'The demise of the anti-fragile bowler'

Introduction

Lower back stress fractures are one of the most common injuries to effect fast bowlers. There seems to be now an acceptance that it is almost a right of passage for a young fast bowler to suffer with one during their career, usually before the age of 20. 

However there seems to be a bout of older bowlers getting them now as well. Even post workload derivatives have been implemented. Yes, there were back issue in the older generation. Dennis Lillee, Michael Holding and Richard Hadlee all had issues I believe. However, they didn’t have the support and the structure that the current modern-day bowlers have. So, the issue for me is not the fact there is more now, which data wise probably wouldn’t be much different but surely questions have to be asked with modern day preparation of bowlers which has millions of pounds spent on it. That is my issue.

The worrying trend is happening with the advent of more medical staff in physiotherapists and strength & conditioning coaches working with players on a full-time basis. That’s when questions have to be asked?

Bowling is as stressful a skill as there can be. Yes, I get that, I should know I bowled on the flattest wickets in the world all my career with an action that required me to put all-out effort into every ball. So, sorry that argument doesn’t wash with me. I didn’t have surgery

For me there are certain things we are not taking off the table, in terms of physical and technical understanding. I have my views on the issue which I believe has reached epidemic proportions. We now have a generation of 'fragile bowlers'-any variability outside their 'bubble' they fall apart! Why?

The main issues

A. Bowlers are forced to specialise too early. External pressures, whether coach or parent driven stop them playing other sports at an age where they need to train the elastic qualities in the body. Young bowlers are pulled out to specialise at 15-16yrs into academies and various pathways etc. to focus on their cricket due to the fear of acute injuries in contact sports which is normally the case as it’s the opposite season. However, the physical traits they miss out are not inputted into their training programmes. Natural athletic training like jumping, falling, rolling, running etc. are missed out and static, fixed plane, heavy barbell training in a stable environment are emphasized in its place. There is a distinct lack of athleticism developed form a variation of sports and activities. Young bowlers are forced to specialise before they reach peak high velocity [PHV] and miss out on large amount of neural benefits that comes from simply playing other sports. The modern-day bowlers are clones and look clunky and robotic in their bowling actions. This is a direct consequence of a lack of athleticism.

I don't mind taking bowlers out of contact sport etc. for safety reason but we need to add the bio-motor, bio-energetic and bio-dynamic qualities they are losing out on in their programmes!

We are building FRAGILE BOWLERS not ANTI FRAGILE BOWLERS. Any variation and variability in their training or match days they can't cope with and break down. Physiologically and mentally. It’s simply not what they are used to.

'What. You want me to bowl with that foot hole, to a batsman who’s on 100, without a net stopping it from going for 6, when I've got lactic acid in my legs and uphill into the wind. No way, let me check my spreadsheet!

B. Preparation coaches, whether technical or physical fail to understand the periodization of the surfaces bowlers bowl/train on is crucial. They go from indoors to outdoors within a 2 week [pre-season] time frame. Indoor surfaces train the achilles tendon to be lazy (layman’s term) and also gives them a false sense of security on where they lie pace wise. Psychologically they can’t cope when they bowl outside on a ‘damp one’ in April. They only bowl on one surface which makes bowling feel easier. Newsflash, my 7-year daughter can bowl fast on concrete!

I honestly believe the SAQ 'Aerofloor' is essential for any large cricket organisation. It's the perfect surface for early preparation phase bowling.

Note; 1st ever session with my 7 year old. Self-orgnaisation personified!

Indoor surfaces actually, detrain the achilles tendon’s natural purpose! In effect, fast bowlers lose their 'bounce'. Without bounce the kinetic and kinematic sequencing of bowling is flawed due to the inability to get off the back foot quickly

C. The modern-day bowler has lost the ability to be reactive and elastic. No longer is it acceptable to be a generalist due to a fear of acute injuries. Which is ironic as it sets them up for a career blighted by chronic injuries. Playing sport whether unplanned ‘play’ or planned structured training is the best way to develop reactivity and the ‘bounce’ factor

D. Young specialisation is creating a generation of knee dominant bowlers’ due to a lack of exercises that create stiffness in the achilles tendon and an over-focus on exercises that create quad dominance. Knee/Quad dominant bowlers need to spend more time and movement in every kinematic sequence to access the power in their muscle. This isn’t conducive to bowling quickly. However, the body is a self-organising system and some bowlers have found a way to bowl fast through making everything longer to utilise their natural strength-to create more time to access the power in the muscle. These can be easily identified as the ‘slingers’. Think Shaun Tait and Jeff Thomson. 

