Is it hard for cricketers to train daily to stay fit and in shape while on national duty?

[Savak]

I am just looking at Sarfaraz Ahmed's pics recently and he has been incredibly fit in the past year and a half. It is quite remarkable that he has been able to achieve this fitness when you compare it to how badly he had let himself go as Pakistan's captain in 2018 and in the 2019 ODI WC.

Was Sarfaraz unable to find the time to consistently exercise, train in the gym because of the demands of the Pakistani captaincy in all formats and given that he was playing almost all the games for Pakistan? Did the pressures of the job force him to indulge in emotional over eating due to which he was not careful about what he ate and is it easier for him to stick to a consistent diet plan now that he doesn't have to worry about the pressures of the captaincy?

It also begs the question where when the players are on tour attending the training camps, playing the practice games, T-20, ODI and test matches, do they end up having to compromise on working out in the gym and their diets given that they have to focus primarily on cricketing activities on the tour?

I have actually noticed that a lot of our national cricketers get into decent shape in the off season but put it back on while touring internationally.

How do the rest of the Big 5 players from India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa manage to stay fit, in shape throughout the whole year?

 

[Usman]

I am just looking at Sarfaraz Ahmed's pics recently and he has been incredibly fit in the past year and a half. It is quite remarkable that he has been able to achieve this fitness when you compare it to how badly he had let himself go as Pakistan's captain in 2018 and in the 2019 ODI WC.

Was Sarfaraz unable to find the time to consistently exercise, train in the gym because of the demands of the Pakistani captaincy in all formats and given that he was playing almost all the games for Pakistan? Did the pressures of the job force him to indulge in emotional over eating due to which he was not careful about what he ate and is it easier for him to stick to a consistent diet plan now that he doesn't have to worry about the pressures of the captaincy?

It also begs the question where when the players are on tour attending the training camps, playing the practice games, T-20, ODI and test matches, do they end up having to compromise on working out in the gym and their diets given that they have to focus primarily on cricketing activities on the tour?

I have actually noticed that a lot of our national cricketers get into decent shape in the off season but put it back on while touring internationally.

How do the rest of the Big 5 players from India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa manage to stay fit, in shape throughout the whole year?

No it is not hard. It's their job. What actually happens is that these guys get very comfortable when they're in the team and they slack on their diets in particular. During the 2019 World Cup I had dinner with several players in the team and their choice of "restaurant" was a pretty awful Afghani take away shop. I stuck my neck out and pulled them up on this. Shaheen piped up and told me that they spend all day exercising with little to eat and so it's easy for me to judge when I've been eating all day. What's worse is that the players told me they had dinner from that takeaway every day whilst they were staying in that hotel.

Sarfraz got kicked out the team and so he suddenly started putting in the effort. That's all there is to it.

 

[ChTab]

I am just looking at Sarfaraz Ahmed's pics recently and he has been incredibly fit in the past year and a half. It is quite remarkable that he has been able to achieve this fitness when you compare it to how badly he had let himself go as Pakistan's captain in 2018 and in the 2019 ODI WC.

Was Sarfaraz unable to find the time to consistently exercise, train in the gym because of the demands of the Pakistani captaincy in all formats and given that he was playing almost all the games for Pakistan? Did the pressures of the job force him to indulge in emotional over eating due to which he was not careful about what he ate and is it easier for him to stick to a consistent diet plan now that he doesn't have to worry about the pressures of the captaincy?

It also begs the question where when the players are on tour attending the training camps, playing the practice games, T-20, ODI and test matches, do they end up having to compromise on working out in the gym and their diets given that they have to focus primarily on cricketing activities on the tour?

I have actually noticed that a lot of our national cricketers get into decent shape in the off season but put it back on while touring internationally.

How do the rest of the Big 5 players from India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa manage to stay fit, in shape throughout the whole year?

IMO Sarfraz after wining CT 17 got complacent because he knew that he won't be kicked out of the team at any cost & that effected his game & his fitness.

 

[NishanKonar]

Most hotels have gyms & the diet plans are shared with the hotel staff in advance. No excuses for eating unhealthy stuff or not working out in gym - especially on the off days

I doubt Virat Kohli or Ben stokes ever miss a gym day even on tour. Remember story of Cristiano Ronaldo taking ice bath at midnight after returning late night from a away match in UCL

ps : Remember a story about Jacques Kallis. He was MOTM in a match against England & still he was seen slogging in the gym that evening while England players were chilling in the pool after hard day on the field. Its all about personal motivation !

 

[Savak]

Mickey Arthur sent Umar Akmal back from the 2017 CT squad because of fitness, why can't the present PCB management adopt a similar tough line to players in the team?

 

[Giannis]

You can't train daily, you do need a rest day

 

[Zaz]

Theyve been allowed to get away with it When you dont have a professional set up and you dont have that as a requirement from the grass roots up then players wont take diet n fitness n make it a priority

The mentality needs to be ingrained in the early years so players dont see it as a chore but as a habit n a lifestyle that is necessary

 

[Esfahani]

cricket isn't a exercise.. its a leisure sport.. if there is any unfit player, you can bet they haven't hit the gym in months

 

[Caved12]

cricket isn't a exercise.. its a leisure sport.. if there is any unfit player, you can bet they haven't hit the gym in months

That's not true. They all should hit the gym and work out as much as possible, and try to take advantage of these advanced training methods, but practicing and playing cricket should be enough to remain fit and get stronger. They exercise non-stop and have drills to do all day long when they are practicing as a team. Push ups, pull ups, air squats, running, batting, bowling, catching, resistance bands, streching and hundreds of other exercises are done using their own body weight. Most of these subcontinent players look fat or unfit is because they end up eating more and never worry about correcting their diet.

 

[shady]

No it's not hard at all, the standards of professionalism for Pakistan cricket are just very low. If your earning enough from cricket to sustain yourself and your family then there's no excuse to not be in great shape. Committing yourself to a diet and fitness plan should be the bare minimum for a professional athlete. It's quite literally your livelihood. There needs to be an understanding among every aspiring cricketer that fitness is non-negotiable and the responsibility to set that standard falls on the PCB. A hardline approach to fitness is essential. Guys like Sharjeel and Haris need to be told that they will spend their entire cricketing careers on the sidelines unless they get in proper shape. There needs to be heavy investment on facilities, trainers, and the development of standardized fitness and diet programs.

Unfortunately, I don't see the PCB being able to establish the standards needed since they're already struggling to enforce the low standards they've currently set. A mindset change is required not just in the players, but PCB management first and foremost.