Injuries - The Kiwi Curse
Oram out - the Kiwis are just unable to field a fully fit team.
I'm sick of it. It always afflicts the Kiwi's just when there's a sniff (albeit a very small one) of providing some competitiveness against the Aussies. Oram, New Zealand's main all round striking force, is injured again, and obviously has a body that just can't take the strain. Also, Chris Martin has just passed a fitness test. Don't be shocked if Martin returns home with an injury.
Throw in Shane Bond, James Franklin, and Chris Cairns and injuries seem to be a part of Black Caps branding.
This has afflicted New Zealand sides too much over the years. It just never seems to happen to the same degree with other top teams.
But hang on - don't we have sophisticated medical scientists dedicated to preserving our athlete's bodies? - keeping them in such great shape that the only injury is from the ball breaking a finger, or Jessie Ryder deciding to open a bathroom door by smashing his hand through the glass window?
I thought New Zealand, with abundant natural food, wide-open spaces and fresh air is a breeding ground for health and strength. Even fast bowlers should have it easier, it's not as though they're constantly bowling on the rock-hard surfaces of Australia, or toil in the sub continent's steam baths hour after hour. They can jog in and gently toss the ball up on a good line and length and our slower seaming tracks do the rest. They don't have to pound their bodies unmercifully on hard, unrewarding surfaces.
The argument about mollycoddling players has been mentioned before. But as fully- fledged professional players, they should at least be fit.
Are we training them too much - or training them not enough? Are they eating too many greens and not enough meat? Or is it just a physical weakness with specific players? - and why New Zealand?
Freddie Trueman, the late, great English fast bowler had it all sorted - he said, ‘all this crap athletic preparation only made you fit to carry out crappy athletic preparation.' It didn't necessarily prepare you for bowling.
Give a man a good feed of steak and beer and get him to bowl his pants off. That'll get him match hardened, suggested Trueman. He does have a point, and as the first man to 300 test wickets, he did put his body through the mill more than once.
| Posted by Perky @ cricketmystery.com on Wed 12 Nov |  2 comments |
Nice post, though I'm not sure about the current Kiwi side. Half of their stars have left for the ICL making millions. And worse, they are to face an embittered Aussie side that have not tasted blood for more than a month. Add to that the injustices they feel that have been meted out to them and the criticism that they are no more ruthless. Also, do not forget the return of Symonds. Oh, intimidating and scary!
Posted by Zapper on 2008-11-14 01:52:06
Happy to introduce myself,
I've been a passionate blogger, developing a kiwi based web site cricketmystery.com - we have a team of passionate cricket bloggers - and we're more than keen to spread the word.
I tip my hat to JC - celebrataing so unconditionally the joy of cricket communication.
And the Kiwis will find it real hard in Aussie. Just look at the NSW game - without How the rest of the team could hardly muster 100 runs. Ryder (a bloody amazing talent with real Aussie swagger and style) is as sick as a dog, with the risk his viris may spread throughout the team.
So there we go - our excuse for losing with be the virus!
Posted by Perky @ cricketmystery.com on 2008-11-14 19:43:40
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