Cricket is a game of skills and hard work. You need to keep working hard to hone your skills. Players cannot merely depend on talent; they have to continuously work on their skills because it’s not easy to break into international cricket.
With the introduction of T20 cricket and IPL (Indian Premier League), competition has increased such that players now not only need to perform but perform consistently to remain in the team. So apart from cricketing sessions, regular training and exercises have become an integral part of preparation for today’s players.
Having a Custom Handmade Cricket Bat, cricket shoes, batting gloves, and a nice kit are not enough. Cricket exercises are also essential and play a significant role in improving your on-field skills and overall performance.
Below are a few exercises that can help you with your game and refine your cricket skills. These include:
Target Practice: It is one of the most important exercises as direct hitting the wickets can change the whole game. To perform this exercise:
- Use a stump as your target. Stand at some distance from the stumps and then hit the target.
- Practice target hitting while running or fielding.
- Practice it continuously, keep moving. Try to catch the ball coming at different angles and then aim at hitting the stumps while in motion. Try hitting 10-15 times and count the number of direct hits.
Switching it up or Round the clock: There are two similar types of cricket exercises. The bowlers use the former to enhance bowling precision, and batsmen use the latter to improve accuracy. Four cones are set up on the offside, point, extra cover, mid-off, and four on the leg side – mid-on, fine leg, midwicket, and fine leg. Bowler will shout the position to hit while releasing the ball. The batter has to hit in the shouted direction. This is a great way to hone your batting skills to manipulate bowlers during the actual play. In the bowling version – switching it up, you put the cone to find out where you have hit the ball while bowling. This will help you improve your wide Yorker skills, Standard Yorker, and slower balling skills.
Pilates: Every cricket player, irrespective of their role – bowlers, batsmen, and wicket keepers are prone to back-related issues. These players have to spend a long time on the crease, especially during the test matches, and most of them are always just a step away from sustaining back injuries.
Therefore, adding back-related exercises is vital in every cricket drill. Pilates is one such activity that has various benefits for both bowlers and batsmen. Adding such activity to your daily schedule will benefit you in the long run.
Stamina building: Cricket is a relatively longer game. Playing long hours of cricket in broad sunlight requires a higher level of fitness. So building stamina to give impactful performances is very essential. Running and other cardio exercises help in developing strength and stamina. Apart from these players also do high intensity burst training which allows them to field effectively in the game.
Strength & Conditioning: These are a group of exercises that work on the body parts maximum used in the game. Proper training and exercise help develop the endurance required to fulfill the physical demands of cricket.
It also increases your power, reducing the chances of injury. Medicine ball slams and medicine ball hammer tosses are strength and condition exercises that can surely help players improve their speed and strength.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, cricket is one of the biggest sports globally, and the competition is tough if you really want to create your place in any team. You must have a higher order of skills along with relentless hard work to be the best of the best. Ensure you have the right cricket equipment to practice and play your game.