Cricket Injuries - Too Much Cricket

Of late the number of injuries to the cricketers of team India is increasing rapidly. In recent past there have been cases when player(s) had gone on foreign tour hiding his [their] injury, which showed up only during the course of play. This had had placed the team in some precarious position in the midst of the tour some times necessitating SOS calls for replacement from home.

Players know very well that they will only aggravate some nagging pain or recurring injury, if they don�t allow it proper rest. They are also very well aware of the fact that they will peril their own playing life if they continue the game with the persisting injury. Why is it then that Indian cricketers hide their injury and take the risk of playing for the national team? Is it sheer love of the game or burning patriotism, which push them to undertake such risk? Perhaps non! Perhaps it is the lure of lucre. Perhaps it�s the fear of losing one�s position in the team.

Today everyone knows that big money is involved in international cricket and playing for the national team not only enables the cricketers get heavy pay packet from the BCCI but a place in the national side also ensures advertisement contracts involving astronomical amounts in terms of money. Most of the players are also very much aware that now the competition is very, very though and one is not sure barring of course a player like Sachin Tendulkar that even after a forced absence from some matches due to injury, ones place will remain secure in the team. If the substitute player performs well, then the original player might find it difficult to make a come back. Haunted by this fear, the player hides his injury and tries to pull on with it so long as possible.

Now the most pertinent question is; why at all the cases of injuries among Indian players have become so rampant all of a sudden? The team physio and the experts have pointed out that the injured players do not get sufficient time and rest for recuperation. This is because the Indian cricket calendar is heavily burdened with international matches. India plays more international cricket than any other country in the world. Take for example, the last 12 months period starting from last year�s world cup cricket championship to the end of Indian�s last tour of Australia. The ODI world cup cricket championship 2007 was played from March 14 to April 28th and India�s last tour of Australia ended on March 4th 2008. in between Indian players never enjoyed a full month�s rest at a stretch from cricket. The world cup ended on 28th April and Indian team after returning from the West Indies embarked on a tour of Bangladesh to play 3 one dayers and two test matches starting form may 10th. Immediately after returning from the Bangladesh tour, the Indian team had to rush to Great Britain to play against Ireland, South Africa, Scotland, Pakistan and then England. The arduous 2 and a half-month long tour ended on September 8th. From London itself the team had to fly to South Africa to participate in the first ever twenty20 world cup championship from September 11 to 24. Returning from South Africa Dhoni�s men had to take on the world one-day champions Australia for a one twenty20 match and seven matches ODI series played from September 29th to October 17. Then came the tough five ODI match series and three test match series against out arch rival Pakistan spread between November 5 and December 12. The eventful [cricket wise] year came to an end but not the ordeal of the Indian masters. In December itself the team India had to live the shores once again, this time for Australia to take on the world champions for a 4 test match series which started from December 26th followed by a 20-20 match and a triangular one day series involving three teams host Australia, India and Sri Lanka. The triangular series ended on 4th march, and Indian team returned home on 6th instant.

So much for the last 12 months. There is no respite for the players for the coming 6 months either. The team is now engaged in a 3 test matches home series against South Africa, which will end on April 15th. This will be followed by the Indian premier league from April 18th to May 23. Asia cup [June 2008], test and one day series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka [July 23 to august 29] and ICC champions� trophy [September 11 to 28]. Any player participating in so many matches week after week runs the risk of becoming jaded and injury prone. Therefore to cope up with the heavy international schedule, the much wanted rotation policy [is there any?] could be implemented to the full. If the top players of the country from a pool of say 20-25 are used in different matches judiciously and alternately, it is hoped that the problem of fitness and injury could be tackled successfully.

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