How to Prevent Common Cricket Injuries

In India, every day is a cricket day. Playing cricket efficiently requires a balance between endurance, flexibility, and muscle strength. If you are someone who plays cricket professionally or simply with your friends, then you must know about the key aspects of muscle fitness to prevent common cricket injuries. At Granimals, our expert physiotherapists have years of experience in dealing with sports injuries, including common cricket injuries. 

Whether it’s an injury caused by overuse or due to a mishap, this blog will help you learn more about injuries related to cricket, symptoms, causes, and treatment. We will also share some tips you can incorporate to prevent these injuries. But first, let us understand the breakdown of body strength and muscles involved in cricket. 

Body Strength and Muscles Involved in Cricket

Leg Strength

In cricket, the player has to perform a wide range of movements, such as constantly running between wickets and explosive jumps to catch the ball. These movements require good leg strength, and the hamstring, calves, glutes, and quadriceps are involved in them. 

Core Strength

While playing cricket the player also has to maintain their stability while batting or bowling. Stability allows the player to maintain balance when taking a shot or while bowling to generate force. Abdominal, lower back and oblique muscles are involved in these movements.

Upper Body Strength

Shoulder muscles, arm, back and chest muscles are significant when talking about upper body strength. The player has to hit big shots or fast bowls; upper body strength is required to achieve these movements. The back muscles are required when the player has to perform a powerful throw and strong arms and shoulders offer significant assistance while throwing a ball with accuracy. 

Grip Strength

A person who plays cricket has to have a strong grip to hold the bat efficiently and control the ball while bowling. It also helps in fielding, particularly when catching the ball or throwing it with precision. For a strong grip, it is important to have stronger wrist muscles, forearm muscles and fingers. 

Endurance

As we all know, cricket matches can take hours and it is important the player has good stamina and endurance to maintain high performance throughout the match. It is important to have a good cardiovascular system with overall muscle strength to maintain good stamina and endurance in your body. 

Flexibility and Balance

If a person’s body is flexible, the chances of getting injured are reduced significantly. Good flexibility allows a person to perform dynamic movements like catching the ball or taking wide shots. Maintaining a good balance is also as crucial while playing cricket. Hips, shoulders and hamstring flexibility are important to maintain good flexibility and balance. 

Position-Specific Requirements of Cricket

Batsman: A batsman requires good strength in their legs to make quick runs, upper body strength to take powerful shots and core strength to maintain balance. 

Bowler: A bowler needs to make good lower body strength to make explosive jumps and a strong core for stability, generating speed and control. 

Fielder: For fielding, a person has to have agility and good leg strength to perform movements like explosive jumps to catch the ball, etc. 

Common Cricket Injuries: Causes, Treatment and Prevention

Ankle Sprain

An ankle sprain is one of the most common cricket injuries, and it generally occurs when the player performs quick turns or lands awkwardly on their ankle after a jump. However, an ankle sprain can be treated at home if it is not severe. Here are the treatment options to cure an ankle sprain:

• Initially, the POLICE treatment (Protection, Optimal Loading, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) can be helpful in reducing inflammation and promoting healing. 
• If the pain and discomfort persist, you can consult with a physiotherapist too. 

An ankle sprain can be prevented if the following strategies are followed:

• Include ankle-strengthening exercises in your routine
• Perform good landing techniques
• Wear supportive footwear

Hamstring Strains

While playing cricket, the player has to perform movements like sudden sprints, quick single runs, etc. These sudden movements can cause strain in the hamstring muscles. However, by including effective treatment strategies, a hamstring injury can be prevented and treated. Here are some treatment options to cure a Hamstring strain:

• Practice the POLICE technique to ease the pain and reduce any signs of inflammation.
• Consult with a physiotherapist for better results. 

Here are some ways you can prevent Hamstring strain:

• Perform proper warm-up before playing. 
• Use proper sprinting techniques
• Include exercises to strengthen your hamstrings in your routine. 

