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Injury prevention strategies in cricket

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 Injury Prevention
Strategies in Cricket
Lee Pote, PhD and Candice J. Christie, PhD
Department of Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

ABSTRACT traditionally been associated with a low based, cricket-specific injury prevention
to moderate injury risk, there has been programs are currently available to assist
THE GAME OF CRICKET HAS
an increase in the incidence of injuries coaches, strength and conditioning spe-
GROWN IN POPULARITY OVER
over the years, and the “average” injury cialists, and players to reduce the risk of
THE PAST YEARS. SEASONS HAVE
is becoming more severe (19,26). injury. This was then linked to injury
BECOME LONGER, AND THUS, data to make recommendations for
PLAYERS MAY BE MORE PRONE There is a lack of injury prevention
research, specifically at an adolescent future research with respect to cricket
TO INJURIES. THEREFORE, TRAIN- player preparedness for training and
ING PROGRAMS NEED TO ENSURE and schoolboy cricket level, besides the
known potential for injury risk (10). To competition.
THAT INJURIES ARE PREVENTED
date and to the authors’ knowledge,
OR MINIMIZED. THIS REVIEW
there are limited scientifically based OVERVIEW OF THE NATURE AND
SOUGHT TO DETERMINE WHICH INCIDENCE OF INJURIES IN
cricket injury prevention programs that
INJURY PREVENTION STRATEGIES CRICKET
have been developed. There are a num-
ARE AVAILABLE. THERE IS A PAU- There are only 5 major cricket playing
ber of programs that have been designed
CITY OF LITERATURE THAT HAS nations that have collected long-term
and published by well-renowned cricket
EXAMINED INJURY PREVENTION injury data. These nations include
coaches and academics (13,29,31,34), but
STRATEGIES FOR CRICKET. WHAT these are anecdotal and focus specifically South Africa, Australia, New Zealand,
IS AVAILABLE HAS FOCUSED on elite athletes. Furthermore, when West Indies, and England. Of these na-
MOSTLY ON THE MAIN INJURIES observing the different injury prevention tions, only South Africa and Australia
THAT OCCUR DURING CRICKET programs, it would seem as if the incor- have published more than one article
WITH LIMITED INFORMATION ON rect practices are being focused on, par- regarding injury statistics and causa-
PREVENTION PROGRAMS. FUR- ticularly in terms of injury prevention. tion, with the Australian data being
THERMORE, MOST PROGRAMS This is mainly due to lack of experience, more comprehensive. A summary of
ARE NOT MULTIFACTORIAL IN incorrect qualifications (non–sport sci- these findings is shown in Table 1.
NATURE, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT ence or conditioning-related qualifica- South Africa has the most literature
CONSIDERATION WHEN TRAINING tions) and due to a lack of education of available (Table 1) in terms of injury
AND DESIGNING CONDITIONING cricket coaches (30). It has been shown surveillance and data collection
PROGRAMS. that coaches (in South Africa) focus (1993–2014). Furthermore, it is the on-
mainly on core work and general fitness ly cricket-playing nation that has inves-
(rowing, cycling, and long-distance run- tigated the nature and incidence of
INTRODUCTION ning) for batsmen and strength training injuries at the adolescent level
he demands placed on cricket for bowlers, when conditioning adoles- (38,40,41). However, these are largely

T players are often substantial,

specifically because of longer
seasons, and the introduction of new
cent players (30). This is interesting con-
sidering that the main injuries for
batsmen and bowlers are hamstring
retrospective questionnaire studies that
have been conducted over a period,
between 1993 and 2014. Although
forms of the game and competitions and lower back injuries, respectively other cricket-playing nations have only
occurring outside of the regular season (37,38). These incorrect practices may looked at national, county, and state
(off-season) (28,37). As a result, players lead to potential injuries, and thus, there players, who are professional in nature
are susceptible to a wide range of in- is a need for sound, scientifically based (11,15,16,27), the Australian database
juries that may occur any time during injury prevention programs for cricketers specifically is more extensive because
the season (38). Although cricket has across the age span (30).
KEY WORDS:
Address correspondence to Lee Pote, Therefore, the main purpose of this cricket; injuries; training
g06p1630@campus.ru.ac.za. review is to determine what scientifically

