and fielding levels among players in residence while expanding the range of training tools available to coaches and athletes.
