Cricket Injury Rates

In Australia, elite cricketers experience an average of 18 injuries per season for a team of 25 players, playing 20 matches. On average, 9% of cricketers have an injury at any given moment, with fast bowlers having a higher rate of 15%.

The physical demands of different cricket formats vary, leading to different injury profiles. So far, the impact of Twenty20 cricket on player health is still being discovered. The most common cricket injuries are muscle strains in the hamstring and side, due to the repetitive sprinting and throwing involved in the sport.

Young fast bowlers are prone to lower back pain, as the repetitive bowling motion can cause stress fractures in the lower back vertebrae.

Cricket Australia Guidelines

Recently Cricket Australia published some guidelines surrounding fast bowling loads for adolescents. These have been designed to minimise the risk of injury.

AGE GROUP-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

U11	2 over limit each spell & 4 over limit per match
U13	4 over limit each spell & 8 over limit per match Target* of 100-120 balls per week
U15	4-6 weeks bowling preparation before the season 5 over limit each spell & 12 over limit per match Target 100-120 balls per week
U17	6-8 weeks bowling preparation before the season 6 over maximum each spell & 16 over limit per match Target 120-150 balls per week
U19	8-10 weeks bowling preparation before the season 7 over limit each spell & 20 over limit per match Target 150-180 balls per week

*weekly targets are a combination of training and match bowling.

Cricket Injury Prevention Strategies

The secret to avoiding a cricketing injury is to develop prevention strategies.

In short, these can relate to:

• Core stability control
• Normal muscle length-tension ratios
• Neurodynamics
• Shoulder strengthening (e.g. rotator cuff & scapular stabilisers)
• Technique correction
• Biomechanics analysis: static and dynamic
• General aerobic and anaerobic fitness

Your coach or physiotherapist will be able to provide you with generic team activities plus some specific individual advice to address your weaknesses or deficiencies.

Cricket Injuries Prevention Program

Injury prevention is every player, parent, coach and physiotherapist’s goal. We have a prevention program range on offer to help reduce the risk of specific injuries; hamstring, shoulder, low back, ACL and other knee injuries. PhysioWorks has been asked to implement some of these programs under the support of senior coaches.

• Cricket Injury Risk Screening
• Injury Prevention Strategies
• ACL Injury Prevention Program
• Hamstring Injury Prevention Program
• Back Stress Fracture Prevention Program

Cricket Australia Personal Injuries Insurance

Australian cricket players registered at mycricket.com.au are covered for personal injuries such as sports injuries while playing cricket.

Cricket Sports Insurance Policy Links

Medical Specialist Referrals

PhysioWorks works with Brisbane’s leading Sports Medicine Professionals, including Sports Physicians, Orthopaedic Surgeons and Radiology Clinics.

Please ask your physiotherapist for help if you need guidance in discussing your situation and arranging an appropriate and prompt referral to begin your rehabilitation.

Common Cricket Injuries

Back Pain

• Back Muscle Pain
• Back Stress Fracture (Fast Bowlers)
• Facet Joint Pain
• Side Strain (Abdominal)
• Spondylolisthesis

Shoulder Pain

• Shoulder Impingement
• Rotator Cuff Syndrome
• Rotator Cuff Tear
• Bursitis Shoulder
• AC Joint Injury
• Dislocated Shoulder

Thigh & Hamstring Pain

• Thigh Strain
• Hamstring Strain

Knee Pain

• ACL Injury
• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• Patella Tendinopathy

Shin & Calf Pain

• Achilles Tendinopathy
• Calf Muscle Strain
• Shin Splints

Ankle Injuries

• Anterior Ankle Impingement
• Posterior Ankle Impingement
• Sprained Ankle

Neck Pain

• Neck Arm Pain
• Pinched Nerve

Common Adolescent Cricket Injuries

Back Pain

• Spondylolysis (Back Stress Fracture)

Knee Pain

• Osgood Schlatter’s
• Sinding-Larsen-Johansson Disease

Heel Pain

• Sever’s Disease