Injury trail in Indian cricket

The Indian cricket team currently competing in the Asia Cup in the intense weather conditions of the UAE saw three of its squad members namely Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, and the ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya getting ruled out of the multi-nation tournament. The team management has come under the scanner of the BBCI officials, which of late has failed to keep the players of the national squad in the pink of health.

Previously, during the England tour, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin broke down during the course of the fixtures raising eyebrows of analysts and fans of the game around the world.

The injury management of the Indian team’s support staff was first brought out in the public when India’s ace wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha aggravated a career-threatening shoulder injury and a player of the Punjab state squad, Barinder Sran fell prey to an injury which, due to improper treatment, hasn’t let the player return to the field since late 2016.

These events should have been enough for the team management to wake them up and motivate them to take extra care of the contracted players who hold the key to the national team’s success in the game. But improper workload management has taken a toll on athletes.

The recent India-Pakistan encounter saw Hardik Pandya being stretchered off the field after he collapsed on the pitch while bowling the 19th over, and the following day a press release from the BCCI brought to light the fact that Shardul and Axar had also joined the all-rounder in the casualty list. Many of the cricket pundits have blamed the packed scheduling and the excessive traveling of the players as the cause of these breakdowns but the board and the team management should also be aware and cautious enough to check the health of their players so that they can do full justice to the national duty they are assigned.

Hardik Pandya was the part of the Indian squad right through the England tour and the excessive workload and traveling throughout the season has left him in this condition. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and R. Ashwin also aggravated their injuries because of the improper diagnosis of their ailments and insufficient rest they were given.

Meanwhile, boards are busy advocating the packed schedules stating they are important for revenue generation but these back to back encounters are taking a toll on the players’ bodies and if not taken seriously, may end the careers of various talented sportsmen.

So, the team management of the Indian side should take care of the scheduling and workload management of their players with utmost seriousness before further damage to their squad.