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Copyright ª National Strength and Conditioning Association. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
2

Cricket Strength and Conditioning

Table 1
Injury statistics for different countries and competitions
VOLUME 00 | NUMBER 00 | MONTH 2018

Country/competition Author Year Sample size Age/level Most injured Most injured Match or
region discipline practice injury

South Africa
Stretch (36) 1993 308 26a, club/provincial Lower limbs Fast bowlers Match
Stretch and Venter (38) 2005 594 12 and above, Lower limbs Fast bowlers Match
provincial/national
Milsom et al. (19) 2007 196 U/19, provincial Lower back Fast bowlers Match
Stretch and Raffan (39) 2011 36 N/A, national Lower limbs Fast bowlers Match
Stretch and Trella (40) 2012 1,292 U/15/17/18, provincial Lower limbs Fast bowlers Match
Stretch (41) 2014 2081 U/15/17/18, provincial Lower limbs Fast bowlers Match
Australia
Orchard et al. 2002 N/A N/A, state/national Lower back Fast bowlers N/A
b
Orchard et al. (26) 2006 175 N/A, state/national Lower limbs Fast bowlers Match
Finch et al. (10) 2010 88 U/12, amateur (juniors) Lower limbs Batting/fielding Match
b b
Orchard et al. (27) 2010 243 21–33 , state/national Lower limbs Fast bowlers Match
Orchard et al. (28) 2016 N/A (2006–2016 N/A, national Lower limbs/ Fast bowlers N/A
season) lower back
New Zealand
Frost and Chalmers (11) 2014 248 N/A, national Lower limbs Fast bowlers Match
West Indies
Mansingh et al. (16) 2006 323 18–37, domestic/ Lower back Fast bowlers Match
national
England
Leary and White (15) 2000 54 27a, county Lower limbs Fast bowlers N/A
Asian Cricket Council Das et al. (7) 2014 112 U19, national Lower limbs Batsmen Match
(U/19 Elite Cup)
 it has looked at injury data and statistics These studies show that pace bowlers
continuously over a 10-year period. are the most prone to injuries, specifi-
However, comparisons between the na- cally in the lumbar spine and lower
tions are difficult because each have used limb regions. This is mainly due to
different methods and definitions of inadequate physical attributes, poor
Fast bowlers (time-loss N/A

injury surveillance (27). This is mainly posture and bowling technique

due to factors such as the exclusion of (mixed-action technique), high physi-
batsmen (non–time-

time-loss injuries from the main defini- cal demands, and excess workload
tion (the original definition only includes (overload or spikes in acute workload)
injuries); and

loss injuries)

“match time-loss”), new definitions in (2,3,24). Batsmen were the second

response to the introduction of twenty20 most injured players, with lower limb
(T20) cricket and flaws in how data are injuries (hamstring and quadriceps
collected (27). Thus, it is important to strains) occurring most often. These
take this into account when reviewing were as a result of sprinting between
the wickets and high workload. Impact
(non–time-loss

the injury statistics of each country. This

injuries); and

is besides the fact that a recent publica- injuries were also common in batsmen
lower back
Lower limbs

