Speed Guns : Good or Evil

The speed gun, at each end of a cricket field has often brought excitement amongst big crowds and fast bowlers alike.  Donald vs Akthar vs Lee vs Steyn vs Tait vs Roach, who will be the quickest of the day and the quickest in a tournament?

Before the advent of a speed gun at a cricket ground, we could probably count/ or assume the number of 140kmph plus fast bowlers around the world.  Today, there are arguably 2-3 per team.  I believe this is a concern. 

The speed gun must form part of the variables that put fast bowlers at risk to injury.  Workloads, age, bowling action and previous injury are amongst the other variables that put fast bowlers at risk.   I feel that the introduction of the speed gun, has made fast bowlers believe that they need to bowl at speeds of 140kmph plus, hence we are getting much younger bowlers, who are not anatomically ready, bowling at high speeds and hence injuries are occurring.

Cummins, Pattison, De Lange, to name a few are young fast bowlers currently on the side lines due to injury.  The general cricketing consensus, is that, we cannot buy speed.  Once a fast bowler consistently bowls at 140kmph plus, eyebrows are raised and there is excitement amongst coaches, selectors and the fast bowlers themselves.   Fast bowlers around the world and working their hardest to strive to become that 140kmph plus man and this ultimately puts even more strain on a bowlers body.   Research in Australia showed that Brett Lee, put 9-15 times his body weight through this ankle at front foot landing, hence he has had 6 ankle operations and a few other injuries during his career.

A concern of mine, is the consistency of the speed guns, particularly in our domestic competition.  I can confidently say that, the speeds shown on TV, have not been a true reflection of the bowlers work.  Speeds have been inconsistent at both ends of the field and this either builds a bowlers confidence or on the other hand breaks him down. 

Do not get me wrong, speed guns are part of the game now and brings a lot more excitement within the match.   Whats more exciting to see a fast bowler bowling at high speeds, bouncing batsman and creating a battle on the field. Speed does select individuals and brings in the crowds but managing workloads and assessing bowling actions of young men are just as important as a 140kmph plus man.

@Craig_gov

A Bruised Heel

A Bruised Heel

An injury which a common and debilitating to fast bowlers, is the front foot bruised heel or also known as the Policeman's heel.  The area of concern is often inflammation to the fat pad, which forms as a shock absorber to the heel bone (calcaneus).  Due to repetitive front foot heel strike impact (7-9times a bowlers body weight) and ground reaction forces, this may well become an overuse injury which can keep a bowler out for a while.

Apart from a cricketer experiencing this injury, gymnasts, long distance runners, skydivers (when landing), indoor volleyball, basketball

players and military/police individuals also experience this type of injury due to excessive heel striking.  Therefore good shock absorption is extremely important in footwear.  A military/police individual marches on very hard soles which would result in injury.  Similarly a long distance runner, who's running shoes is their only equipment, needs to have a shoe with proper shock absorption and it needs to be changed regularly.  It is said that a running shoe only lasts 600km, before the cushioning is worn out.  A long distance athlete should also own 2 of the same model running shoe, one would be to train in and the other used to compete in.  Buying a proper running shoe is also dependent on the individual's weight and the shoe should be bought to suit his/her weight.

The heel will always be subject to stress when performing activities, however specific factors may place an individual at greater risk to injury.  They are the following:

Excessive body weight and ground reaction forces 

Age

Poorly cushioned or worn out running shoes

Hard inner soles/orthotics

Increases in workload/mileage 

Hard/uneven training surfaces

Training barefoot

A heel bruise can occur from a one time accident (poor skydiving landing) from a height or repetitive landing over time (front foot fast bowling landing).

As a fast bowler it is often important to eliminate a stress fracture to the heel.   An x-ray or MRI can be done, with the latter being more precise, with regards to a possible stress fracture but can also guide us in diagnosing the area of fat pad pockets inflammed. 

Treatment for this particular injury involves P.R.I.C.E

P - Protection - the individual must not put weight through the heel, crutches 

       may be used.

R - Rest - the individual must stop all activity and loading until pain subsides.