This brings me onto the main issue in modern day fast bowling coaching. The lack of knowledge. Due to the reductionist approach to cricket coaching where coaches focusing on isolated traits like technique, strength, power, tactics and conditioning the preparation of fast bowlers isn’t a synergistic process. Everyone is working in different directions. Until cricket begins to embrace ‘The governing dynamics of coaching’ as described by one of the greatest minds in coaching James Smith, the game will never witness the true potential of the human body in fast bowling.

Credit. James Smith. 'Governing dynamics of coaching'

Currently the physical training doesn't match individual techniques. Both are going in the opposite direction!

The technical coaches are educated to train the bowlers actions to be hip dominant as this is the most effective way. Think James Anderson or Mohammad Amir, quick off the back foot, fast arm speed and great seam presentation. However, S&C's coaches are training bowlers to be knee dominant with a focus on squatting and heavy weight training. The S&C coach [also outdated terminology] is ultimately judged on the improvements their athletes make in the confines of the weight room. I.e. How much they can squat, yoyo times, 20m sprint etc. None of which transfer to on field bowling performance but justify their existence in the game. The irony is by trying to make the game more professional and keeping up with the ‘joneses’ and other pro sports the employment of S&C coaches in cricket has led to a decline in the performance levels of fast bowlers. However, their ‘gym numbers’ are through the roof. Until coaches are judged by on field gains this trend will continue to kill the art of fast bowling.

The appropriate bowling technique for a knee dominant athlete which the S&C coaches are developing is the ‘slinger’. However, this technique isn’t fully understood or coached. In a nutshell, the isolated technical coach and the strength coach are training bowlers to be polar opposite in their technique and physicality. This will not happen if there was one preparation coach for fast bowling. Like happens in baseball and javelin.

Let me make it clear fast bowling is massively stressful. To bowl fast, above 100mph requires the body to behave in a way that isn’t natural. 

Ground reaction forces on front foot contact [FFC] can be around 8 -10 x body weight. Brett Lee, arguably the most ‘perfect’ bowling action in the modern era had GRF of 15 x body weight! Fast bowlers have larger GRF and also separate their hips and shoulder later, just before FFC. The spine endures approximately 2 x greater GRF per leg on a 100mph bowler!

‘It's the timing of the separation in relation to peak ground reaction forces, not the separation itself. Marc Portus wrote a great publication on this in 2004. Faster bowlers experience the separation later but it's closer to or even after front foot contact which is when the greatest stress is experienced. The spine endures about 2x extra ground reaction force than the legs. If the spine is rotated at this point of peak force then it's in a slightly compromised position. The real deal breaker for spinal injury is trunk flexion, lateral flexion and rotation combined. Repetitive loading causing micro damage finally leading to structural deformation in tissues. As with most techniques, the fastest traits usually lend themselves to greater injury risks. This can be somewhat combatted obviously by improving bowling workload in a slow and controlled manner and no doubt that whole-body strength and stability play a huge role too’- Dr Simon Feros

So, in a nutshell we are coaching/encouraging our bowlers to bowl faster based on their technique. However, this has added stress to their framework. At the same time, we are training the bowlers to be heavier on back foot contact, spend longer decelerating on back foot contact and subconsciously grooving poor alignment on front foot contact due to a lack of timing and synchronisation in the kinetic and kinematic sequence of bowling. 

There needs to be joined up thinking by all coaches if we continue to separate coaching roles in the game.

F. The neurological pattern of power, bounce and drive through the forefoot is a crucial element of performance. This pattern is why, when you watch someone who is hip dominant walk around, they tend to spend a lot of time on their toes. They bounce around. They are constantly in “drive” mode. 

They want to get to the ball of the foot quickly, which also builds a lot of achilles tendon stiffness. Drive is a habit and hip dominant bowlers express it in every movement. Especially when they bowl and get off the back foot into front foot block as quickly as possible.

This extension off the ball of the foot is easily lost when you stop bowlers from playing other sports, under bowling, a reluctance to do any repetitive running and also over relying on ‘strength training’. It happens due to a breakdown of both neurological and structural mechanisms. Most bowlers experience this heavily when they are pulled from other sports and asked to specialise. 

