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Scrapes and bruises
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As cricketers get older the game demands more
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Vulnerable position Fielders in the close-in position should take proper protection
Fielding is the longest part of cricket, and injuries are common in this activity. The nature and extent of injuries depend on the age, athletic skill, physical conditioning and fielding position of the player.
Age: Professional cricketers play into their thirties, while amateurs play well into their forties. Injured muscles and tendons are more common and heal slower in older players. Good physical conditioning is the best way to prevent injuries.
Fielding in the outfield can be risky for an oldie as it involves sudden sprints in between prolonged spells of inactivity. It is difficult to hide a fielder in the modern game, but the slip cordon may be the safest place for the elder statesmen in the team.
Wicketkeeping: Although a wicketkeeper wears gloves, pads and a helmet, the hands and knees remain vulnerable. The ball thuds into the gloves 200-300 times in a day, and fractures of the fingers do occur despite the gloves.
Frequent squatting and sprinting strain the knees. An edged ball can do serious injury, which is why wicketkeepers should wear a helmet even when a spinner is bowling.
Close-in fielders: Lightweight protective gear has made life safer for close-in fielders.
However, the gear gives a false sense of security. Cricketers now field closer to the bat than ever before, but the hands remain unprotected.
Players instinctively turn away from an incoming hit, exposing unprotected areas to injury.
The momentum of a ball driven onto the helmet can cause neck injuries.
Outfield: Fielding in the deep involves a lot of standing and sprinting, and shoulders tend to get stiff in between throws.
Physical conditioning, and keeping shoulders warm and loose in between throws, will help prevent some of these injuries.
Then and now: Time was when fielders simply nodded in acknowledgement to the batsmen when the ball went past them and then gently trotted to the boundary to retrieve the ball. Now fielders dive, leap, dash and scrape to prevent a single.
Bruises, abrasions, torn muscles and the odd fracture are common.
Practice, athleticism and good technique aside, the players who anticipate the batsman’s shots have the best chance of stopping the ball without being injured.
RAJIV. M
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