The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has introduced padel as a compulsory part of the curriculum at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore. Players who attend long training camps are now required to play the game for 40 minutes every day as part of their training. These moves require the development of skills, reflexes, stamina and athleticism.The idea was created by the chief selector and director of high performance Aqib Javed, who believes that padel can help players stay fit and make training more fun.“Many of our players are already playing padel regularly but they have to travel long distances to the few courts in their towns. Now we have built a padel court at NCA for the players,” said Aqib, as quoted by news agency PTI.He explained that padel, a combination of tennis and squash, is difficult even when played on a small court. According to him, it improves mobility, endurance and overall fitness, making it useful in cricket training.Aqib said the PCB wants the National Cricket Academy to be a place where players can develop all aspects of their game. Along with the official padel sessions every second day, the organization plans to add a sports and entertainment center.The PCB wants to build basketball courts and an indoor hall for snooker and other games. Aqib also revealed that the school has already installed an AI-powered drilling machine as one of the ways to promote modern education.With these additions, the PCB hopes to create a better environment for cricketers to exercise, improve their skills and prepare for international cricket.