(26,27,35,37). Finally, it was shown that

(time-loss

tion has studied the incidence and prev-

injuries)

fielders and wicket keepers were least

alence of cricket injuries in elite male
likely to become injured, the main
cricketers using updated consensus defi-
injury being through impact of the ball
nitions (28). Furthermore, limited
(16,19,28). Because of the loss in play-
research has been conducted on players
ing time that occurs as a result of these
or disciplines other than fast bowlers,
injuries, it is important that sports med-
and thus, a true understanding of the icine professionals address these issues
injury risks associated with batting, field- through scientifically based training
N/A, national

ing, and wicket keeping is lacking; this is programs and techniques. Injuries are
(continued )

important when designing training pro- however multifactorial in nature,

Table 1

grams. Thus, there is perhaps a need to a point that strength and conditioning
focus on the movement demands of professionals need to take into account
these disciplines (positional differences) when training individual players. What
to adequately address injury prevention. is noteworthy is that a lot of the injuries
Finally, Table 1 shows that most injuries can be mitigated with adequate physi-
76

occur during match play, despite the fact cal preparedness in the form of
that most studies have looked at injuries conditioning.
during both training and matches. This is
most likely due to acute spikes in work- INJURY PREVENTION STRATEGIES
load, which gives credence to the fact FOR CRICKET
2011

that the monitoring of player workload Although there are existing data on
Estimated sample size based on information in the article.

to prevent injuries is important at an elite the nature and incidence of cricket-

and nonelite level. related injuries, limited literature is
Despite this, there are however a num- available in terms of injury prevention
ber of important and common trends programs and strategies. The injury
prevention strategies that are available
that can be seen. Across nations, fast
are not multifactorial in nature and on-
Ranson et al.

bowlers are most prone to injuries, fol-

ly focus on distinct or separable as-
lowed by batsmen and then fielders.
pects (e.g., only core strength or
Most common sites and type of injury
repeat sprint ability) (21,33). A pro-
are similar between all studies, includ-
gressive training program needs to be
ing the discipline (bowler, batsmen, or
developed that suits each individual
fielder), and whether the injury is acute
Cricket World Cup,

player, so that certain weaknesses can

or chronic (Table 2). These trends are be corrected (22). Furthermore, it is
N/A 5 no data.

evident in both adolescents and adults. also important that conditioning and
Mean age.

With respect to the proposed risk fac- injury prevention programs take into
2011

tors associated with the game, there account the demands of the game
are a number of similarities between through the specificity of replicating
b
a

the different investigations (Table 3). actual match play (5).

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 Cricket Strength and Conditioning