I -  Ice - regular icing is important to reduce pain and inflammation.  Icing 

     should only be done for 20min at a time, every 2 hours.

C - Compression - the heel needs to be compressed with a bandage to help

      limit inflammation and bleeding.

E - Elevation - Keep the heel above heart level for effective lymph (waste) drainage.

Once the individual is able to weight bear without pain, silicone heel cups need to be inserted into shoes to help healing.  Orthotics if used should not be made of hard material, as this could have caused the initial injury and therefore would not allow for healing.  Good  cushioned footwear can go a long way in protecting the heel from reinjury. 

@Craig_gov

The Momentum Cup

The 14 December 2012, will be the 3rd franchise final at the Bullring in a matter of 9 months.  That in itself must be a South African record for a Franchise. 

A good squad of men will line up on the 14th December 2012, to take on the winner of a mouth watering semi - final between the Cobras and the Titans.  Both squads will have all their Proteas available for selection.

The Lions initially began the opener of the Momentum Cup against our rivals, The Titans, with a empathic victory.  Much of the team spirit and "momentum", definitely came from our Champions League campaign.  Something which new captain, Stephen Cook wanted to continue.  "Momentum" is a huge factor in cricket and getting off to a good start and creating a string of victories can never be over rated.

A simple game plan has allowed the players to understand roles and be confident enough to execute skills when required.  Results have proved that we have been playing good cricket but if our first game has anything to go by, we definitely have more in the tank.  With our very own Proteas returning from a highly successful tour to Australia, confident, the level of skill and ability will definitely improve.  

From an injury and fitness point of view,  I am on track in providing the selectors with an entire squad for hungry players, who would love nothing more then providing their fans with a trophy.

Preparation for the final, begins on Monday and no stone will be left unturned, in our quest for that elusive trophy.  

Fast Bowling Dilemma's

I have been stewing over the constant thought of injuries to young fast bowlers for the last few months.  And my immediate reason is the number of injuries that the Australian bowlers have encountered.  

The most recent injury being a side strain to, 22 year old James Pattinson, with a previous history of a stress fracture.  Another younger gun, Pat Cummins, at the age of 19 has also had several injuries at his tender age, the most recent being another stress fracture/bone reaction issue to his lower back.  21 year old Josh Hazelwood, who made his debut at the age of 17, also had stress fractures to his lower back.  Shane Watson, has been having recurring injuries particularly to his calves due to 3 previous stress fractures which began in 2003.  In South Africa the most recent lower back injury occurred to 22 year old Marchant de Lange.  This is just to name but a few.......

I have no doubt that stress fractures to the lower back of fast bowlers, occur between the ages of 17-22.  This in the main due to growth plates in the vertebral column that have not developed due to age.  With the front foot stress of the body ( 7-9 times body), repetitive forces and counter rotation occurring during fast bowling, the lower back in particular takes on huge shear forces which can coincide with injury.  Particularly if growth plates are under developed.

Once a stress fracture occurs players become prone to reinjury, if rigorous rehabilitation is not completed as well as injuries to other areas of the body.  Stress fractures have a huge link to side strains, hamstring and calf injuries.  

Fast bowling relies a lot on rotation, particularly that of the counter rotation between the shoulders and hips.  Once a stress fracture occurs, I believe a "weak link" occurs at the vertebral level of injury.  Hence focusing of thoracic and lumbar rotation will alway be important in the maintenance of a fast bowler.  When rotation becomes limited due to fatigue and workload, side strains can therefore occur.

Hamstring and calf injuries are linked to stress fractures, mainly of the lower back due to a neural relationship.  Compressive forces of the vertebral column will always occur during fast bowling, which may lead to degeneration and compression of nerves which stimulate the hamstrings first and then the calf muscles.  Nerves in the body, are required to send movement messages to muscles to preform their function.  If not done adequately impaired messages are sent to muscles causing injury to occur.

The battle many selectors and coaches deal with, is pace.  A cricketing cliche', " you cannot buy pace", goes a long way in understanding why young men that bowl at 140kmph plus are pushed into increased workloads before growth plate development.  

