3 Must-Do Exercises For Every Cricketer

Cricket is a popular sport in Australia and has a reputation of being a “slow paced” game, it is now becoming faster and more dynamic which leaves cricket players open to a fair share of injuries!  Professional cricketers are now extremely fit, strong and athletic and as the saying goes “Prevention is better than cure!”

Try and do these exercises 3x a week for a 6-week period to see some strength improvements in your cricket game.

These exercises should be pain free, so please consult your Physiotherapist or Doctor if you experience any discomfort.

1. Medicine Ball Rotations 

Core stability is essential in cricket and medicine ball rotations work to strengthen and activate the muscles that allow you to twist your trunk.

Twisting is specific to both batting and bowling, so the medicine ball rotations will help you build the strength and power you need.

Hold the ball at belly button level and then twist to the right and left. There should be no pain felt anywhere along the spine.

Aim for 5-10 reps each side.

2. Standing Scooter

This is great for balance and injury prevention as it works the gluteal muscles and teaches them to fire in the right way whilst running.

Stand with most of your weight on the heel one foot and a slight bend in the knee. Keep your knee cap in line with your third toe. Keeping the rest of your body still, slide your other foot back and forth along the ground.

Progress to taking the toes of the moving foot off the ground.

Aim for 5-10 repetitions each side.

This exercise can be done before an innings and allows fast bowlers to warm up before taking wickets!

3. Wall Sit With Ball Catch

With cricket being an all-day sport, endurance is the key. As such, the wall sit is an isometric exercise that works on the endurance of the quadriceps and glutes and ensures the player is ready for the strains of a cricket match. Additionally, the throw and catch component works on hand-eye coordination, which is important for batting and fielding.

Keep the hips at or above knee height and the weight more towards the heels. Don’t let the knees roll in together.

Aim to hold for 30 secs initially and slowly build up to 3 minutes.

Keep breathing!

Written by Luci Minogue (Physiotherapist) and Harry Spencer.