How to develop 'bounce?'

The fact of the matter is that this capacity is needed to bowl quickly but modern-day approach to developing young fast bowlers detrains the quality.

Developing the ability to drive takes repetition, just like any other skill. And guess what? If you don’t keep practicing it, you will lose it. A good way to get strong through the hip and ankle is to bowl! Unfortunately, with the culture of under bowling due to over monitoring, bowlers have not the ability to ‘drive’ and severely lack the stiffness, robustness and work capacity to bowl quickly when those ‘shackles’ of workload derivatives are removed. When this happens, there is a huge spike in their workload which causes injures or at least contributes to injuries.

G. Lack of understanding on individual workload management, individualization, stress and homeostasis

There are 5 key factors that need manipulating for every bowling program to be successful

1. Volume; The total balls bowled per session/game

2. Intensity; The perceived % effort given in every session/game

3. Frequency; The number of times the bowler bowls in a week

4. Expectations; The expectations of the bowler [Is he/she happy bowling at less than 100% or is it unacceptable?

5. Overreaching; How far are they willing to push themselves before they are told to stop. Can they test their bodies; can they go through the PAIN BARRIER for their team?

However, they are all based on individual needs.

In my opinion, I don’t think bowling workload management is working. I fully respect and understand the reasoning for it and I’m sure some would argue it has worked. However I believe by providing fixed generic guidelines to bowlers’ workloads we have a generation of fast bowlers who have no ‘work capacity’, resilience and body awareness. One year they can’t bowl more than 7 overs but then the next there are no guidelines which produce a huge workload spike. Which we know is a key factor in injuries.

We need to match game regulations based on stage of maturation and not chronological age. Stopping a fully developed 15-year-old from bowling more than his/her allocated amount is insane. They may very well be ready for it as they are now post-puberty. Bio banding is the future of a successful fast bowling programme. 

H. The Lack of understanding on the stages of maturation (BIO BANDING)

Young athletes develop at different stages through their life. Everyone matures at different chronological ages. This is why setting game and training guidelines based on chronological age is flawed and inaccurate. 

I believe with some joined up thinking and initial hard administrative work to identify bowlers ‘stage of maturation’, tailored game regulations and training methods can be designed. 

Matching training methods to stages of maturation is called ‘SYNERGYSTIC ADAPTATION’. The training methods used take advantage of mother nature without adding unnecessary and inappropriate stress to the human body.

• PRE-PUBERTY (Training is CNS focused) = Technical focus & lots of game time. Large volume of SAQ training and speed focused games. Let them play, don’t manipulate volume as the tolerance for repetitive skill is high. Although be aware of the quality of the repetition as every repetition is a habit and to change technique as they mature requires another habit which needs to be overloaded to supersede older habits. The game itself can take advantage of this neural adaptation stage. I firmly believe ‘tape ball’ is a great game at this stage. With an under-loaded, light ball, arm speed will be greatly enhanced. Once trained and habitual it’s a trait that can be nurtured as they mature.
• PUBERTY (Training is CNS + Muscular) = Now workload managing comes in. Bowling volume should be monitored carefully and appropriate S&C training takes priority. Technical work is a pointless task around this stage as ‘adolescent awkwardness’ make its hard for bowlers to coordinate movement. This therefore makes the preceding stage of technical intervention even more important! Reinforcing my beliefs that the best technical coaches should be working pre-pubertal and post pubertal. Bowlers around puberty need a physical coach and a manager more than a technical coach. My main concern around this stage is it also coincides with ‘key age group’ county teams. This is where county coaches begin to talent identify fast bowlers for possible academies and various higher-level pathways. So, the desire for players, age group coaches and parents to play more and bowl more causes structural damage to a body that’s going through maturation is high. This stage is the START OF THE EPIDEMIC. 

Solution- let’s abandon age group representative cricket until they are 16 and provide a number of ‘hubs’ around the country that are accessible to everyone. In it will be the correct and safest methods to improve fast bowlers. It is one message provided to every bowler in the country/world. Let circa pubertal cricketers play without the fear of selection to higher honors which increase workload and stress to a growing frame.

• POST PUBERTY (Muscular)= TACTICS + STRENGTH training. This is the start of developing and nurturing identified talent. Only at this stage can talent be truly identified as mother nature has already dealt her cards and now fast bowlers are on an even playing field.

