ISLAMABAD: Professional sports have always been highly demanding. In recent years as competition has increased and trends shifted, fitness has gained paramount significance than ever. A critical aspect of athleticism, fitness cannot be neglected. The high international standards for athletes focus on competency and fitness to ensure they have the requisite skills to succeed as professionals. A good and fit sportsman easily fits in a team, and his skills cement his place.
With the rising demands and intensifying nature of international sports, the need for fitness has also increased manifold with so many screening tests used to verify the competency and fitness of athletes. These tests and their results not only separate the fittest from the less fit, but also burnish an athlete’s skills. Better fit gets fit in a team, for an international event and comes out successful. Others are left behind.
Fitness has always been an important part of sports like cricket, but in contemporary cricket, it is quickly gaining newfound importance, and teams prioritising fitness find themselves at an advantage. Making it into a national team requires a certain standard of fitness, and only the fittest players are selected. Recently, the South African women’s team skipper was left out of the squad to feature in the Twenty20 World Cup at home when she failed to run a two-mile in 9 minutes, 30 seconds yardstick: though barely 18 seconds short, her storied career ended on a sordid note.
West Indies, two-time world champions of 50 and 20-over World Cup have not compromised on fitness and left out some of their key players like Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer and Fabian Allen for lack of fitness. Top nations like Australia, England and South Africa never select their players after they come from injury until they attain full fitness. The famous Umar Akmal episode comes to mind. He was returned from the Champions Trophy in the UK after failing to attain the required standard in the Yo-Yo test.
Besides many other tests that are yardsticks for fitness checks. It’s like separating grain from the chaff. The most common and fast gaining popularity test is the Yo-Yo test. The Yo-Yo test has now become a selection criterion for most of the countries including Pakistan and India. It’s a refined beep test, involving aerobics. It involves running between two cones placed 20 meters apart, and running from one come one cone to the other and back to the starting point marks a shuttle. Employing a small gap between shuttles, the test increases in difficulty. This test incorporates running as it is an essential part of cricket, be it running between wickets, running while fielding or most importantly, for fast bowlers as part of their bowling. This test ensures that players are fit enough for the field, having the required stamina to face increasingly tough gameplay.
New Zealand players attained the best in fitness, proven through their numbers in Yo-Yo tests. Pakistan and Indian players are also increasing their numbers in these tests with most of them now attaining 19. India’s Virat Kohli has become a role model in terms of fitness: consuming a diet devoid of sweets, and incorporating dry fruits and vegetables. His fitness can be judged by the fact that he runs twos and threes with abundance – most in international cricket these days. Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan is fitness personified. He works extra miles for that
DO THE DIET
Physical strength, endurance and stamina are important in sports, which are closely linked to fitness, which itself is dependent on exercise and a balanced diet. With increasing emphasis on diets and eating habits, the trend is shifting towards taking balanced diets that help one’s fitness regime and improve performance in the field. As more and more cricketers embrace the significance of a balanced diet, elite players have all commented on how their food intake is closely monitored for optimal performance. Not only should a proper diet be followed but managing weight is also important. Once you manage your weight, you can prevent injuries. Kohli frequently comments on the importance of a balanced diet on performance on and off the field. In this matter he leads by example and his conspicuous diet manifests in his super fitness and induces other players.
Higher fitness standards in cricket are now emerging as players with better fitness perform without fail, enjoying other advantages such as longevity, consistent performances, reduced injuries and better concentration. While this trend is relatively new in cricket, it has been a part of other sports like swimming, athletics and football. Swimmers have lean builts that allow them to perform at increasingly competitive events, while footballers have high endurance and stamina to go with the game’s demands of speed and athleticism. Cricketers can apply their workouts and training regimens to improve fitness, strength and stamina, while diets can also be incorporated.
The importance of fitness is explained best by the survival of the fittest: a theory that simply states that only the most suitable survive, while the remaining perish. This is taken in a more literal sense when talking about cricket, where the fittest cricketers are the ones that play the best and can keep up with the game’s competitiveness, with Kohli being a prime example. Come to think of what England’s 40-year-old pacer James Anderson has achieved. He has completed 20 years at the top of international cricket. That and his 685 Test wickets were impossible without fitness and following fitness regimes.
So all said and done, fitness is the most important aspect of sport, and anyone who wishes to play consistently will make it an utmost priority, with the ever-increasing competitiveness and standards that go higher by the day. GET FIT TO BE FIT IN SPORTS.
