U19 women cricketers to undergo fitness assessment.

LAHORE -- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will hold online fitness assessment of 19 Under-19 women cricketers from today (Monday).

The PCB announced it on Sunday and added that the assessment is designed to keep the upcoming cricketers focused and motivated during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has put a halt on outdoor physical activities. The players will take tests from June 22-26 in which their hand-eye coordination, body balance, core muscle and lower body strength along with upper body endurance will be gauged. The investment on this group of emerging players is in line with the PCB's strategy of enhancing the pool of women cricketers by creating an U19 pathway programme.

These players were picked on the basis of their performances in the Skills2Shine U18 Women T20 Championship, a four-team tournament which was held in Lahore in November last year. Following the tournament, the players underwent a 14-day-long training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi.

Chair of national women's selection committee Urooj Mumtaz said: 'Physical fitness is one of the key elements for any cricketer in order to be successful and thrive in this day and age. It is important that the players are made aware...