Table 2 that programs should focus on core

Injuries in cricket players muscle training, which allows for
strength to spread peripherally to the
Site Discipline Acute or chronic? more distant regions of the body (22).
Upper limbs Fielders and wicket keepers Acute Furthermore, core training has also
been shown to improve trunk mobility,
Lower limbs Batsmen Acute and chronic stability, rotational strength, and
Lower back Fast bowlers Chronic flexibility of cricket players (6,42).
The relationship between the pelvis
Abdominal region Fast bowlers Chronic and the lumbar area of the spine
Acute injuries occur as a result of a sudden trauma, for example, an impact injury (15,37). (lumbo-pelvic-hip complex) is impor-
Chronic injuries occur over time, through overuse, such as stress fractures (spondylolysis) tant in ensuring that players remain
(14,16). injury-free. Studies have shown that
bowlers who are more laterally flexed
during the delivery stride experience
PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR focus on the eccentric loading of the greater lumbo-pelvic lateral flexion
CRICKETERS musculature through exercises such as and as a result may be more prone to
The importance of intermittent train- Nordic hamstring lowers and repeat lower back pain (2,24). Injuries can be
ing has been highlighted as a significant sprint training, which has been shown reduced by controlling the lumbo-
training tool for preventing injuries in to reduce the risk of injuries in other pelvic-hip complex in 3 ways. First,
cricket players (23). This is not only for intermittent sports (20,30). These exer- through the stabilization of the core
the development of greater anaerobic cises reduce the risk of hamstring strains muscles and joint ligaments to ensure
capacity, but also because of the eccen- through increased eccentric torque and intrapelvic stability; second, to improve
tric loading of lower limb musculature the shifting of the torque-joint angle lumbo-pelvic stability; and finally,
(22,30). It has been shown that tradi- curves of the hamstrings to longer mus- through strengthening the hip abduc-
tional in-season training programs, cle lengths (25). This is further con- tors and external rotators to help with
combined with the demands of match firmed by the fact that a decrease in pelvic-femoral (hip) stability (2).
play, are not sufficient to maintain eccentric peak torque of the knee exten- Therefore, strength and conditioning
player fitness throughout the competi- sors and flexors has been shown during coaches may consider addressing trunk
tion period, and thus, players should be running between the wickets in cricket, position as well as dynamic control of
exposed to more high-intensity, low- thus possibly increasing the risk of ham- the trunk and pelvis.
volume sessions (22). Furthermore, string strains (5).
these sessions need to be manipulated Finally, strength and power training
Core muscle strength and flexibility has been shown to be important from
throughout the competition period, for
have also been highlighted as impor- an injury prevention perspective, spe-
each individual, depending on when
tant factors to consider for injury pre- cifically in terms of fast bowling (22).
matches are played (6). This is of par-
vention in cricket players (2,21). This is Research has shown that the imple-
ticular importance to determine
particularly for fast bowlers who are mentation of a suitable strength and
whether a player is being exposed to
the most prone to lower back injuries power program can cause adaptive al-
the optimal workload or is being
(26). Stabilization of the core muscula- terations in nervous system function
undertrained or overtrained (6).
ture can improve the lateral slide of the and alter architecture and structure of
Repeat sprint ability protocols, such as fascia in the anterior abdominals muscles (22). In addition, strength and
the 25-m shuttle, 30:15 interval fitness, (transversus abdominis is more stable) power training of the lower and upper
and intermittent yo-yo test, are proba- and as a result decrease the risk of limbs can also improve batting and
bly important training tools for all crick- injury in fast bowlers (the anterior bowling performance through an
eters. In addition, this type of training abdominal slide occurs during the con- increase in ball release velocity as well
may improve the ability of the lower centric contraction of the transversus as acceleration and deceleration when
limb musculature to handle the high abdominis muscle bilaterally during running (22).
eccentric loads (23). Cricketers are a normal cricket delivery) (21). In addi-
exposed to compulsory eccentric mus- tion, training core muscle strength is WORKLOAD MONITORING FOR
cle demands as a result of the need for especially important in young crick- CRICKETERS
repeated, high-intensity effort requiring eters where abnormalities of the spine, Perhaps, one of the most important fac-
numerous decelerations and accelera- especially with a mixed bowling tech- tors to consider in terms of injury pre-
tions. This has been shown to contribute nique, can predispose these players to vention is to manipulate an individual’s
to muscle strain injuries, particularly in stress fractures (spondylolysis) later in workload in both training and competi-
the quadriceps and hamstrings (23). their career (9,22,40). The rotational tion (22,28). Workload monitoring has
Thus, training for cricketers should also emphasis of bowling actions means been shown to be effective in identifying

4 VOLUME 00 | NUMBER 00 | MONTH 2018

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 Table 3
Injury risk factors for the different disciplines
Potential risk factors for fast bowlers
Inadequate physical attributes
Poor bowling technique (mixed-action technique)
High physical demands
Lack of flexibility (hamstrings and lower back)
Trunk lateral flexion postures during bowling and reduced lateral slide of the anterior abdominal fascia
Increase in shoulder counter rotation (the alignment of the shoulders between back foot and front foot contact)
Knee angle at ball release (a flexed front leg means reduced risk of injury)
Overuse (high number of deliveries bowled, back-to-back matches, enforcing the follow-on in a test match, and spikes in acute
workloads)
Increased stride length-to-height ratio as well as high ball release (114% of standing height)
Inadequate warm-up and return to match play too soon after experiencing an injury
Overload in the run-up, delivery stride, and follow through as well as incorrect foot placement during delivery
Repetitive trunk rotation in a mixed bowling action causing abnormalities to the spine (biomechanical technique)
An increase in the amount of cricket being played and an increase in the risk of injury associated with T20 cricket
Potential risk factors for batsmen
Lower limb injuries due to running between the wickets
Overuse injuries due to the introduction of T20 cricket
Lack of stretching (flexibility), strength, and cricket-specific training
Impact injuries (direct contact with a ball, bat, or other player and lack of protective equipment)
Potential risk factors for fielders
Muscle strains (quadriceps and hamstring strains) in the lower limbs due to explosive movements in the field
Impact injuries (contact with a ball or player, direct impact with the ground or boundary, and unanticipated bounce or poor
visual/spatial awareness)
Refs. 1,2,9,10,12,14,16,19,21,22,24–28,35–38.

