"I want to know about the injury, recovery time, etc." - Mohammad Kaif red-flags Indian cricket's rehab system
What is the common link between Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar? Yes, all three are premier India players. But the trio has also been a victim of frequent injuries, sometimes even overlapping and recurring ones.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seamer Chahar is the latest on the casualty list. Against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Saturday, he completed just one over before hobbling off with a left hamstring injury. While it is confirmed that Chahar underwent scans, there is no indication if he'll be available against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) today.
The 30-year-old Agra-born pacer missed the entirety of IPL 2022 due to a back injury. It was a double whammy as it came about while he was undergoing rehab for a quadriceps injury he sustained in the preceding home series against the West Indies.
As for Bumrah and middle-order mainstay Iyer, their back issues just don’t seem to let go of them. While the ace pacer recently went under the knife in New Zealand, there have been talks of the latter as well traveling abroad to treat his lower back. Both are racing against time to be fit for the ODI World Cup in India later this year.
These athletes often draw flak from fans for frequent breakdowns. But former India player Mohammad Kaif feels that the team at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru should be held responsible for the same.
“I have noticed faults in the system. Players have gotten picked in the squad, and then pulled out before the match citing they weren’t fully fit. This happened to Bumrah recently and even Mohammad Shami has done this a couple of times. So the NCA trainers, physios, VVS Laxman and his team have to take care of these situations. Because it is unfair on the fans of cricket who are expecting Bumrah to play the next day. I feel this is a very serious matter and the management shouldn’t take it lightly,” Kaif told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview facilitated by Star Sports.
After missing the T20 World Cup, Bumrah was picked for the home ODI series versus Sri Lanka in January this year. The 29-year-old, however, was withdrawn at the eleventh hour.
There was still hope in the BCCI corridors that he would recover at some point of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But even that possibility went up in smoke. Fast bowlers Mohammad Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have also endured similar predicaments in the past.
Players these days prefer having their own trainer and dietician. It thus has become a roadblock for Nitin Patel, Head of Sports Science, and his team at the NCA to monitor them from close quarters. If the board cannot bring all the behind the scenes activity under the same umbrella, it should at least ensure everyone stays on the same page.
Experts are also blaming the frequent mishaps on the current players' affinity for weight training. But it is to be understood that they are doing so as advised by the management. So it is the backroom staff who should perhaps redo their blueprint.
Mohammad Kaif, who is a Hindi commentator with Star Sports for IPL 2023, opined that there should be a stricter assessment of match fitness. He further added that the tracking of a player’s progress should be made accessible to everyone.
“There should be transparency and players should be tested properly before being declared fit. There shouldn’t be any grey area left; a player is either fit or more 10-20 days will be needed. As a Bumrah fan, I want to know what injury he has, what is his recovery time, etc. So they should address this transparency bit and put forth the exact matter,” he remarked.
The current system remains extremely tight-lipped regarding injuries, which enables ‘sources’ to do the rounds. Thus, it also risks dissemination of misinformation.
Shreyas Iyer’s lower back injury forced him to miss the entire white-ball series against New Zealand and the first Test versus Australia. He returned to the squad in Delhi, only to leave midway through the fourth rubber as the same issue again flared up.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have not only been robbed off a star player, but they even had to appoint a new skipper in Nitish Rana.
“BCCI can alert the teams, but franchise model is different” – Mohammad Kaif
The build-up to the 16th edition of the IPL was strange. While the broadcasters were busy celebrating the 15 previous seasons, no press conference was complete without one question floated on workload management.
India had just lost the ODI series to Australia and calls to preserve players for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June and the home World Cup were coming from all corners. After all, the showpiece event will be held in the country since MS Dhoni led the triumph in 2011.
The BCCI has reportedly asked the IPL franchises to give special attention to players part of the national side. But Mohammad Kaif, who served as the assistant coach of the Delhi Capitals (DC) from 2019 to 2021, said that the teams want to win every single match and they would thus want their top players available.
“BCCI can alert the teams, but even they know franchise model is completely different. All the corporates are working here, and the fact of the matter is, there is love for the game and also business. So every owner wants to win that trophy, because only then you will get fame.
"And for that, you want your best players to play – it’s as simple as that. No management would want their star players to sit out. BCCI can very well ask the teams to look after the India players, but I think every franchise will field their best players on the given day,” the 42-year-old stated.
Both parties are valid in their own right. While Team India rightfully care for pride, the franchises are worried about the millions at stake.
The board, though, has planned to fly out players who will be knocked out in the league stage earlier than the rest. Some of the Test bowlers have also been carrying Dukes balls in their IPL kit. Head coach Rahul Dravid and his team regrouped at the NCA yesterday to draw up a detailed plan for the all-important year.
There have also been instances of players sitting out international matches to avoid aggravating a minor injury, sometimes even to just cool their heels.
Citing Sachin Tendulkar’s example, Mohammad Kaif reminded everyone that niggles are a part of a sportsperson’s daily life. However, that becomes a mole hill when compared to the mountain of pride which comes with representing the country.
“I always give Sachin Tendulkar’s example. He has played 24 years for India. And having played that long, he also went through injuries and must have felt tired at times. But that passion to play overpowered everything. When you are getting a chance to play and wear that blue jersey, you should never say no. It’s fine if you have a serious injury, but there will always be niggles and stiffness in your body,” Kaif reasoned.
A team performance is as much a collective of protagonists as those in the prompt corner. While improvisation is always welcome, the players and the backroom staff have to join hands keeping in mind the best interests of the team – be it an IPL side or Team India.