By Clifton Ross

THE COVID-19 ongoing rampage could possibly hurt the momentum and training required by fast-bowlers to compete at optimum levels; as they are seemingly the ones most susceptible to the effects of the pandemic.

Outside of the more meticulous core and physical conditioning needed to perform at a superstar level, batsmen and spinners are the least likely to drop form, given the less strenuous methods and innovative ways the respective tradesmen could pursue in order to keep the fundamentals of their craft solid.

Although net sessions are prohibited due to lockdown, the batters can easily resort to the first choice of newbie batsmen, ‘The ball in sock’. Spinners of all classes can also work on their trade as spin requires more focus on the wrists, hip and arms with regard to perfecting spin and guile needed to be considered a quality slower bowler.

Taking into consideration those Do-it-yourself (DIY) means of keeping one’s primary aspect of the game intact, seamers of all speeds will definitely be at a setback. Fast-bowling is hard work as bowlers are tasked with maintaining top speeds throughout their careers, not to mention the burden of bowling 40 to 50 overs at least in a Test match.

The world’s top pacers are renowned gym rats and outdoorsmen. Dating back to the days of the great Jeff Thompson, the former Aussie paceman, who arguably was one of the pieces in the fast-bowling blueprint and was a soccer fanatic who embodied a true sportsman and fitness guru.

As time progressed, pacemen have been doing more work than the batsmen and spinners to keep their rapidity up to par.
South African speed great Dale Steyn, perhaps one of the best pacers in the history of Test cricket, was among the fittest players and possibly still is, as he’s been upping his training in preparation for what could be his last appearance if chosen for the World T20.

While the contemporary lot of quicks are not as sharp as the legends were even when they were in their prime, it is likely that they will suffer from this inability to properly put in work.

One good example is Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya who is a medium-pacer but puts in gym work like a 90 mph bowler in order to increase his pace and liveliness.
Soccer is also a popular choice of training for cricketers and that too is forbidden at this stage, further cutting off options for the quicks to keep their form going.

Also, most of the world’s top athletes have their own home gyms, which are key during a global lockdown, should one’s way of living revolve around staying fit.
Centralising the cricketers, most notably to a regional and local demographic perimeter, it is interesting to see how much work the Caribbean’s top pacers will be able or have been putting in for almost the last 3 months.

Similar to full-contact sports like basketball, soccer, rugby and American football, the weight room is like paradise for those who need to ensure their core and muscles gains are properly managed. Pacers need to keep working on their muscles in order to add yards of pace to their already existing speed.

In Guyana, the future of pacers lies in the hands of Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul and the recently discovered national gem; Niall Smith.
Apart from Smith who made his debut this season in both the Super50 and 4-Day where he etched his name as one for the future; his countrymen are key pieces in the Windies senior team.

Although the training gates have been slightly opened up so to speak, with Cricket West Indies (CWI) hinting at possibly training sessions ahead of the impending England tour, the remaining bowlers, who are not afforded such luxuries of reentering a training facility or having gym access, will definitely be at a setback.

Also, the local players, most of whom are now being exposed to significant amounts of money, could afford a personal trainer or to set up a makeshift gym at home. However, the outdoor aspect to training will still be heavily missed, as bowling in the nets and bowling to batsmen are crucial in developing line, length and stamina.

The younger crop of fast-bowlers not only in Guyana but around the world will feel the brunt of the pandemic’s law which is currently social-distancing and lockdown.

The scenario makes for an interesting resumption of play whenever that may be, with the world sports-starved, cricket fans in particular clamouring for any signs of live action soon, making the players’ jobs harder than ever to perform at the highest level.