There will alway be debates between scientists and coaches/selectors.  If injuries to young men with great ability continue to occur as mentioned above, holding back young fast bowlers and monitoring workload and technique may become the way forward. 

Achilles Tendon Ruptures

Recently we learnt about the sad news of a South African cricketer, who ruptured his Achilles Tendon in Australia.  Many may ask how and why this may occur:

The Achilles Tendon is a thick tissue which connects the calf muscle to the heel.  The calf is a powerful lower limb muscle made up of the outer  Gastronemuis and the underlying Solues.  When these muscles contract, they pull on the Achilles, which moves the ankle downwards and hence resists it from too much upward movement.  Due to this function it is important for walking, climbing and sprinting.   

Whilst an individual performs all his activities, a tremendous load and force is placed on the thick and sturdy tendon.  Hence putting it at risk to several different problems.  

The Achilles Tendon can be violently ruptured (completely torn), even when strong and healthy.  The injury occurs when the ankle is violently forced upwards, when ones foot is resisting by pushing the ankle downwards.  A rupture can also occur when the knee is forcefully straightened  while the ankle is flexed upward.   When a rupture occurs, the individual normally feels a sensation of being kicking from behind, on the calf area.  Bystanders may often hear a loud snap.

A chronic strain or significant injury, does not always cause a rupture.  Diseases, such as, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus,   gout and TB can result in weakness in the area and hence rupture.  The use of long term steroid medication for inflammation or the injection of cortisone in the tendon, can also weaken the fibers, and could result in a rupture.  Research over the years, state that individuals between the ages of 40-50 are more prone to ruptures compared to those that are younger.

The treatment of a rupture, requires surgical intervention.   Surgery consists of bringing the ruptured two ends together to a position were they are touching.   The ruptured ends are stitched together by a strong non-absorbing suture and the ankle is then locked into a position for 8 weeks to allow healing and the ends to unite.  It is extremely important that the surgery is not delayed , as the tendon can retract up toward the calf hence widening the gap between the two ends.

Patients would then be placed into a brace for 8 weeks and would be asked to use crutches as to not place any weight through the ankle, thus allowing the two ends to heal together.  Rehabilitation is a slow process and will take an individual 4-8 months to recover completely.  As like a Mensical Repair, the Achilles Tendon has very poor blood flow, and healing takes much longer.   If healing does not occur properly and the individual is rushed into play, re-rupture can occur.

The CLT20 Finale

Wow....
An amazing feeling has be bestowed upon the pride of Lions of Jozi.  Today we will compete in the prestigious Champions League Final at a sold out Wanderers.  Better know as the famous Bullring.  The boys have done themselves proud and have showed off their supreme talent to
the world all over.  

They have portrayed and worn the Lions badge with such humble distinction.  It's definitely no surprise that we find ourselves in this final match.  All the prepartion has be done.  Confidence is at a high and we are chomping at the bit at the moment.   Like caged Lions, raging to be let free into the wild of the hallow turf of a sold out Bullring.

@Craig_gov

The Semi Finals

The season thus far has been a true journey of character and determination by the Highveld Lions cricket team.  With a strong team culture and the desire to win trophies.  Our record so far reads, played  2 Sunfoil Series games, lost one and won one and during this Champions league we have reached the semi finals with 3 group wins and one lose.  Positive cricket is the name of the Lions game.

This CLT20 tournament has been an eye opener to the world of cricket as well as those pundits who gave us no chance when the tournament began.  The boys have played to their potential and have raised many an eyebrow.  Many people from the outside could see our rise to stardom as a bit of a fluke, however with the view I am blessed to possess, its definitely a contrary belief.  

This is not a team of eleven individuals on the field.  We are a "pride", a pride that involves the 15 man squad as well as the 5 management staff, as well as those players that did not make the squad.  The culture and passion that runs through the franchise has been immense this season.  It's amazing to see the team bring back the crowds to the home of cricket, The Bullring, The Wanderers. 

