Another one bites the dust

How injuries have cut short Andrew Flintoff's career.

Injuries have always been part and parcel of any fast bowler’s cricketing career. Many have had to cut short their careers as their bodies couldn’t handle the rigours of modern cricket. The latest to succumb is England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff. Flintoff’s career has been blighted by injuries. The man who led England’s charge in the historic 2005 Ashes, and is doing the same currently, has suffered shoulder, back, ankle, foot and hip injuries throughout his career. Is it too much cricket, or not working hard enough on maintaining fitness? It’s probably a combination of both, along with some misfortune.

Flintoff’s Achilles heel is his ankle, where he has had four surgeries. He has had two surgeries on his knee as well. It’s no surprise that, at 31, Flintoff has called time on his Test career.

Sourav Ganguly rightly said that it’s more about Flintoff’s body than too much cricket. “He’s a big boy and injuries are part and parcel of sport, but there are other fast bowlers around the world who are running in and keep playing and doing well in Test matches.”

Fast bowlers have to be extra cautious and have to put in more hard work in order to prolong their careers. Shoaib Akhtar is a prime example of how fast bowling takes its toll.

The idea, according to fitness experts, is to keep working hard and alter your bowling style as well. Wasim Akram shortened his run-up and Glenn McGrath cut down on his pace to boost their careers, and went on to play till the ages of 36 and 37, respectively.

A study was carried out a few months ago, according to which, at any given point of time, more than 15 per cent of fast bowlers are out of the game due to injuries.

Too much emphasis has been laid on bowlers adhering to strict fitness regimens. Teams are now looking at specialist fast bowling fitness coaches to avoid premature retirements. Whether or not that will help in the long run remains to be seen. Unfortunately for Flintoff, injuries have robbed him of a few more precious years of cricket.