Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
MANSINGH
A DECLINE in West Indies cricketing standards has led to more younger players being thrown into the fray as the search continues for better players.
However, an alarming increase in injuries has occurred at the same time. This was revealed by Dr. Akshai Mansingh, chairman of the West Indies Medical Panel on Monday at a press conference at the University of the West Indies to discuss injuries in West Indies Cricket 2003-2004.
"Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose got injured in their 30s while most of our young bowlers are breaking down now," said Mansingh.
"Most of our fast bowlers are coming from schoolboy cricket and going straight into our West Indies team and their bodies are not fully developed to sustain the workload," he analysed.
An extensive study by the West Indies Cricket Board's Medical Panel over the period of 2003-2004 on all teams in the West Indies revealed that most injuries occurred while the players were on tour.
Cricket injury data has over the past few years been collected for some of the major cricket playing countries such as Australia, England and South Africa.
SUGGESTIONS
The panel's paper represents the first study to be published on cricket injuries in the West Indies.
The study showed that 80 per cent of the injuries were sustained by batsmen and fast bowlers, al-though half the injuries in batsmen were sus-tained while fielding and catching.
Mansingh concluded that injuries in the WI cricket may be reduced by:
a. Early detection and management of injuries on tour.
b. Attention to fielding and catching techniques.
c. Monitoring of young fast bowlers.
Seventy-nine injuries were reported over the study period, of which 50 (63 per cent) led to at least part of a match being missed.
Injuries occurred in players aged 18-37 with 50 per cent in players less than 23 years old.
All lumbar stress fractures were in the younger bowlers and of such, the number of overs per spell and per day in competitions below the age of 19 is restricted.
Injuries from catching and fielding were higher than in both Australia and South Africa. Many of these were muscle strains caused by running after and picking up the ball. Attention to stretching exercises and fielding drills may reduce this. The research also mentioned that very few West Indian players have adopted the sliding techniques used by players in most countries while fielding.