We are currently on our way to Durban to prepare for our semi final match.  Our opponents will only be decided later today.  Over the last 2 days, the team did absolutely nothing, following our 4 games in 8 days.  This has been a blessing, as the boys were able to switch off and enjoy normal proceedings again.  It was a true mental and physical break to rejuvenate for the semi final which is scheduled for Thursday.  We most definitely will be back in full swing when we land in my home town of Durban and the boys will be put through their paces in preparation for another important fixture.

Follow me on twitter @Craig_gov

The Importance of the meniscus in cricketers

 Before the commencement of the 2012/13 season I had the unfortunate task of dealing with 2 knee operations. The anatomical structure injured was the same in both players, that is, the meniscus (the cartilage between the thigh bone and the two shin bones, that helps with shock absorption), however the management was totally different.

The meniscus, are two C shaped cartilage like discs which act as shock absorbs of the knee.  Without these C shaped discs, the large thigh bone called the Femur and the two shin bones called the Tiba and Fibula would articulate (move on) on each other, causes friction and hence a lot of pain and cause bone bruising in the long run.

A meniscus tear commonly occurs when the knee twists, with the foot anchored in the ground.  There are varying degrees of Mensical Tears, ranging from small tears to severe "bucket handle" tears.

The Lions unfortunately saw two of their players undergoing Mensical surgery before the season began.  The recovery time post surgery however varied significantly in both instances.  This ranged from 4 weeks to 4 months respectively.  Many may ask why such a significant difference in time, and the simply reason is that, if a repair to the meniscus is done, that is, stapling or stitching a torn meniscus, the healing time is much greater than shaving off the tear.   The surface area of the meniscus is generally avascular, meaning it has a poor blood supply hence it will take time for a repair to heal.

The ideal surgery to do, is to repair and preserve the shock absorber, however this is also dependent on age.  For a young aspiring athlete and cricketer, the repair should be the only option.  If the meniscus was to be shaved and the height of the meniscus was lost, it predisposes the cricketer to having problems in the long run.  The function of the meniscus would be lost and friction between bones may occur hence causing bone bruising. In the long run, it would not be the best for an extreme loading sport like cricket.

It's not all about the great game of cricket......

Cricket in many aspects of its definition is a very selfish sport in more ways than one.  Expensive to start off, it lasts for an entire day or up to 5 and may even go on for months being away from home and loved ones.

It's a sport that many love.  May it be the arm chair supporters or the fanatics that watch every home game and those that travel the world to watch their franchise and or country.  Cricket however is not just played on a lush green outfield around the world and followed be millions.  The popularity and growth of the sport should actually be accredited to all those loved ones back home awaiting their husbands, fiancés, boyfriends, dads, kids, parents and grandfathers to return home and spend time with them.

The life of cricketer and a management staff can actually be lonely at most.  Living out of a suitcase for long periods of the year is actually difficult and mentally draining.  Take the Proteas for instance.  They have been in the UK, since August 2012.  At the conclusion of the T20 games against England they then hand off to the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka which ends on the 7 October 2012.  For those involved in Champions League which begins on the 13 October 2012, it could be a long haul.

With a traveling and successful sportsman comes a very patient, compatible and understanding better half.  Part of the success should be accredited to their loved ones who help greatly to their mental state and approach.

Follow me on twitter @Craig_gov

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Follow me @Craig_gov

The Irish Tour that was...

28 August 2012, saw the team head back to SA; a week earlier than expected. The decision to leave Ireland was made purely on the unpredictable nature of the weather. The Irish Times, was quoted as saying this period has been the wettest in a 100 years.  

I personally saw the tour as an anti-climax. We basically prepared for the tour way back in June, with the series against  Sri Lanka A and the Triangular A series in Zimbabwe.  This tour was planned to con inside with the Proteas tour to England and provide them with players should there be injuries.  

Which we did with great results.  The A team, handed over the Proteas  4 One Day players. Wayne Parnell whom performed  exceeding well in the Tests with his first two 5 wicket hauls in first class cricket.  Dean Elgar whom was the domestic one day player of the year.  Justin Ontong, the captain of the Test team and a player who has earned his position in the team with a good record over the past few seasons in domestic cricket.  Ryan McLaren, the allrounder from the Knights whom has tasted Protea success in the past.

