Injuries are just a part of every sport including cricket. No matter if the cricketer plays at
international or local level there is a time in their career where they suffer some major
injuries. Small bruises and contusions are more frequently occurring in the game of cricket.
One bad shot selection to a short ball can hit the batsmen right in his chest or helmet.
Whereas, one bad foot landing can sprain the ankle of a fast bowler which can cost him the
match.
But what edge do international players have over local cricketers ?
The answer is that they have better coaches, physiotherapists, trainers and sports psychologist. For example- Lets take two cricketers A & B. Cricketer A is a international player and cricketer B is a local club cricketer. Lets assume that both the players have suffered ACL tear( type of knee injury) there are higher chances that player A would recover faster as compared to player B. A part of recovery process of player A is the will power and experience but no one can deny the fact that the elite cricketers go through a much better rehabilitation programme as compared to player B who does not have the access to get the
same rehabilitation as player A.
The purpose of drawing out this example is solely that if you are playing at a local club level and aspiring to make it to the top it is very important that you minimize the risk of injury and know proper first aid for minor injuries. Otherwise, most small injuries when not treated well can cause infection which can prolong the recovery and indeed affect your career.
Please Note:- Doctors consultation is recommended as soon as possible after initial first aid procedure.
From a perspective of a first aid professional and a sports trainer let me answer some of the
most common questions that players have regarding injury.
1) Should I apply Ice or Hot pack?
In my experience this is the most common question that cricketers ask me whenever they get injured or just out of curiosity. Whenever there is a contact injury where the ball has hit some part of your body and the portion has turned red or green it is recommended to apply ice as soon as possible. Icing should not be for more than 10- 15 mins. The sole purpose of icing is that it stops the blood flow in that region and white blood cells start to repair the tissue that is damaged.
As far as hot pack is concerned that is only applicable for stiffness in the back or they are mostly applied by physiotherapists before treating stiff muscles of their patients so that the stretching routines are much more effective.
2) Should I dress my wound or leave it dry and open ?
Bruise or bleeding through a wound must be first cleaned by water or anti septic liquids (Dettol, Savlon, etc). The wound must be dressed with gauze as whenever the wound is left open there are chances that it may get infected.
3) What to do for ankle & finger injuries ?
Such injuries are very common. Ankle injuries are seen in fast bowlers when their foot lands on the ground in a bad position whereas fielders suffer with finger injuries while catching the ball which is either to fast/high or the hand positioning is wrong. Injuries like these when they are very painful must be dealt with utmost care. The first
thing to do is to stabilize the injured part either by taping it or giving it a supportive base. Rush to the doctor as it may be a ankle sprain or a hairline fracture to one of your fingers.
4) How to predict if it is a fracture?
There are 4 signs that can help to predict a fracture. If these 4 symptoms are not present then proper rest and icing will help you recover.
*) Severe pain which is continuous
*) The bone which is fractured looks deformed
*) Injured part must have swollen due to the breakage of bone & tissues surrounding it.
*) The person is not able to move the injured part.
Please note:- Fractures are to be dealt with utmost care. You must refer to a doctor as soon as possible.
I hope I have answered most of your questions through this article. The take home message from my side would be to always have precaution to minimize injuries in your career. It is impossible that a sportsmen would go through his career without any injury. But surely one can prevent a handful from happening just with the proper care and guidance. Most injuries don’t heal quickly just because of the lack of proper rehabilitation. Therefore, it is very important as a cricketer to be under the guidance of the right support staff for your blooming career. Good luck
KRP XI batting first declared their innings at 176/8 in 37.4 overs with their prolific all-rounder Rakesh Naik saving his team from getting out on a low total. Rakesh coming at no.5 scored a brilliant 64 off 79 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes) brining KRP XI back into the game.
Sportsmen CC Vasai in reply were all out for 63 runs in 19.4 overs as medium pacer Sumit Mhatre came up with a match winning spell of 5/28 in 6 overs with 3 maidens. Sumit bowled accurately giving timely breakthroughs while Rakesh also chipped in with 2 wkts as always making it an all-round performances as KRP XI won the match on 1st innings lead.
Fast hundreds are a treat to watch, not only do they display a player’s caliber and talent but it also provides entertainment to the spectators. DSO tournament since many years has been a platform for young cricketers to showcase their talent and one such kid was Sumit Mishra.
Sumit coming at no. 3 for Krishna Menon School went on to score a breathtaking unbeaten 101* off just 65 balls after openers failed to give a blazing start. Sumit mostly dealt in boundaries covering every corner of the ground smashing 17 fours and 2 sixes helping his team reach a big total in 15 overs and putting the opposition team Chatrabhit Narsee High School under pressure.
On an auspicious day where the coach and students conducted a Puja at the Vikhroli Cricket Academy before starting the cricketing season, it was a good day overall for the team as Coach Rohan Gamare’s boys put up an excellent perfomance.
In the 1st match between St. Joseph and Versova Foundation, St. Joseph notched up 153/5 in 15 overs with Nirdesh scoring a blazing 24 ball 48. Versova Foundation were all out for 34 runs as Saish Mistry took 4/3 in his 3 overs handing over a big win to St. Joseph School.
