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Former Australian and Pakistani team physiotherapist recalls CWC preparations

For most of us, the ICC Cricket World Cup is a chance to cheer for our home countries and favourite players. For Dr. Faisal Hayat Khan, Chief Physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery, the World Cup until recently was a chance to showcase the athletic prowess of the nation’s cricketers after the culmination of years of preparation on the world stage.

As the former physiotherapist for the Australian and later Pakistani cricket team, he has been a part of five previous editions of the 50 over and T20 World Cups. He was part of the Pakistani team that beat India to lift the T20 World Cup in Lords, England in 2009.

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“As professional athletes, cricketers have to be disciplined in how they manage their day to day activities. Diet, how much sleep you get, how good you hydrate and how well you warm up prior to games are all key factors in preventing injuries.

“While these influence a physical being of a cricketer, the most important dynamic in ensuring their fitness is their mental well-being. As representatives of their countries on a global platform, cricketers are subject to intense criticism and scrutiny and my tenures with both the Pakistan and Australian team have showed me that these pressures can result in a player becoming more prone to injury,” said Dr. Faisal.

One of the leaders among a talented group of players, Misbah-ul-Haq.
One of the leaders among a talented group of players, Misbah-ul-Haq.

An example of this is cramps. Popular belief dictates that the lack of hydration or an electrolyte imbalance disrupts a player’s innings through the onset of cramps. However, Dr. Faisal says another contributing factor is mental stress.

“Before every game we ensure a player is well hydrated, however, factors like the burden to perform cannot be controlled and more often than not result in players suffering from cramps especially in high pressure games,” he said.

In the years leading up to the World Cup, players fitness regimes focus on endurance, core strength and stability in order to ensure they are able to endure long hours alert on the field as well as to prolong their playing career.

“Playing at the highest level, players’ bodies take a lot of hits. Strains and ligament tears are the most common however there is also the tendency to get hit by the hard, leather ball. Over the years these add up and players have had to retire at their prime due to their injury woes. In order to avoid this, emphasis is placed on building endurance and strength,” said the former Australian and Pakistani Cricket Physiotherapist.

“Misbah-ul-Haq is one of the senior players of the game and is still an integral part of the Pakistani cricket team – a huge reason for this is his key areas of development over the years have been on his core strength and overall stability.”

Just as physically and mentally prepping before any tournament, Dr. Faisal highlights the importance of post-match routines in order to ensure the body is fit till the next World Cup.

“Ice baths for five to ten minutes are very common with players after games as it helps to decrease core temperature and heal micro tears. More and more players are resorting to oxygen barrack chambers to recover faster, “said Dr. Faisal. “These are similar to sleeping bags but come fitted with an oxygen tank. Players enclose themselves in the chambers and breathe in oxygen from the tank leading to the pure concentrated oxygen immediately entering the blood streams helping oxygenated blood reach muscles faster in order to heal quicker.”

Relaxation activities and massage therapy are also very common in helping players recover in between games.

Pakistan fieldsman Shahid Afridi.
Pakistan fieldsman Shahid Afridi.

Having worked with the likes of Shahid Afridi, Dr. Faisal has many memorable moments as an integral cog in the cricket machinery. However he says his favorite was in the 2011 World Cup during the quarterfinal between Australia and Pakistan in Bangladesh.

“At the time I was working with the Pakistani cricket team and the game was a crucial one as it dictated whether we crash out of the tournament or go one step closer to the Cup. Umar Gul, the fast bowler, fell down during his run up in the first or second over because of a severe pain in his knee,” he said.

“We were able to mobilize his knee quickly and he went on to win the man-of-the-match award at the game. Gul was crucial to Pakistan’s victory and everyone around was appreciate of me helping him get back on his feet in a couple of minutes.”


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