Cricket technique or fitness?
IPL stars begin their gym training, but could they be focusing on the wrong training? Experts opine...
Now that the IPL is indeed set to happen between September 19 and November 10, 2020 in UAE (and played in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, subject to necessary clearances from the Indian Government), cricketers have begun training for the games.
However, thanks to the lockdown and prevalent COVID-19 situation, they have begun with their gym and fitness training routines for now. Among the many who have started the routine is former Team India captain M.S. Dhoni, who once again leads the CSK IPL team this year. He has begun his practice in Ranchi.
Speaking to us exclusively over telephone, Sanjay Sahay, the secretary of the Jharkhand States Cricket Association (JSCA) International Cricket Stadium, confirmed the news of the captain starting his training. “Yes, Dhoni did come at the JSCA International Stadium recently but because of the COVID-19 situation, we could not provide him with the net bowlers, but he relied on one of our two bowling machines and was assisted by our staff at the stadium,” says Sanjay.
In their attempt to keep themselves fit, even other players playing in this year’s IPL have been arduously following their gym sessions. This is great news especially considering how in the past few years Indian cricket has taken a new approach in making fitness tests mandatory for its team members. Many in-form players and sometimes senior cricketers such as Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami and Yuvraj Singh have even been left out of the national squad for not clearing the fitness tests.
Cricket is a highly skilled technical game, in which top players master the ball and bat after years of practice. So, too, I believe that just because a cricketer has a wide waist, it doesn’t mean he cannot play good cricket — Deckline Leitao, fitness expert
GYM OR PLAY: WHAT COUNTS BETTER?
Now, given the current situation, a very interesting and pertinent question rises. Is playing good cricket more important or possessing great fitness in the form of passing the Yo-Yo test, push ups, vertical jump tests, etc. more essential?
Deckline Leitao, one of the topmost qualified and experienced strength and conditioning specialists in the country, gives us a very straightforward response to the question. “Matches are won by playing on the ground, not in the gym. In fact, we often see players who would be very fit in the gym but freeze on the pitch or ground where one really needs to perform,” says Deckline Leitao.
“And then you will also notice players who are not fit in the gym but rise up to the occasion, as needed, while playing. This is because cricket is a highly skilled game, in which top players master the ball and bat after years of practice. So, too, I believe that just because a cricketer has a wide waist, it doesn’t mean he cannot play good cricket. If only fitness training was so important, then every fit guy in the gym would have been a champion cricketer.”
According to Deckline, fitness has to be sport-specific and relevant. “A cricketer training like a hard-core gym addict can sometimes be counterproductive owing to the risk of sustaining unnecessary injuries from the intense training,” points out Deckline.
Then sharing how cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Inzamam Ul Haq, etc. played classy cricket and were, therefore, ‘cricket-fit’ and maybe not gym-fit, he cautions avid cricket lovers and players that cricketers shouldn’t get carried away or addicted to the fitness bug. “It is sad that sometimes top-performing cricketers have been left out of teams because they couldn’t pass an irrelevant fitness test even though they have played good cricket,” says Deckline.
That being said, Deckline also believes the reason behind the fitness craze in cricket is because of social media, where people post their workouts and sometimes sportspersons try to post fancy exercises.
“Choose effectively for yourself and not to impress anyone. Playing good cricket should be the ultimate aim and fitness should be used like a tonic to improve your game,” says Deckline.
Playing good cricket should be the ultimate aim and fitness should be used like a tonic to improve your game — Deckline