 

With them leaving after the Test series, they were replaced by the one day and T20 players.  Kyle Abbott (fast bowler from the Dolphins), Roelof Van Der Merwe (International one day and T20 star for from the Titans), the Yorkshire T20 hero and Dolphin batsman David "Funky" Miller and the up and coming left arm fast bowler from the Titans, Rowan Richards.  Not forgetting the big hitting Richard Levi.

The tour was however cut short, after the first T20 was washed out, with 3 remaining.  The powers that be, rationally put their heads together and decided that the facilities would not allow the Protea World Cup T20 players in squad to practice and prepare for the T20 matches against the English.

They would therefore head back to SA and prepare for the English as well as the WCT20 tournament in Sri Lanka.

So that's the end of my tour with SA A Team.  A journey that began way at the HPC, Pretoria in June.  South African cricket is extremely blessed to have the abundance of talent available.  Any member of the current A Team could easily fit into the Protea team.  The professionalism and dedication shown by individuals proves their desire to play at the highest level.

From an injury point of view, there were no injuries during the Ireland Tour due to the lack of cricket, as compared to the injuries sustained during the Sri Lanka A series and the Triangular A series in Zimbabwe.

I now head back to reunite with the Highveld Lions and prepare for the long season ahead.  The team has been preparing since June and will be boosted by the national and county players returning.   We will begin the season with 2 Sunfoil First Class games and then begin the much anticipated T20 Champions League Tournament, hosted in South Africa.

Ireland Tour - One Day and T20 Series with an Alma mata

Having won the One Day series with one currently on the way, the SA A team will leave Belfast tomorrow (24 August 2012) to a town called Malahide.  We will begin our our 4 match T20 series at Oakhill Cricket Club, the venue of our first "Test", which was drawn after the first 2 days had been washed out.

Whilst in Londonderry, the team saw the arrival of 4 One Day and T20 boys.  One of them was Rowan Richards an Alma Mata of the UWC and SS4SL production line.  He is the first UWC graduate to be selected for an SA A team and this was in the main due to his solid debut season for the Titans.

He will now put his skills up against the Irish National Team, if selected however he will definitely benefit from being around this very disciplined and talented squad.   A squad that boosts the names of current contracted Proteas.  

Thus far our stay in Ireland has been a frustrating one due to the  inclement weather around.  We have played at a very high standard, as we did pride ourselves on that prior to the tour.  Total professionalism has been shown thus far by the boys, as it can easily waver in these trying conditions.  We will now focus our attention on the shortest formate of the game.  The 4 match T20 series will definitely bring together Irelands best XI, as they prepare of the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.

Rowan will benefit hugely be working with the likes of former Protea bowling coach and SA A Head Coach , Vinnie Barnes and Strength and Conditioning Coach, Greg King, whom is the current Chennai Superkings and form India employee.   

Here's also wishing Gurshwin Rabie, the new Warriors contracted fast bowler a good start to the season ahead.

A proud UWC graduate........

Wet Wet Wet

The Olympics have just ended and South Africa have a few more sporting hero's.  It was been amazing to sit back and watch how the boys supported each and every South African competitor, from the kayak bronze medalist to the swimming superstars.

We arrived in Ireland on the 5 August 2012, today is the 13th and the team has just played 2 days of cricket.  The weather has not been favourable, minimal outside practices as well as game time has been a bit frustrating, but who are we to challenge mother nature.  I'm currently sitting in my room, on the morning of the first day of the 2nd "Test" in Limavady Northern Ireland.  We should be about to start but weather has followed us yet again.  The "Test" will be hosted by Colraine Cricket Club.  The first "Test" in Wicklow, Republic of Ireland, resulted in draw due to the first 2 days being washed out due to a waterlogged field.  However days 3 and 4 brought some personal highlights. Our wicket keeper Heino Kuhn showed some great skill under pressure to bring about an aggressive century which could have been achieved without the partnership he had with Rory Klienveldt.  The Irish did not perform very well with the bat and was sent in to follow on. The chief destroyer with a career best of 7 wickets in an innings was Wayne Parnell.  Due to the time lost in the game, a result was difficult to attain.

