How much is optimum for a fast bowler?

[Pratters]

Shoaib Akhtar mentions here that work load is killing fast bowlers.

http://ind.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/DEC/120775_AUS_06DEC2004.html

If we look at the number of overs the likes of Fred Trueman and other fast bowlers used to bowl in a year (first class plust test cricket), it is no where near what a fast bowler today has to bowl even if you include the one dayers.

Then why do fast bowlers get injured so often and complain of excess bowling?

Bowlers are bowling lesser than before and yet getting injured much more. Its some thing which intrigues me. This does seem a contradiction..

 

[twctopcat]

I think a lot is to do with individual bowling actions as well. Harmison can bowl for long periods at a time with (touch wood) little affect. You only have to look at shoaib after a few overs to see how much more it takes out of him. Some bowlers can bowl loads (pollock, mcrgrath etc) and get away with it and some can't. Could involve preparation as well.

 

[Pratters]

I think a lot is to do with individual bowling actions as well. Harmison can bowl for long periods at a time with (touch wood) little affect. You only have to look at shoaib after a few overs to see how much more it takes out of him. Some bowlers can bowl loads (pollock, mcrgrath etc) and get away with it and some can't. Could involve preparation as well.

But fast bowlers nowdays get much more injured than ever before in the history of the game....

 

[SJS]

But fast bowlers nowdays get much more injured than ever before in the history of the game....

I personally feel the emphasis today is on gym and excercising for physical fitness. Earlier, bowling in the nets for long long stretches at a time was the main excercise for all bowlers.

This kept them much more match fit than todays bowlers who bowl much less in the nets compared to earlier bowlers.

 

[twctopcat]

But fast bowlers nowdays get much more injured than ever before in the history of the game....

Yeah but there are the exceptions as i said which could show that it's not work load as they seem to think but their respective actions damaging there bodies repeatedly. Perhaps they used to have better developed and honed actions which means they bowl longer spells without adverse effects, i don't know.

 

[Arjun]

A lot of bowlers these days go for extra pace, even if they don't have it. The slower and smaller bowlers are more injury-prone, since they try a lot harder in matches to get adequate pace and bounce. The faster bowlers, save Simon Jones and Shane Bond, get injured a lot less, since they don't have to strive for too much pace.

Incorrect actions also cause injuries. Some actions are not smooth, and cause unnecessary stress in the body, and the effect is more adverse if the action is persisted with.

Attacking bowlers are more likely to break down if they bowl long spells. They're best used in short bursts. Bowling plans should also be made with such points in mind, to protect bowlers from injuries.

 

[Richard]

I personally feel the emphasis today is on gym and excercising for physical fitness. Earlier, bowling in the nets for long long stretches at a time was the main excercise for all bowlers.

This kept them much more match fit than todays bowlers who bowl much less in the nets compared to earlier bowlers.

It seems to me that gymnasiums do more harm than good.
While some aspects of fitness are helped, according to various fitness gurus whose works have been compiled by Greg Chappell and summarised in Wisden 2004 by Matthew Engel, much gym work does a lot of harm. For instance, leg-muscle-machines are often incorrectly set-up by people thinking it doesn't matter too much, and this puts pressure on the lower back, one of the most important areas to look-after.
By the sounds of Engel's summary, Chappell's approach to cricket fitness - based on reading the works of nutritionalists and fitness gurus - is a much better one than going blindly down alleys that serve other sports well. By the sounds of things, there has been very little research on what is right for cricketers.
It's all rather alarming, and one of the reasons for the problems with fitness.

 

[Arjun]

Former India bowler Karsan Ghavri, one of India's fittest players ever, didn't do these complex modern fitness exercises- his idea of a warm-up was bowling four overs or more and given how long he lasted, it worked. Sometimes, such basic habits can do what advanced methods can't.

 

[Richard]

I guess it all depends on the individual.
Some people need to do different training routines than others.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I guess it all depends on the individual.
Some people need to do different training routines than others.

Yeah, I think the benefits of individual training routines are extremely under-rated. Focus should be on what works best for an individual.

 

[SJS]

It seems to me that gymnasiums do more harm than good.

Yes. Thats what I meant.

 

[Camel56]

It might have something to do with the fact that fast bowlers these days are weak as p!ss. Look at Brett Lee for instance. The guy looks and acts like a poonce, no wonder he gets injured.

 

[Pinkline Jones]

Yerrss indeeed an interesting point the young man Camel raises here. If Brett Lee spent less time mucking around with his crap guitar playing and crap haircut and concentrated less on trying to injure batsmen, he would dramatically reduce his Plodability rating.

 

[Camel56]

Shoaib Akhtar mentions here that work load is killing fast bowlers.

Id like to know if any fast bowlers have actually died as a result of the workload? If so, what does the coroner put down as the cause of death?

 

[Pinkline Jones]

PostGame Alcohol-Induced Prostateitis Causing Traumatic Couch Potato Reaction at Silly Gully

 

[Camel56]

Ahhhhh its all becoming clear now Jonesy. Workload is clearly the number one killer of fast bowlers in cricket today. Forget the famine and humanitarian problems in Africa and other parts of the world, we need to find a cure for workload. We cant let this tragedy continue. I propose a kind of "Band Aid" in the name of fast bowlers.
Do they know its xmas time?

 

[maxpower]

aww fast bowlers getting boo boo's, see this is exactly why chucking needs to be legalized.

 

[marc71178]

But fast bowlers nowdays get much more injured than ever before in the history of the game....

They play a lot more games.

 

[Langeveldt]

Id like to know if any fast bowlers have actually died as a result of the workload? If so, what does the coroner put down as the cause of death?

In your case, stupidity ..

 

[Pratters]

They play a lot more games.

If you read the original post again, the arguement is that even though they play a lot LESS games than before, they tend to get injured much more.

Players do play a lot more international cricket but games over all if you include the first class matches is no where near what it was back in the days when the English county sides had much more games from the days of Hobbs etc.

Now one may argue that playing in international cricket has a different pressure but bowling fast is bowling fast whether in a county or international game. I would imagine they would not be putting in less effort for the county games cos international games were far less in that day and age.

The arguement of gym training harming more than doing good seems to be the reason for me too cos earlier for keeping fir, the players used to run/jog and bowl at the nets..