I. We are loading dysfunctions at an alarming rate, and more worrying is that we are not looking for them let alone testing for them. A lot of fitness tests and screenings seem to be based around bio motor and bio energetic qualities, like the yoyo, strength tests, plank endurance, press ups etc.

However, the majority of people are not looking deep enough into movement and dysfunction. What we repeatedly do in sport and in everyday life is overloading dysfunction and creating patterns that set us up for failure at some stage in our lives. 

A massively common pattern of dysfunction with bowlers is the left to right bias, so a right-handed bowler will have more stability through their left leg compared to their right. So in any bilaterally loaded lift, such as a squat or deadlift, they will default the load predominantly through that side, which can cause pretty disastrous consequences up the chain. Why does this happen? This is due the forces that occur on front foot contact [FFC]. Every time a bowler delivers the cricket ball the body enters into a state called ‘homeostasis’ and perceives an external load as stress and adapts. With FFC load being 8-10 x bodyweight and back foot contact [BFC] only being 3-5 x bodyweight there is clearly a difference in stress on each side. So one side over time becomes stronger which leads to asymmetry. In particular into the lumbar and thoracic region of the back.

Habitual patterns of movement that build in over years of playing unilateral sports like cricket, create measurable asymmetries, this imbalance over time with reps, volume and capacity eventually ends up with D day, normally in the form of a stress fracture. However, the system identifies dysfunction in the form of pain in different areas long before it happens. As coaches, we need the tools to understand where the ‘blockage’ occurs before intervening. 

Current strength training methods don’t provide a solution to this. They simply add load to it which makes it worse. It still baffles me why any bowler should be loading their spine with either a squat or deadlift when it’s such a key area for a fast bowler to function properly and ultimately ‘do their job!’

Bowlers have various mobility and stability issue riddled in their body. The structure cannot have any dysfunction in a joint otherwise it will move it along to the next joint which causes injury. These are some of the examples where dysfunction can cause problems for bowlers

1. A lack of cervical mobility [neck region] in fast bowler causes them to lean over in gather and delivery which can lead to lateral flexion. 

2. A lack of hip internal rotation mobility will lead to poor ‘pre- turn’ the squaring up of the hips on front foot contact which can lead to poor alignment and crossing over of the base. However, a lack of stability issue around the hip region often masks itself in poor mobility. Often the hip creates stiffness to accommodate for the lack of stabilisation in the lateral stabilisers. How many bowlers struggle with the side plank? I suggest a lot. Proximal stability creates distal mobility. So, the deep understanding of needs is essential. There are actually 13 technical flaws that occur due the lack of understanding on the ‘pre-turn’ in the bowling action.

3. Bowlers develop diagonal dysfunction where contralateral patterns become dysfunctional as they mature. Generic programmes exaggerate this dysfunction.

4. Lack of understanding on the bio mechanical regulatory system. Understanding fascia and the connective tissue network that holds us together. 

5. The under appreciation on the importance of breathing for everyday life let alone sports performance.

It’s essential that all coaches realise that dysfunction clouds the brain. It creates blockages and make motor learning and skill acquisition extremely difficult. Ultimately form dictates function. A bowler cannot hold a technical efficient and effective bowling action if the body simply cannot get into the position or hold the position. ‘Form is dictated by function’. To bowl quickly requires a larger range and the correct sequence. Form will ultimately dictate both. 

Conclusion

Ultimately, I make these points because I care. Nothing excites me more than watching a fast bowler like Brett Lee, Shoiab Akhtar and Shaun Tait bowl 100mph. I challenged myself every day as a player to achieve pace and often went down the wrong path in the attempt to increase pace. The burning desire for ‘speed’ has not left me since becoming a bowling preparation coach. Based on my playing experience, my training endeavours, my ever-increasing knowledge, my passion and desire I will not stop questioning status quo until pathways, structures and systems accept that what currently is happening isn’t acceptable. What currently is being taught in coach education programmes is not accurate and change needs to happen. I worry for the future of fast bowlers in the game. I am genuinely concerned that an 8-year-old coming into this great game of ours will never experience the thrill and adrenalin rush of watching a 100mph bowler bowling again. When that happens, the game has lost its appeal for me and I would suggest a whole generation of cricketers.