In the 2nd match which took place vs Friends English High School, St Joseph notched up 193/4 in 15 overs as Nirdosh again displayed his hitting abilities scoring a swashbuckling 88 off mere 36 balls falling just 14 short on what could have been an entertaining ton. Friends High School were all out for 65 with Saish taking 3 wkts.
St. Joseph School is on a high and these young boys Nirdesh and Saish are certainly making their coach Karunkar Kotian and Rohan Gamare proud.
Some Snaps-Dasera Pooja of all cricket equipment
Left arm pacers and medium pacers are a treat to watch and the amount of line, length and accuracy they derive at times is very impressive. Left arm medium pacer Jayesh Tandel just bowled one of the better spells of this season by a left arm medium pacer.
Dahisar SC batting first were all out for 156 runs and a major credit must go to Jayesh ripping apart 8 out of 10 wkts to his name which included 4 batsman getting out clean bowled and 4 lbw’s. Jayesh was the pick of the bowlers for Sunrise SC taking 8/49 n 17.3 overs as he displayed impressive line and accuracy to trouble the batsman.
In what turned out to be a neck to neck match, Sunrise SC fell just 2 runs short of winning the match as Dahisar SC bowlers made this match nail biting till the very end. Even though his team lost the match by 2 runs, it was Jayesh who was the performer of the match.
Saurav has been one talent from Delhi who has performed consistently well becoming a limited overs specialist. In his recent match between Delhi and Punjab, he just showed why he is a perfect all-rounder to have for big T20 Tournaments like IPL.
Delhi team batting first posted a big total of 294/4 in 35 overs as Saurav opening the innings thrashed every bowler in every corner of the ground smashing an envious 172 off mere 104 balls. What’s more apart from 17 fours, he also spanked the bowlers with 10 sixers much to the entertainment of his team mates and the spectators.
In reply, Punjab were all out for 184 runs where in Saurav Chipped in with the ball too taking 3 wkts making it an all round performance. Delhi team won the match by 110 runs and Sourav definitely stole the show.
Aggressive openers can change the game in T20 and they are the most in demand batsman because not only do they provide entertainment but also manage to win games. Vipin Chaurasia is one such opener who helped his team win the match with his dashing batting.
Sony Pictures batting first notched up 167 for the loss of just 1 wkt in 20 overs. Opening the innings, Arif (59 off 58 balls) and Vipin took on the bowlers with a brilliant 166runs stand in 118balls. Arif played the anchor’s role while Vipin dominated with a match winning 61 ball 93 laced with 9 fours and 5sixes at a strike rate of 150+.
KPMG in reply were all out for 134 runs as Sony Pictures won the match by 33 runs. It was Vipin’s 93 which played a crucial role in the win as he was declared the ‘man of the match”
There are bowling spells, there are extra-ordinary spells and then there are spells which simply amazes you as a cricket fan and off-spinner Yogesh just bowled one of those spells where he won the hearts of many with his terrific spin bowling.
Parsee Cyclists batting first declared their innings at 165/9 at the Cross Maidan and all-rounder Ajit Rodrigues down the order chipped in with a crucial 34runs. Kunj Vora with 6/67 was the pick of the bowlers for Sunder CC.
Sunder CC were 80/8 before the match ended in a draw. Sunder CC escaped a narrow defeat but the bowler who impressed one and all was their off spinner bowling one of the most economical spells of this season. Yogesh not only bagged a fifer but conceded mere 12runs in 18overs with as many as 14 maidens that means an economy of less than 1 run per over. Ajit Rodrigues also bowled well taking 2/14 in 11 overs.
Medium pacers who can chip in with a few over in between and break partnerships while also bowl full spells when required are an asset and Paresh Shah is one such bowled who is a utility bowler whose bowling can be used in various stages of the game.
In one of the recent matches at Worli SC, Taki Team were bundled out for 124 runs in 36 overs as most of the batsman found it difficult to get going. Medium Pacer Paresh Shah who relies on accuracy along with line and length was the pick of the bowlers taking 5/32 in 15 overs with 5 maidens in what turned out to be an impressive spell. Medium pacers Sachin and Nirnay bagged the other 5wkts between themselves in what was a good bowling perfomance by Sangam SC.
In reply, Sangam SC were 118/8 where they fell just 7runs short of winning the match on 1st innings lead.
JP Morgan Chase B after being made to bat first did not manage to put a heavy total on the board managing only 121/5 in 20 overs. opener Rajesh Vayal anchored the innings with a brilliant half century. Rajesh scored 66* off 66 balls batting till the end smashing 8 fours and a six. Rajesh kept his nerve not losing his wicket despite wickets falling from the other end.
Chasing at just above 6 runs per over in T20 is just a formality nowadays as Aditya Nikam and Ajinkya Patil chipped in with crucial 30’s as JP Morgan won the match convincingly.
WNS A won the match by 7 wkts and Aditya Nikam was declared ‘man of the match’ for taking 2wkts and scoring 35runs. JP Morgan’s Rajesh Vayal’s 66* was also impressive.