players at risk of injury through the However, because of the factors such There is a significant correlation
measurements of both internal and as chronological and training age, differ- between injury occurrence and expo-
external workloads (4,43). This has been ent injury definitions, and time frames sure to high acute workloads (both
shown to be particularly important in used for monitoring, injury thresholds internal and external) relative to
fast bowlers who are most likely to remain unclear in these types of sports chronic workloads, regardless of
become injured if not monitored prop- (3). Furthermore, there is a limited whether the individual is a batsman,
erly (9). A number of cricketing studies bowler, or fielder (14,18,22,34). Thus,
amount of literature available that exam-
have shown that injuries can be reduced by monitoring the acute:chronic work-
ines the workload of cricket players and
if the number of balls bowled, days of load ratio, it may be possible to identify
the injury thresholds of individuals.
rest, and frequency of bowling are mon- injury risk (4,12,43). This ratio uses
itored and controlled (8,9,22,34). Besides Thus, it is important to monitor cricket rolling averages to compare acute
bowling, workload monitoring has also match play and training by using more training loads completed in a recent
been shown to be effective in identifying than one workload-monitoring tech- period (approximately 7–10 days) with
injury thresholds in certain throwing- nique, so that coaches may understand an individual’s chronic training load
dominated sports such as cricket, base- the factors that contribute to injury and completed over a longer period
ball, water polo, and handball (3). influence performance (3). (approximately 4–6 weeks) (4,43).

5
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 Cricket Strength and Conditioning

Studies have shown that when the Table 4

acute:chronic workload ratio is Field-based conditioning to improve cricket performance
between 0.8 and 1.3 (the acute load is
approximately equal to the chronic Conditioning work Exercise Sets Reps
load), the risk of a player becoming Day 1 25-m shuttle (RSA) 2–3 30 s on 35 s off (max)
injured is relatively low (4,12,43). This
is because exposure to a load allows the Day 2 3-km time trial N/A N/A
body to tolerate load, and training de- Day 3 Rowing 25–30 min 30 s on 35 s off (max)
velops the physical qualities that are
associated with reduced injury risk Day 4 Cycling 25–30 min 30 s on 35 s off (max)
(4). However, a workload ratio below Adjust sets and repetitions according to training status.
0.3 (undertraining) or above 1.5 (over-
training) leaves the individual at a high max 5 maximum effort; N/A 5 no data; Reps 5 repetitions; RSA 5 repeat sprint ability.
risk of injury. Thus, when monitoring
any athlete, it is important to look at
the association between both the acute on actions (1). Furthermore, changing the the risk of injury) may take long periods
and chronic workloads rather than technique of fast bowlers can also result in of time and can also impact on bowling
each in isolation. (4). more side-on shoulder alignment (side- performance in terms of accuracy, consis-
There are, however, a number of prob- on action) at back foot contact and tency, and ball release speed (20,23). An
lems associated with manipulating decreased shoulder counter rotation, thus alternative to changing bowling tech-
player workload to reduce the risk of reducing the risk of injury (32). However, nique may be to include exercises involv-
injury. The schedule of cricket fixtures changing a bowler’s technique (to reduce ing neuromuscular control such as
may cause problems specifically when
multiday matches are scheduled in
close proximity to T20 matches (e.g., Table 5
test matches followed closely by T20 Workout A
matches) (28). If players are required to
play all matches (which contractually Week 1–2 Week 3–4 Week 4–6
they may be obligated to), then spikes Workout A Sets Reps Sets Reps Sets Reps
or rapid changes in acute workloads
are often unavoidable (28). The fact Exercise
that substitutions are not allowed in Rowinga 1 2000 m 1 2000 m 1 2000 m
cricket is also a problem (specifically
in multiday matches); if a bowler be- Bench press 3 15 3 12 3 10
comes injured or a team cannot be Incline flies 3 15 3 12 3 10
bowled out, bowlers may be exposed
Triceps push-down 3 15 3 12 3 10
to particularly high workloads, thus
putting them at risk of injury. Other b
Battle rope 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
problems include, the accuracy of b
Box jumps 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
self-reported data for workload moni-
c
toring, the neglecting of training loads Med ball slams 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
compared with game loads, and the c
Clap push-ups 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
lack of techniques to monitor all the
training completed by the players (3). Core

