5 most injury-prone cricketers in recent times

Injuries are part and parcel of the game, they say. But for some cricketers it seems they are almost unavoidable.How often have we seen a serious injury end careers of greats where they could have continued longer. Anil Kumble and Mark Boucher are the ones that come to my mind. While there have been many serious injuries that have even forced players to change their game: stance for a batsman; delivery stride and run-up for bowlers, there are some unlucky players who have been at the receiving end of recurring injuries. Most of them have been bowlers who suffer various problems with their body as the game demands a lot more from them than the batsmen.Even after the improved methods in the field and off it, there are still lots and lots of fielders getting hurt during the game.Here we take a look at the 5 most injury-prone players in recent times:Special Mention:Ryan Harris – The pacer is the only one to have captured 100 or more Test wickets, debuting after the age of 30. However, constant injuries have arrested his rise in the world stage and is now on a six-month injury lay off after a surgery to his knee.

#5 Michael Clarke

The Australian captain has been carrying back troubles since a very young age and it has just got worse in recent times. The talented right-handed batsman even stated that his body is not making him eligible to engage in training soon after arriving on a tour.

His recent injury came in Zimbabwe where his hamstring failed to hold up for the reminder of the tour after giving him some trouble in training. The 33-year-old is still racing against time to be fit for the series against Pakistan and might not be 100% even if he makes it.

#4 Shoaib Akhtar

The Pakistani fast bowler is another one whose career was continuously plagued by injuries. Since Akhtar operated at a high pace, that gave him the nickname ‘Rawalpindi express,’ the bowler was a victim of frequent fitness concerns.

The pacer in the end had to leave international cricket unable to cope up with the demands of the game by the end of 2011 World Cup, well into his 30s. In 2005, hamstring injury in Australia forced him to return home after struggling with wrist and back problems the previous year.

In February 2006, he eventually had to go under the knife to arrest recurring problems on his knees. Ankles are the other troublesome area for one of the fastest bowler in the history of cricket to go with stress fractures. Akhtar played in 46 Tests, 163 ODIs and 15 T20Is. He also missed quite a few games owing to disciplinary problems.

#3 Zaheer Khan

The Indian bowling great has been a regular victim of burn out. Since India never had the luxury of resting Zaheer Khan from any series or tournament, the pacer has frequently broken down in middle of tours more often. The most infamous of the lot came in England in 2011 when he limped off with an ankle injury in the very first Test of the tour, leaving India’s bowling attack largely toothless, and England romped over them to register a 4-0 whitewash.

He once had to return home from Australia in 2003, suffering a second injury of the tour by the end of the third Test. Notably, he even missed the previous game owing to an injury. The body kept him out of India’s famous 2003/04 tour of Pakistan. The bowler has even broken down twice during the IPL. At the age of 35, it is only getting more and more difficult for India’s most succesful left-arm seamer to keep himself fit.

The Mumbai star last played for India in New Zealand, 2014 and is said to have given his last effort in an international match. Still, the fact that he has played 92 Tests to go with 200 ODI caps is a fascinating story indeed.

#2 Shane Watson

The Australian all-rounder has developed an infamous reputation of late for missing more matches than he gets to play. The 33-year-old failed to establish himself as a permanent member of the Australian side owing to various injuries after his ODI debut in 2002.

Stress fractures, dislocated shoulder, hamstring tear, calf injury and the list is unending. Notably, Watson got injured five times in between 2006-07 Ashes and the end of 2007. During this period, the player missed an Ashes series, failed to stake claim as the permanent figure in the ODI line-up, and missed matches of both the 50-over and T20 World Cups.

And just when he was about to take over from Andrew Symonds as the first choice all-rounder, he was injured again only to return in 2009. Currently, he is recovering from a calf injury and is expected to be fit for his nation’s UAE tour to face Pakistan.

Watson has represented his country in 52 Tests, 173 ODIs and 45 T20Is.

#1 Shane Bond

If you want to explain how badly injuries affected the Kiwi pacer’s carrer in one line, you can say that his body did not allow him to stake claim as the best ever. That is not an exaggerated statement. If you had watched Bond torment the famed Australian batting line-up (6/23) in World Cup 2003, the second time in two years, one expected the right-arm pacer to rule the world in the upcoming years.

But that did not happen, courtesy his recurring back problems. For someone who had the most perfect action for a bowler, from complete swing of the arm, high arm release and high pace, injuries were always going to be a problem.

Bond even had a surgery in 2004 but that failed to give the Kiwi bowler some breathing space. A string of serious back issues combined with abdominal tear and knee injuries meant one of the deadliest fast bowler the game has seen ended his career with just 120 international caps: 18 Tests, 82 ODIs and 20 T20Is after 10 years since making his debut. (He did not feature for New Zealand between March 2008 and January 2010 owing to his participation in the rebel Indian Cricket League)

Bond retired from T20Is as the last of the three formats in May 2010.