The team was based at the Croke Park Hotel in Dublin, which was about a 45 minute drive to the Oakhill Cricket Club in Wicklow.  I must commend the staff at the Hotel for their service and the effort they made to make as feel at home.   They treated us to a South African braai.  The boys ate borewors and even had Jacaranda FM on live streaming radio.   Our liaison officer, Paul O'Hara, was of great help and showed the team around and got us to walk across to road to watch a Gaelic Football game.  Interesting to say the least.

Dublin is a wonderful city, rich in culture and history.  First world and much more to do, but from a cricket point of view I would rather have the weather of Zimbabwe.  The Triangular "A" Series hosted by Zimbabwe saw us dominate in all disciplines, prior to us coming to Ireland.  We went unbeaten in the tournament as we left Sri Lanka A and  Zimbabwe A, scratching their heads due to the power of our batting, skills of our bowling and commitment in the field.   The highlights of the tournament was the leadership of Faf Du Plessis, the batting prowess of Colin Ingram and the bowling efforts of the young Lions duo of  Chris Morris and Aaron Phangiso.

With positive series wins in the form of the "Test" series against the Sri Lankan A team and Triangular "A" Tournament in Zim, it all bods well for the current tour of Ireland.     

The "A" Tour - "Tests vs SL A"

A test series against the Sri Lanka "A" team and the "A" triangular series in Zimbabwe is a part of history at present, but it is certainly mission accomplished.

A very strong SA "A" team was selected over a month ago.  The initial camp at the High Performance Centre ( HPC) in Pretoria consisted mainly of the " Test" team, whom played the Sri Lanka A team in 2 "Tests" in a warm and sunny Durban.  We won the series 1-0, after playing a nearly faultless first test, which consisted of several individual performances. We did not play great cricket in the second "Test" but this was mainly due to 2 injuries, 2 fast bowlers, which most certainly put us onto the back foot.  To add insult to "injury", one of our back up bowlers, injured himself on the third morning whilst warming up.  


We had to compete with one front line fast bowler, an injured bowler, working at 60% and a spinner in our second innings.  These were definitely long days for myself.


During the second "Test", we were joined by the one day players, whom began preparation for the "A" triangular series in Harare, Zimbabwe.  That meant the squad increased significantly and they had to be managed as the coaches needed to get them going with one day skills training.  The workload in the physio room also increased a bit as players from both the "Test" and "One day" team needed to be managed.  

At the end of the "Test" series, 2 players needed to go back to their respective homes, due to injury and recuperate and get fit again for Ireland selection.

Preseason

This week saw the beginning of our preseason. Monday, 4 June 2012 saw the squad that remained in South Africa come together for the first time since the 1 April 2012 (T20 Final). A preseason is basically the period prior to the commencement of a regular season. This part of the season a souly devoted to reassessing players from a musculoskeletal (Physio assessment) and fitness point of view, through specific training protocols for the prepartion for the upcoming season. Preparing for a preseason programme, involves the entire staff. All aspects of the game need to be acknowledged and fit into the 4 month preparation phase. That is, stability, flexibility, strength, speed, endurance, agility and cricket skills (batting, bowling and fielding). The role of the Physio in the preseason is to evaluate each player, prior to the commencement of the programme. This evaluation is called a musculoskeletal assessment, and this involves subjectively asking the player about previous and current injury history and medical history. An intense objective, physical assessment is then done, which allows me to identify areas of concern in each player. This assessment takes about 45-60 minutes to complete for each player. When all the information is gathered, each player will then have his specific focus areas, to "prevent" injuries and work on. Monday was the fitness evaluation day and the players were put through a battery of tests to evaluate skinfolds (fat composition), weight, strength, speed, stability and endurance. These evaluations allow us to see the base fitness levels of each player and the same battery of tests will be repeated throughout the season to again reassess were each player is physically. My focus areas in particular are stability, flexibility, throwing and most importantly recovery. Considering that the preseason programme is not a walk in the park and these boys train at high intensities, recovery is vital for each of them to train at optimal intensity, a day after a hard days work, as well as a week, 2 weeks and months down the line.