COACHING AND TECHNICAL Plank 3 45 s 3 1 min 3 1 min 30 s

OBSERVATIONS TO REDUCE Mountain climbers 3 45 s 3 1 min 3 1 min 30 s
INJURY RISK
a
Injuries can also be prevented through Warm-up.
coaching and technical interventions, b
Superset 1.
particularly important for bowlers with
c
mixed-action techniques (1). Condition- Superset 2.
ing professionals should prevent fast Break between supersets 5 30 seconds; break between strength work 5 2 minutes; and
bowlers, specifically those at an adoles- break between sets 5 2 minutes.
cent level, from acquiring this technique
Reps 5 repetitions.
through encouraging the front-on or side-

6 VOLUME 00 | NUMBER 00 | MONTH 2018

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 balance and proprioception drills, which for high-velocity impacts, over 27 m$s21 can be implemented (2,24). If a player
may prevent injury in bowlers faced with (17). Other specialized equipment that is injured, skill has no influence, and so,
an action leading to inherently high can be used to protect batsmen against ensuring an injury-free season is seen as
loads (24). impact injuries includes chest guards as imperative.
The prevention of impact injuries is well as thigh and arm guards, which are
another important factor that needs to not used as often as other common PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
be considered, particularly in batsmen equipment such as pads, gloves, and hel- The following section seeks to provide
and fielders, who are most prone to mets (10). In terms of fielders and impact workouts that can be implemented by
these types of injury. It has been shown injuries, skill development programs can practitioners and trainers to improve
that impact injuries can be avoided in be used to train players. Coaches need to strength, reduce the risk of injury, and
train fielders to focus on becoming more improve the physical fitness attributes
batsmen by training them to react (reac-
skilled in catching and throwing because of players. Table 4 represents some forms
tion time) to the line and length of
of field-based conditioning that can be
a delivery within a short period to avoid traditional training mainly focuses on
used by coaches to improve player
contact with the ball (9). This is however batting and bowling (10). This can be
fitness. Workouts A, B, and C (Tables
difficult because of the unpredictable performed through specific fielding drills 5–7) focus on aspects such as resistance
bounce of the ball on different surfaces that fine-tune ball-handling skills (10). training (including super-setting), plyo-
(9). Furthermore, studies have shown Therefore, although appropriate metrics, and core work, which are impor-
that the use of protective head gear (hel- coaching is essential for the success tant components to consider for injury
mets) can significantly reduce the fre- of a team, it is important to determine risk. It is important to remember, how-
quency of head, neck, and facial the intrinsic and extrinsic injury risk ever, that this is a blanket program, and
injuries in cricket batsmen (9,34); how- factors associated with the sport so that it may be necessary for trainers to
ever, these offer insufficient protection that appropriate preventative measures design and implement individual

Table 6
Workout B
Week 1–2 Week 3–4 Week 4–6

Workout B Sets Reps Sets Reps Sets Reps

Exercise
Cyclinga 1 15 min 1 15 min 1 15 min
Overhand pull-ups/lat pull-downs 3 15 3 12 3 10
Seated row 3 15 3 12 3 10
Dumbbell curls 3 15 3 12 3 10
b
Split squats 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
b
Barbell push press 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
c
Medicine ball passes 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
Underhand pull-upsc 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
Core
Side plank 3 45 s 3 1 min 3 1 min 30 s
Bicycle crunches 3 30 s 3 45 s 4 45 s
a
Warm-up.
b
Superset 1.
c
Superset 2.

