John Gloster: Varun Aaron needs to be handled with care for a prolonged international career

Gloster feels playing county cricket will help Indian fast bowlers maintain their fitness

Former Indian physio John Gloster asks BCCI to handle upcoming Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron with care to ensure that the pacer has a prolonged international career.

On Varun Aaron

Relating to the fact that Aaron has already suffered five stress fractures early in his career, Gloster feels that it would be important to maintain the work load for fast bowlers, given the amount of cricket played during these days.

"Varun is what 24 years and he has already had a back surgery and that's not a great thing at such a young age. So he is fast bowler, who needs to be managed very carefully as there is every chance of a recurrence," Gloster told PTI on a promotional event for the 2015 World Cup.

Gloster worked on the fitness of players like Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Ajit Agarkar during his spell with India from 2005-2008, and he feels that every bowler is unique and the fitness regime should be relative to that bowler.

"Varun Aaron bowls at 90 miles per hours while Bhuvneshwar Kumar barely touches 80 miles. The fitness programme for both would be entirely different as workload also varies completely," said Gloster, who currently works along with IPL team Rajasthan Royals.

County Cricket will improve Indian bowler’s fitness

Ishant Sharma had suffered an ankle injury and wasn’t fit for the third and fourth Tests in the recently concluded Investec series, though it’s been a recurring injury.

Gloster had some advice for Ishant Sharma and emphasized on the need for Indian fast bowlers to play county cricket in England. He also said that bowling in English conditions is different from Indian conditions because the bowler’s foot lands on softer grounds and all the weight is transferred on the front foot which takes a huge strain.

"As far as I know, Ishant's rehab went well. Now the problem is that a fast bowler, who does not have an experience of playing county cricket in England will have difficulties on the softer turfs. The pounding that a fast bowler's ankles take on landing is enormous.

"That's why it is so important for Indian boys to go and play county cricket. Look at Zak (Zaheer Khan). A season with Worcestershire and he was a changed bowler. I have worked with Surrey and I feel that players learn more about maintaining their fitness while playing county cricket," the former Indian physio said.

Sticking to basics key to fitness

He also raised a point about bowlers using a particular brand of shoes which they have been signed for by that company which is causing injury woes.

"Now cricketers have their kit contracts. A lot of these fast bowlers wear a famous sports brand's bowling shoes which are actually rubbish. Since they are contracted to that particular brand, they wear and develop a lot of injuries," explained Gloster.

The Australian also added that he has never been a big fan of training in a gymnasium and asked bowlers to stick to basic cricketing exercises.

"I have never supported too much upper body weight training for fast bowlers. They take that extra load in the gym and crumble in match situations due to stress related injuries.

"Ask the 70's and 80's boys like Kapil Dev, Michael Holding, Jeff Thomson. Ask them if they had ever done so much of gymming. They would do cross-country, sand surfing or swimming to increase their lower body strength," Gloster explained.