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Cricket is a worldwide sport with a massive appeal and long history containing greats of the game. Those players whose records are insurmountable, the players who have reinvented different facets of the game, but also those players who promised so much yet their career was cut short by injury. Shane Bond, Shaun Tait, Freddie Flintoff (excluding the pedalow incident) are just a few of the more recent names that gave up the game to early.In fact, all three players were fast bowlers of devastating effect. It is no surprise really since fast bowlers considering the workload put on fast bowlers is consistently shown to be greater than on any other player due to the low recovery times between deliveries and

In fact, all three players were fast bowlers of devastating effect. It is no surprise really since fast bowlers considering the workload put on fast bowlers is consistently shown to be greater than on any other player due to the low recovery times between deliveries and the some 22 km’s that can be run by one bowler in one day of a test match!

Despite cricket’s attempts to become more professional and integrate more strength and conditioning into its training methods the same efforts are lacking in the levels below that lead to the very top of the game. This begs the question, how does one make it to the top without getting a substantial injury before you get there?Simple really, strength and conditioning must become a part of training

Simple really, strength and conditioning must become a part of training programs as early as possible and must be uniquely tailored to the individual whilst also working to prevent injuries in the most common sites such as the lower back and knees.

A fast bowler is at particular risk of lower back injury when bowling a mixed action (front facing hips with side facing shoulders) which puts extreme stress on the Lumbar spine through extreme side bending and extension. New evidence has also come to light suggesting that hip and foot orientations when delivering a ball may also have an effect as over extension of the knee would translate the force of the planted foot straight through the pelvis into the lower back.These issues highlight the need for biomechanical profiling within strength and conditioning in order to

These issues highlight the need for biomechanical profiling within strength and conditioning in order to breakdown each part of the action so that it can be optimised or changed and built back up into a more efficient lower risk action. Here at perfect balance we have facilities to conduct these kind of profiling assessments with basic Functional Movement Screenings but also more advanced video analysis.

Advanced research has already shown us certain factors that affect the speed of a bowlers delivery such as run up speed, maximal upper body strength, shoulder position in relation to trunk flexion and the positioning of the front foot when making the delivery stride. As a result we already know a great deal of beneficial movements and exercises suitable for gym work.Split squats are particularly useful in training and stabilising the body in an asymmetric stance as in the front foot plant with delivery of a fast bowler, clean and jerks as well as snatches help to develop power and

Split squats are particularly useful in training and stabilising the body in an asymmetric stance as in the front foot plant with delivery of a fast bowler, clean and jerks as well as snatches help to develop power and high speed co-ordination whilst the Turkish Getup and kettlebell Windmills develop core strength especially in the oblique abdominals to accommodate the one sided nature of a bowling action. Disparities between stretch-shortening cycles that are fast in run up and slow in delivery action suggest representation of both in training would be advantageous.

As if strength and conditioning wasn’t important enough already the growing popularity of the shorter forms of cricket such as Twenty-Twenty cricket has exploded and there are a number of franchise based leagues around the world offering high wages, expensive auctions of players and a fuller cricketing calendar. January would traditionally be cricket off-season however, we now see the Australian Big Bash league in full swing.

 

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