Thrower’s Elbow

Thrower’s elbow, also known as Medial Epicondylitis, is an injury that is commonly seen in bowlers due to overuse of the elbow muscles. Due to repetitive movements of throwing the ball, the muscles in the elbow become tender, and the condition causes a lot of pain and discomfort. Here are some of the treatment options for thrower’s elbow:

• When the pain occurs, you can incorporate the POLICE strategy to get relief. 
• If the pain persists for long, you must seek medical attention immediately. 

Here are some ways you can prevent a thrower’s elbow:

• Include strengthening exercises in your routine.
• Focus on improving the flexibility of your muscles. 

Abdominal Side Strain

Abdominal side strains are commonly seen in bowlers as they have to perform repetitive twisting movements while bowling. Side strains occur in the oblique muscles on the side of the abdomen and are generally very painful. Here are some of the treatment options to treat abdominal side strain:

• Rest when the pain occurs
• Make a gradual return to bowling

Here are some of the preventive strategies to prevent side strains:

• Make sure you do a proper warm-up before playing
• Include core strengthening exercises and oblique muscle strengthening exercises in your routine
• Make sure you are not overexerting while bowling

Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is most commonly found in bowlers, who perform repetitive activities that can lead to lower back pain. Poor technique and overuse can worsen the situation. Here are some of the treatment options for lower back pain:

• Rest when the pain persists for a long time. 
• Ice can help ease the pain.

Here are some of the preventive strategies that can help prevent lower back pain while playing cricket:

• Maintain proper posture
• Include back-strengthening exercises
• Using proper techniques to avoid stress on the lumbar spine

Exercises to Prevent Common Cricket Injuries

Here are some of the exercises you can include in your exercise routine to prevent common cricket injuries:

Hamstring Strengthening Exercises

• Nordic Hamstring Curls: This exercise focuses on hamstrings and prevents strains. 
• Leg Curls: You can use a resistance band to perform leg curls. This exercise strengthens the hamstrings

Shoulder Stability Exercises

• Scapular Push-ups: This exercise strengthens the shoulder muscles as you perform push-ups while squeezing your shoulder blades together. 
• External Rotations: You can use a resistance band to perform external rotations, focusing on the rotator cuff muscles.

Core Strengthening Exercise

• Russian Twists: This exercise will help strengthen the oblique muscles and prevent side strains. 
• Planks: Planks are considered a great exercise for improving core stability and preventing lower back injuries. 

Knee Strengthening Exercises

• Lunges: You can perform lunges to strengthen the muscles around your knees. 
• Wall Sits: This exercise engages the quad muscles, and you can opt to do it to strengthen the knee muscles.

Ankle Exercises

• Calf Raises: This exercise is a great way to strengthen the muscles around your ankle. 
• Single Leg Raises: This exercise is a great way to strengthen your ankles and leg muscles and improve leg balance. You can stand on a cushion to increase the difficulty of the exercise. 

Conclusion

Preventing cricket injuries requires a combination of proper training, technique, and conditioning. By understanding the common causes of injuries and incorporating targeted exercises into your routine, you can reduce your risk and enjoy a long, injury-free cricket career. Remember, if you do experience an injury, early treatment and proper rehabilitation are key to getting back on the field quickly and safely. If you are suffering any injury and wish to return to your sport feeling better than ever, you can opt for Granimals' specialised return to sports rehab program. Click here to book a consultation call with our expert physiotherapists. Stay fit, and keep enjoying the game.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Is ACL injury common in cricket?

Answer: Yes, an ACL injury is a common injury that many cricket players have suffered. However, with proper technique and exercise routine, an ACL injury can be prevented. 

Q2. Which sport has the highest injury rate?

Answer: Soccer, rugby, and basketball are some of the sports with higher injury rates. Swimming, golf and table tennis, on the other hand, are considered safer because of lower injury rates. 

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