KARACHI: Four Pakistan international cricketers have been docked part of their salaries in a crackdown on fitness standards, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Tuesday.

The PCB has penalised Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Abdul Rehman and Raza Hasan for failing to reach the levels of fitness required under their contracts.

“Yes we have started this process and in the initial stage Afridi, Akmal, Rehman and Raza Hasan will have 25 percent of their monthly salaries deducted as a penalty,” the PCB's media manager, Agha Akbar, told Reuters.

He said the board had also introduced a system of rewarding those players who excelled in the fitness tests.

“In the first stage Shaan Masood and Umar Amin will get a 17.5 percent increase in their salaries for four months as an incentive, while national team captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Bilawal Bhatti and Ahmed Shehzad have also been given a 10 percent increase for working hard on their fitness,” he said.

The PCB organised a month-long fitness camp in Lahore in June, after which players were given specific targets.

In further tests in early September, four national team players failed to meet the required targets, according to Akbar.

Contracted players in the top payment category, which includes Afridi and Misbah, currently receive around $4,200 a month from the board.

Pakistan are down in sixth place in the ICC's test rankings and Waqar Younis, the team's head coach, admits they no longer have the individual bowling firepower to win matches single-handedly.

The former fast bowler and test captain, who took more than 800 international wickets, says bowlers will need to work as a unit to win matches in future.

“The days of Wasim (Akram), Waqar, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain or Asif are gone. We don't have individuals now who can win matches on their own like we did in the past,” he said.

Waqar said he was satisfied with the current Pakistan bowlers, whom he described as capable, but he added: “They will now have to work as a unit to win matches. They will have to make use of modern technology.”

Waqar said the suspension of top off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for an illegal action could prove a blessing in disguise.

“With the World Cup round the corner, it is an opportunity for younger bowlers to take Ajmal's place,” he said.

“Secondly I think in his absence senior players like Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi have to take more responsibility.”

Announcement of squad postponed over Younis Khan’s inclusion

The six-member selection committee postponed until tomorrow the announcement of the squad for the upcoming series against Australia being played in the United Arab Emirates.

Sources said that the chief selector Moin Khan and the selection committee held a meeting today at the National Stadium Karachi and discussed the possible makeup of the squad but could not reach a final decision over the inclusion of veteran batsman Younis.

The announcement of the squad was hence postponed until tomorrow which would be made after the approval of PCB chairman Shahryar Khan.

Pakistan will start their series against Australia next month with a T20 scheduled on 5th October 2014 at Dubai Cricket Stadium, UAE.

In addition to the Twenty20 match, the two teams will also play three One Day International and two Test matches.