Fast bowling, not for the faint hearted!

Two weeks back, in the Wanderers gym, a young, promising fast bowler began chatting to me about fast bowling. It's fascinating to listen to people talk about fast bowling. What's your opinion about fast bowling? Interesting question, which is not the norm in everyday life. This young man, loves the "art" of fast bowling. And it definitely is an "art". Watching the likes of our very own Proteas run in and excel in the IPL, brings chills and excitement in the tones of young aspiring South African fast bowlers voices. The master classes that Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel showed during the IPL, brought increased energy levels and excitement before a start to fitness sessions, and these debates proved a huge form of motivation. A motivation thats beginning to inspire the young and talented fast bowlers in the country. To me fast bowling is one of the toughest jobs in the world! Why would I say that? I believe to become a top class internatioal fast bowler one needs to be physically and mentally strong to take on the rigors of a busy First Class and international schedule. Firstly the physical aspect of a fast bowlers game is massive and cannot be taken lightly. As a fast bowler you will develop injuries that may keep you out of the game. The key to sustain longetivity in the game is to keep strong and place a huge emphasis on recovery. Cricketers mainly develop overuse (repetitive strain) injuries. Consider the fast bowler, whom repeats a similar action for a prolonged period of time. He not only bowls in first class cricket but also in the 50 over format, as well as in the exciting 20 over game and not to forget that in order to become consistent at the skill of fast bowling, they need to practice. Repetition and ground action forces (loading through the front foot), causes major impact forces through the front ankle, knees, hips and lower back. The most common sites of injury in fast bowlers are, lower back, ankles and soft tissues injuries in the lower limbs, i.e. hamstrings, quads, groins and calf strains and tears. Secondly, a fast bowler needs to be mentally strong as is any other discipline in the game. However due to the rigors and physical strain that the body takes a fast bowler has to be that much stronger to compete at a high intensity with fatigue and muscle soreness playing a role. Similarily, there needs to be mental strength to recover from an injury, as with any injury there will be a fear of reoccurrence initially. Look around at the international arena and notice which discipline of the game is most prone to injury. Hard work and dedication to the chosen profession of fast bowling is of utmost importance. The sight of a fast bowler charging towards a batsman and releasing a missile at 150km plus will always be a pleasurable sight for fans around the world.

Name your fittest/fastest XI currently playing the game of cricket?

Get involved and identify eleven current international cricket players that you believe are at the peak of their fitness? The caterogies are : Physical attributes, speed, athletism, longetivity (time played without being injured). It be would interesting to know your thoughts.

The Fire in Babylon

Have you ever watched this documentary of the great West Indian Cricket Team of the 70's and 80's. They were and still are agruably the best combined cricket team ever. This is a must watch and shows the progression of a team of whipping boys to a team greatly feared by the worlds best. It's was extremely interesting to view and note the emphasis Clive Lloyd had on being the fittest team to parade cricket fields around the world. Apart from being naturally fit and athletic individuals, they still worked hard at dotting the i's and crossing their t's. Even then their fearless leader understood what it took to become a dominant force. They built their team around aggressive "fast" bowlers. And to sustain their pace and fitness to play as many games as they could their bodies had to be strong. Many people believe that sports science and injury prevention has only recently evolved and been an integral part of professional cricket but this was already happening with the West Indies teams of the 70's and 80's. Ever wonder why they dominated for such a long time? And their team reminded the same for the majority of their domination. Today we are definitely more skilled in terms of injury survilience, research and general training but the essence of hard work and dedication will always prevail.

Let's get the party started

The season ended in a bit on an anti-climax, with the Bizhub Highveld Lions losing to the Titans in the Pro20 Final at the Wanderers. The only consolation was that we qualified for the Champions League for the second time in 3 years. The boys have had a bit of a break since in the final on the 1 April 2012, and will commence their preseason training on the 4 June 2012. I'm sure they will be very eager to commence training in preparation for our Indian trip in October. Where we can pit our skills against the best in world yet again, however this time in foreign conditions.