The modern game is changing at a rapid pace and the key is not just to have excellent skills but to be equally fit. The top players in cricket all around the world do not just possess exceptional batting or bowling skills but also are athletes of the highest quality. The fitness regimes followed by these players are intense and technology has taken it to another level. However, despite such practices, the scare of injury is always there in a sport and we have seen the careers of high quality players being affected by injuries.
In men’s cricket, careers of players like Shane Bond, Simon Jones, Shaun Tait, Craig Kieswetter, James Taylor, Jonathan Trott etc. have been shortened by injuries. Also, who can forget the tragic incident which saw Phil Hughes fall down to an untimely death on the cricket field? Similarly, the women also have had their fair share of injuries and many budding careers have been affected by the injuries sustained on and off the field. Let us look at some of the most prominent names who have been affected by such health issues.
Pooja Vastrakar – Pooja Vastrakar had her dream come true when she was picked for the ICC World T20 in the Caribbean. But her joy was short-lived when she suffered an injury during the warm up games. In a match against the Windies, she suffered a knee injury thus ruling her out of the tournament. The pace bowler had missed the Sri Lanka series too due to an ankle injury. The 19 year old has a great future in front of her but her injuries have to be managed properly.
Katherine Brunt – Another veteran who could not make the World T20 this year is Katherine Brunt. The all-rounder has been suffering from a back injury which recurred during a warm-up game against India. She is one of the most experienced players in the current English setup and had been a part of the World Cup winning squad in 2017.
Sarah Taylor – the 29 year old talented, free flowing wicket-keeper batswoman from England has been a revelation in Women’s cricket in the past few years. She was the youngest player to score 1000 runs in Women’s ODIs but her career has been affected by issues beyond the cricket field. She suffers from mental health issues and has struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. She had to miss the recently concluded ICC Women’s World T20 in the West Indies and also had taken break from cricket and missed quite a few important series in the past.
Trisha Chetty – Another wicket-keeper batswoman whose career has been affected by injuries. She suffered from a back injury which kept her out of the ICC T20 World Cup. She earlier had missed the tour to Carribean and the 30 year old will have to fight the back injury and time to make it to the side once again.
Meg Lanning – the talented Australian captain and a prolific run-getter in the shorter formats of the game has had to undergo her share of injuries too. Although, she managed to lead her side to a World T20 Cup win this year, her career has been marred by injuries which has returned again resulting in her falling out from the WBBL. She missed the Big Bash League last year due to a shoulder injury and is now suffering from a back injury.
With the demands of the game being very high, the players will keep on sustaining injuries which could play a major part in the way they operate in the future. All we can hope is we as fans don’t see incidents which will have a threatening impact on the careers of these athletes and we get to see the players continue to entertain us as they have been doing.
A digital marketing consultant by profession, a student of strategy and business. Food lover, passionate about Cricket and a huge fan of the Windies cricket team.
