Fitness, Nutrition and the W.I Cricketer

In light of the alarming number of injuries that have hit the West Indies team in recent times, there are all kinds of questions surfacing as to the possible causes. Is it sheer bad luck that our team should be plagued by multiple injuries on this present tour? Or does the problem have deeper roots that need to be extracted in order to come up with some plausible explanation for this crisis that has reached epidemic proportions within our team?

A lack of education can prove to be not only a hindrance, but damaging as well. There seems to be some disparity regarding the handling of the physical fitness and nutrition of our players. How can a team that has been on tour less than two months have injuries to so many players, with two resorting already to boarding the return flight home?

First it was Dillon, with a slight shoulder strain, then Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards as early as the first test in Zimbabwe. To further compound the problem, Drakes, Collymore, Banks, Samuels and Hinds have all been reported to have physical problems. So now Taylor and Samuels have left the scene wounded, with Omari Banks probably soon to follow, and we are left with hardly enough fit players to make up an 11 for a practice match, with a four-test series looming.

During the past home season there have been reports of injuries as well, causing players to miss crucial matches. Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Jacobs and Lawson all sat out Test matches because of one injury or another. Brian Lara is the only player to have taken part in every international match for the West Indies this year. While that is due in part to the fact that he is the captain and leading batsman, he clearly is either lucky or is doing something right, since almost all our players have had brushes with injuries this year.

A part of the problem stems from the fact that the players that represent the West Indies are not under contract when they don't have international matches. This means that during their down-time they are left to their own devices and it is obvious that some of these players, especially the younger ones, need to be educated on how to maintain their health and fitness.

The ideal scenario would be to have affiliate trainers in every territory that are available to offer these young men the proper guidance with regards to nutrition and exercising, especially weight training. If this was the case they could possibly have supervised programs to follow in order to prevent them from potential self inflicted injuries.

Anyone that has ever signed up with a gym for the first time knows how confusing all that equipment can be. And when working out with weights, especially free weights, the proper form is of paramount importance, something that must be taught. Dead lifts are great for strengthening the lower back, but can cause severe injury if improper form is used. Squatting is another dangerous exercise that needs to be mastered in order to be effective instead of damaging.

How many of our players know what a bent-over row or a lateral raise is or what muscles they work? And young men going to the gym are often concerned with how much they can bench-press or arm curl, and maybe they are not targeting areas that need the most attention, like the back, quads, hamstrings and shoulders. Exuberance might also cause them to try to go too heavy too early, and that coupled with poor form is a recipe for disaster.

Then there is the issue of nutrition. Since what you put in is what you are going to get out, the players need to understand the importance of diet in a physically demanding job such as the one they have. Pizza and fried chicken with French fries should not be a dinner option, and certainly not during a test match. Do they have any understanding of the food groups, and what is necessary for their muscles that have to be working overtime? Do they know, for example, to up their protein intake if they have a muscle injury?

On the other hand one has to question whether a large part of the problem is due to delinquency and a lack of professionalism. A sportsman's body is his major tool of trade, next to his mind. Both need to be in optimum condition in order to get the results needed for success. While it is difficult for a youngster to leave his mother's cooking and discover foods that he doesn't like or tolerate, he has to know that his body is like a machine that needs fuel and he must find a way to do that. No engine is going to run on water.

Our players need to be cognizant of the fact that it is up to them to keep themselves fit and healthy, because they, as well as the rest of the team are the ones that will suffer in the end.

Whether the root of this problem is ignorance or negligence, it needs to be addressed quickly. The WICB needs to do their part in order to ensure that these young players are equipped with the proper information and supervision on which to build a platform. Scheduling of training camps before tours need to be taken into consideration as well so that players don't head off for a series unfit or injured. It is only costing the board more money, as these players that get injured during a series have to be paid for the entire tour.

We cannot have a repeat of the current scenario currently taking place in Africa, which fans back home are hoping will not have adverse consequences.