Break between supersets 5 30 seconds; break between strength work 5 2 minutes; and break between sets 5 2 minutes.

Reps 5 repetitions.

7
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 Cricket Strength and Conditioning

Table 7 of cricket. Although they may be con-

Workout C sidered “experts” in the area, most of
their knowledge and experience have
Week 1–2 Week 3–4 Week 4–6 been passed down from coach to coach,
and thus, the evidence is anecdotal, with
Workout C Sets Reps Sets Reps Sets Reps
no scientific background. Furthermore,
Exercise some of the practices executed are out
of date and no longer valid. Thus, there is
Stepsa 3 1 min 3 1 min 3 1 min
a need to educate coaches in the correct
Squats 3 15 3 12 3 10 manner, so that scientifically based train-
Leg press 3 15 3 12 3 10 ing and programs may be implemented
to prevent injuries.
Face pulls 3 15 3 12 3 10
Monitoring of player workload is impor-
Hamstring curls 3 15 3 12 3 10 tant. This is so that thresholds can be
developed to determine whether a player
Skippingb 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
is underloaded or overloaded. Further-
b
Dumbbell push press 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min more, there are other external consider-
c ations that also have to be taken into
Dumbbell step-ups 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min
account such as environmental factors,
Dipsc 3 30 s 3 45 s 3 1 min the level of coaching, facilities, and med-
Core ical staff available. The acute:chronic
workload ratio, however, may be the
Russian twists 3 45 s 3 1 min 3 1 min 30 s best tool available at the moment to
Mountain climbers 3 45 s 3 1 min 3 1 min 30 s overcome these issues. Further research
is needed by countries to determine the
a
Warm-up. best cricket injury prevention strategies
b
Superset 1. relative to their individual players.
c Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding:
Superset 2.
The authors report no conflicts of interest
Break between supersets 5 30 seconds; break between strength work 5 2 minutes; and and no source of funding.
break between sets 5 2 minutes.

Reps 5 repetitions.

Lee Pote is
programs depending on the needs of the prevention should be implemented as a doctoral candi-
player as well as their injury history. Fur- soon as possible at all levels to ensure date from the
thermore, they require some specialized the longevity of players from nonprofes- Department of
equipment that needs to be implemented sional to professional cricket. A positive, Human Kinetics
at the correct facilities and through super- however, is that the research examines and Ergonomics,
vised coaches. Thus, these programs players of all ages, more importantly Rhodes
could be used to improve the base fitness adolescents who are most likely to University.
levels of players, who have not previously become injured. Finally, it is important
followed a specific program, particularly that a standard definition for injury and
in the preseason period. injury surveillance techniques be devel-
oped, so that data can be compared
CONCLUSION across levels and countries. Furthermore,
Candice J.
Only 5 major cricket-playing nations fast bowlers have received the most Christie is an
have collected injury statistics. There is research attention (because they are the Assistant Profes-
therefore a need for the minor playing most prone to injury), but as a result, sor and head of
nations to start a database because the there is most likely a lack of understand- department in the
needs of different nations are diverse. ing in terms of the injury risk for bats- Department of
Furthermore, most of the data only take men, fielders, and wicket keepers. Human Kinetics
into consideration the players at Most of the conditioning and injury pre- and Ergonomics,
a domestic and international level. This vention practices are implemented by Rhodes
is problematic though because injury coaches who are experienced in the field University.

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