The pre-season camp at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul from March 26 to April 6 strengthened unity among players, team’s white-ball skipper Babar Azam has said.

“Immersed in such an inspiring facility, guided by top-notch instructors and a well-structured programme, all the players have experienced significant growth,” he was seen saying in a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board on its website.

As many as 29 elite cricketers attended the pre-season camp, with the training and drills designed by Pakistan Army experts and strategists.

The statement said that the focus was on team building aimed to enhance the physical and mental strength of the players. The players underwent a comprehensive training regime tailored to “elevate their fitness levels, agility, leadership, strategic thinking and overall performance on the field.”

Babar, who attended his third boot camp, said he was confident that players would return to competitive cricket as “better, fitter and mentally tougher athletes, thereby enhancing our overall performance.”

He added that team bonding activities and performance-improving lectures were crucial considering the team environment where collective performance was paramount for achieving desired results.

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According to the right-handed batter, shared spaces fostered discussions ranging from strategic planning and team combinations to the evolution of cricket, latest innovations in the sport, analysis of opponents and approach to each day’s challenges.

Pakistan would be playing against New Zealand and Ireland before the T20 World Cup in June. Babar recently got the captaincy back after the board removed Shaheen Shah Afridi as the skipper in the shortest format of the game.