"The pacers are allowed to bowl only 30 balls" - Kapil Dev on why Indian fast bowlers are getting injured frequently

Former India skipper Kapil Dev believes fast bowlers should bowl more in the nets to prepare themselves for international cricket. The comments came after a recent surge in injuries among Indian pacers.

Leading fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been out of action for quite some time now. Lanky seamer Prasidh Krishna has been out of action due to an injury, while others, such as Navdeep Saini and Arshdeep Singh, have been in and out of competitive cricket due to frequent injuries.

Kapil sounded disappointed, highlighting that the current crop of pacers only bowl 30 balls in the nets. Explaining how the bowlers can avoid frequent injuries, he told Gulf News:

"The more you bowl in the net, the more your muscle will start developing. Today, I am told, that the pacers are allowed to bowl only 30 balls. That's one reason. When they take so much stress to play at the professional level, then the body starts cracking. They have to bowl more than anything else."

Team India will look to manage the workload of fast bowlers, given that there is so much cricket lined up for this year, including the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia and the ODI World Cup on home soil.

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"Cricket is not a simple game" - Kapil Dev

Kapil, who had an illustrious 16-year career, cited an extended cricket season, coupled with domestic cricket and T20 leagues, as the main reason behind players getting injured.

“Now the season extends to more than 10 months," he added. "The more you play the more injuries will happen. Cricket is not a simple game. One has to be athletic, use all the muscles and play on different ground conditions, the softness and the hardness. Adapting to everything is not so easy, it takes a toll on the body. So you crack."

Team India will next be seen in action when they lock horns with New Zealand in the third ODI at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Tuesday, January 24.

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