Former Indian player and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman opened up on India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s injury, claiming that the conversations with him are to handle the workload of being an all-rounder better and that injuries are part and parcel. Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met VVS Laxman on Sunday to review the rehabilitation process and injury-management programme at the facility as well. Saikia also attended the press conference along with Laxman, BCCI president Mithun Manhas and other senior officials as well.
Speaking to the reporters, Laxman said, “I think you know the mental side of a player undergoing rehab or getting injured is something which we always require to keep in mind. So the player also knows that he is injured. The player also knows that what is there he needs to do to get fit and be able to participate in the commitments again.”
“Now, from the COE side, we make sure that we make the player understand the workload. In this case, it is Nitish being an all-rounder obviously, there is a lot of workload on him and how he becomes fitter not only when he is playing various tournaments but also when he is not part of any tournaments. And I think it is an ongoing process now of getting better in your fitness levels because everyone knows now you go to the IPL, you play for a state franchise, and then you start playing domestic cricket or international cricket. So while you are playing the matches also, unlike before where there was an off-season where you actually can get better at your fitness, the player should know that while playing the matches how he productively and meaningfully uses the breaks to get fit,” he further added.
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“So I think the conversation with Nitish is injury is part and parcel… what is it that you can do to get better to handle the workload of being an all-rounder. And it is across the board, it is not only Nitish… across the board, you want to tell and that is why the screening at the start of the season is very, very important because if you see in the presentation the parameters we have for all the fitness tests, the NFTC (National Fitness Testing Criteria) tests are mentioned there,” he again said.
VVS Laxman also added that before the start of the season, players go through a lot of fitness tests, and a new fitness test, the Bronco test, was also introduced by Team India’s strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux.
“So all the players, all the contracted players and the targeted players come before the start of the season, and they undergo a string of fitness tests which you must have seen with various machines out there and on-field activities. There is one new introduction which is fantastic, and Adrian got in that which is your Bronco test. As I mentioned that while you are playing it is very important for you to remain fit,” again said Laxman.
“Now Yo-Yo is one test which we test the player’s anaerobic capacity. Now Yo-Yo cannot be done when you are part of a series because it can be really grueling for your body to recover. So the Bronco test is it becomes like a conditioning session, it also indirectly tests the fitness levels, the anaerobic fitness levels of a player and that is taken on board across the various age groups and we do that through the season. So that is something which can be repeatable,” VVS Laxman concluded.
