Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana. These are some of the names in Indian cricket who are currently sidelined due to injuries. There is serious concern about injury management, and the blame game is being played out in front of the world. The questions have been raised about head coach Gautam Gambhir, chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar, and the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE).
However, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that it’s unfortunate that the physios at Bengaluru’s CoE have been put under the scanner. Most of the Indian players have recently suffered hamstring injuries, and the 1983 World Cup winner feels this type of setback is down to the players’ training routines.
Recently, VVS Laxman, the Head of Cricket, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained how the CoE works, and it was then that Laxman defended the physios at the centre, saying the CoE is not just a “rehab centre.” Now, days later, the centre has received a clean chit from the 1983 World Cup winner too.
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“While Bumrah has a knee injury, it is seen that most Indian players suffer from hamstring injuries. Clearly, there’s something wrong with their training, and that’s why these recurring hamstring injuries. These injuries happen when they are playing for India, but unfortunately, the blame is put on the physios at the BCCI centre of excellence,” wrote Gavaskar in his column for Mid-Day.
The so-called biomechanics, where a bowler can bowl only so many deliveries in the practice nets, is a questionable practice. Even in the IPL, it is learnt that some of the overseas physios don’t allow the bowlers to bowl more than 20 balls in the nets. If in the match you will be bowling 24 balls, that is, if you don’t bowl no-balls and wides, then how is bowling a lesser number in the nets going to help?” he added.
‘Be match-fit’
Gavaskar also questioned the need for players to put in the hard yards in the gym day in and day out, saying it’s more important to be match fit. He also called for greater scrutiny of exactly why these setbacks are popping up again and again.
“It’s an issue that needs a good, hard look at why these injuries are happening again and again. It is more important to be match fit than gym fit. But then, maybe I am from a generation that had different ideas on fitness,” wrote Gavaskar.
Recently, after the ODI series defeat against England, India captain Shubman Gill voiced frustration about the rising injuries, saying it doesn’t augur well for the team when they have to change the playing XI again and again. He cited the example of the upcoming World Cup, saying the players need to play nine to ten games there, and questioned how exactly that will be done when they are not able to last two-three matches for now.