IBB – Indian Bodybuilding IBB – Home of Indian Bodybuilding and Fitness
A sports conditioning expert once said that all sports evolve at one point or the other. Unfortunately, cricket has never been a game for the fittest athletes. In fact, most people consider cricket the gentleman’s game. Why? Cricket is globally known as a physically easy sport. Talent is more important in the sport of cricket. However having said that, being physically fit body does help perform better. Just look at the top Indian cricketer’s for instance, hey are physically very fit.
But look around you; there is constant evolution in the world. Otherwise, the threat of extinction looms around the corner. Look at the best sports betting sites like sportsbetting24.in/cricket-betting-sites, for instance. Many are evolving to fit into the needs of their consumers.
And like betting, cricket is an evolving sport. As such, there has been a drastic evolution among cricket players. Today, it might not be merely enough to have skill and technique in cricket; each player might require some level of strength and conditioning.
Sure, a team with more skill and technique might perform better at the game than one built chiefly on physical strength and fitness. Nonetheless, the more conditioned a player is today, the more competitive edge they will have on the field.
An Equal Playing Field
Let’s assume two cricket teams are playing in a game under ideal conditions. This means that both teams share a similar level of skill and technique. An excellent example would be using the comparison of two teams at the national stages.
In most cases, the abilities of the two teams are roughly equal since the standards are high. Now let’s consider that one team has better physical conditioning than the other. This would mean that the physically fit team would have a high probability of having:
- More runs since their batsmen would be faster
- More boundaries from a more powerful player
- More accuracy and pace from fitter bowlers
- More concentration and reactions from fielders that don’t get tired easily
The comparison here would arise because of the ability of the physically fit players to endure physical strain. Therefore, they would have a better chance at scoring more games because they would maintain their plays even under fatigue.
Besides, the introduction of the one-day cricket game proved that cricket players today do need bodybuilding as part of their training.
One-Day Cricket
Many changes have occurred since the first introduction of the one-day cricket game. Primarily, the changes have forced cricket players to adjust to the physical demands of the one-day cricket game.
For instance, it is now necessary for the batsman to possess the ability to defend away for overs and use his strength to hit big sixes. In addition, in modern-day cricket, the player should develop more muscular arms and shoulders.
They should also have a strong body if they are to survive the demands of the international cricket arena. Players like Shoaib Akhar, Mathew Hayden, and Andrew Symonds know this, hence the increasing focus on strength training and bodybuilding.
But apart from holding your own on the field, bodybuilding has the following advantages as well:
- It prevents injury
- It increases bowling, running, and bat speed
- It increases the throwing distance
- It reduces fatigue effects
- It improves the player’s technique
An excellent example is a comparison made between the great Sir Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar. Sir Don Bradman did not play in any one-day cricket game in the two decades that he graced the fields of cricket.
During that time, he managed to play in 52 test matches. In the same period, modern-day Sachin Tendulkar has played 167 test matches and 442 international one-day cricket games. This means that Sachin Tendulkar has managed to play three times more games than the great Sir Don Bradman.
And the primary difference between the two? An increase in physical strength from Sachin Tendulkar.
Conclusion
It does not matter how skillful you are. If you cannot maintain your technique when you are tired, chances are you will lose at your game. This is why even the most skillful cricket players today need bodybuilding as part of their training strategy.
