Hardly fit and not fine

While showing the Men in Blue in commando fatigues might have been a great photo-op, is there any reason to believe that the Indian cricket team is at peak fitness? Have any of the crucial fitness parameter tests been carried out? If yes, what are the results? No one seems to have an answer.

By Norris Pritam

How fit is the Indian cricket team? The question became a national obsession recently. From cricket pundits to the media and from the paanwala to the dhobi—everybody had an opinion on the matter. And the team's visit to the Parachute Regiment stationed in Bangalore, before it embarked for Sri Lanka, added fuel to the fire. The Men in Blue turned out in military fatigues and, overnight, the cricket media, especially the TV channels, began projecting the players as commandos.

The players were reported to have indulged in a military regimen to enhance their physical fitness. They tried rock climbing, circuit training, shooting and rope climbing. Virender Sehwag seemed most impressed by the novel experience. "We were told that when the army goes to fight on the border, what things they have to keep in mind and how alert they have to be to keep themselves and their partner alive. That's what we did and what we learnt when we were there," the dashing batsman said. But emotional statements apart: Are the players really as fit as they are reported
to be?

In all discussions on the fitness of the Indian cricket team, the crucial factor missing was the yardstick that determined the physical fitness of the players. Does anyone know the Sehwag's basic speed, or, say, that of Sachin Tendulkar, or the muscle endurance and strength of any player? These are the essential parameters that one must know before declaring anyone physically fit, let alone our national cricketers. What are the reaction times, or the basic sprinting ability, of the players? Was any test conducted on them? If yes, what are the results? No one knows. Yet, just about everyone has declared the players "fit".

Broadly speaking, physical fitness can be divided into two main parts—general fitness and specific fitness. General fitness comprises speed, stamina, strength and flexibility, while specific fitness depends on the sport in question. For instance, an otherwise superbly-fit weightlifter or a boxer might not able to run between the wickets or throw from the boundary line if he were to play cricket. Or, for that matter, a batsman who hits mighty sixers at the crease might be a total flop at badminton or with a table tennis racquet. A player can only be declared fit if he or she clears a laid-down test on these two aspects. No such test has been conducted on the Indian players. And even if tests have been conducted, no one seems to know their results.

Even football referees have to pass the Cooper's test to be empanelled as referee for any major tournament. The same is the case with hockey referees. Even the jawans in the police and the army have to undergo a well prescribed physical fitness test. But not the players of the Indian cricket team. Fitness, or the lack of it, has always been a weak point with the Indian cricket team—in fact, with players at any level. Some two decades ago, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) was assigned to evaluate the national cricket team. Some bigshot players did report for the tests, but when the SAI prepared the report, there was a big uproar. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) saw to it that the report was not made public. The reason? Most players had been found entirely unfit. But it suited everyone to keep mum—the players, the BCCI, the selectors, and the sponsors. Even now, the classic case is that of star batsman Sachin Tendulkar. Following surgery on his back, the two people who declared him fit first were Tendulkar himself and the team physiotherapist, John Gloster. What followed was coach Greg Chappell's statement. "Tendulkar was not cent per cent fit and could not throw from the deep while fielding," the Australian declared. The statement was later refuted by Niranjan Shah, secretary of the BCCI.

What is of importance in the whole controversy is: Can Tendulkar himself declare fit? Or, for that matter, can John Gloster do it? A physiotherapist works under the supervision and guidance of a doctor, and only a doctor can declare a player fit, or otherwise. A physiotherapist can only give physical therapy—as decided upon by the doctor. Surprisingly, in Indian cricket, a physiotherapist has more clout and say than a doctor. And, to top it all, even the BCCI secretary has an opinion on the matter, which is completely outside his purview.

Why does this problem always crop up with the Indian cricket team? Most players come from backgrounds where either they have not played any sport other than cricket at the grassroots level, or have ever bothered with the issue of fitness. Cricket academies have mushroomed all over the country, with most having no ground large enough for free running. As a result, most young players are good at cricketing skill but do not have the required physical attributes to blossom into top players.

The best example is that of Kapil Dev. In his long career, he never suffered from serious injuries simply because he had been a good 400-metre runner before coming into cricket. The basic work done in the athletics arena helped him in his cricketing career. If only the Indian players and authorities could learn from him!