Boots potential cause for foot injuries in pacers: CA

Sydney, Jan 17 (IANS) Cricket Australia (CA) suspects that the boots worn by speedsters Patrick Cummins, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood could be the reason behind their foot injuries.

The trio of Cummins, Pattinson and Hazlewood suffered injuries during the summer while wearing the same pair of boots manufactured by Asics.

Australia team performance manager Pat Howard said CA is seeing the Asics cricket boots as a potential source of foot injuries and have started its investigation on the matter.

“I have asked exactly the same question (on boots),” Howard was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo Tuesday.

“It is a fair question, we are not suggesting it is the reason, but it is something that has to be reviewed.

“Workloads, body management, history, age, footwear, all those things have got to be reviewed as part of the bigger picture.

“There are lots of people wearing Asics that haven’t had that problem. It is definitely being reviewed, but the reality is they are all young men and it is also about how much bowling have they done in the lead-up to this period (to getting injured).”

Cummins got injured during his debut Test series in South Africa and has not played a competitive match since then.

Pattinson took 25 wickets in four Tests before complaining of foot pain during the second innings of the Sydney Test against India, ruling him out for the remainder of the series.

Hazlewood, who made his Australia ODI debut in 2010, has been forced to miss the rest of the domestic season owing to a fracture in his left foot.

Asics boots for long have been the preferred footwear of fast bowlers in Australia and England.