OZ cricket team = Fit or Shit ????

Rat

Likes Dirt
My boss at work is a cricket fan, I'm not. I said it's not a sport, it should only be referred to as a game because most of the players do nothing physical.

He ranted about running, I noted frequent tea and scone breaks for people that are just standing about.

I told him that as a reasonably competitive MTB racer that I would crap on them in a fitness test.

He laughed out loud and said "No way, they are professional athletes"

Hmmmmmmm.

So does anyone know how fit the cricket team are ? what training they do ? how fast can they run 10km ?

I need some benchmarks that I could compare with :)
 

Mr Peabody

Likes Dirt
I once had the misfortune of sharing a lift ride with members of the australian cricket team who seemed disappointed i took no notice of them even with a couple of the wankers dropping hints. my interest in cricket is zilch. back to the subject i dont think these guys are athletes in the true sense of the word. even a very average rider like myself would beat them hands down in a fitness test and think their skin folds would be double most of the contestants on the biggest loser. these guys would work up a sweat just walking out to the pitch !!
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
I reckon you'd be a sitting duck if compared to some of the fitter blokes. Fair enough, it seems they stand around and do nothing but there is more to it than meets the eye.
I don't really enjoy sitting down and watching cricket but that isn't because they aren't athletes. Fitness isn't all about running or riding for a long time and beating the next bloke. Fitness is about withstanding any conditions (in crickets case; standing in the boiling hot sun for a full day) and coming out at the end of the match fresh.
You'd be very surprised as to who some of the fittest sporting people in the world are......I bet you didn't realise that 90% of professional motor racing drivers are fitter than a shitload of tri athletes and cyclists and runners.....operating your equipment in 50+ degrees would be fucking hard work and they do it frequently. I used that primarily as an eample.
Cricketers are fit and cricket is a sport. They don't get paid to sit around drinking beer while they should be training....their training isn't just hitting a red ball with a stick either.
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
I once had the misfortune of sharing a lift ride with members of the australian cricket team who seemed disappointed i took no notice of them even with a couple of the wankers dropping hints. my interest in cricket is zilch. back to the subject i dont think these guys are athletes in the true sense of the word. even a very average rider like myself would beat them hands down in a fitness test and think their skin folds would be double most of the contestants on the biggest loser. these guys would work up a sweat just walking out to the pitch !!
I don't think that would be the case. I'm 6ft 5" and weigh 105kg (big unit mate ;) ). People look at me when I tell them I ride 50km each day and ride over the weekend and they think and sometimes say "old fatboy couldn't pedal shit up a hill". My point is looks can be decieving and I am more than happy to take someone on who thinks their pooh has a scent of roses, sometimes I've lost :eek: and sometimes I've won.
People also underestimate my presence at basketball and get their arse whooped when they come into the paint! They don't come back unless they are ready........:rolleyes:
 

scblack

Leucocholic
Seems like a couple of people have no clue what they are talking about.:rolleyes:

I'll leave it at that.
 

'Ross

Eats Squid
Many cricketers THESE days are extremely fit and do a lot of training. It may not look like it on TV but watching it live you see how fast some are and I know they do a lot of fitness training.
 

cam-o

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Shit guys, think about it will ya:
Glen Mcgrath can bowl 30 overs in a day, that's running in 180 times and delivering a ball at roughly 150 Km/h whilst hittng a target area the size of a drinks coaster.
Gilchrist, gets into a squatting position for every ball, ready to spring after it, that's what 5-600 times?
Ponting, stands in the heat for hours on end whilst taking a swing at a small round object travelling over 100km/h and then sprinting up and down a 30m pitch 100 times or so in a day.

On top of this they chase balls around the field all day.
They do these things 5 days in a row and you reckon they aren't fit?
 

dazz

Downhill Dazz
O.K. lets look at it this way.

Batsmen.
I'd reckon the fitness level of batsmen should be high enough to be capable of the following:
300 20meter sprints in full protective gear in 35 degree heat, while remaining calm & focussed enough to face 145kph pace or to pick up a variety of different spin deliverys. (this is all req'd if someone bats for a whole day)

Bowlers.
Pace: up to 30 overs (180 deliveries) per day. That's about 5.5 km's of 30m sprints + the effort of the delivery stride. Must also be fit enough to maintain control & accuracy of the delivery action.

Wicket keeper.
Usually one of, if not THE fittest guy in the team.

On top of all this there are field changes at every over, the majority of fielders move in as the bowler bowls. Also there is usually a different field setting for each batsmen.

Sure some of the Aus Cricket team enjoy more than their fair shar of beer, but, as a DH MTBer I'm not going to hold that against them.

P.S. I like cricket.
 
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gibbo4

Likes Bikes and Dirt
No doubt in my mind theyre not fit... and you'd have to be damn fit to get into the Australian team, thats for sure!

Considering they were able to chase down 500 runs or so, bowl England out and turn everything around and win the last test, I'd say theyre very fit ;)

(Note: I do realise some of the players do just stand around in the field but the majority do do a lot of running)
(Note 2: Scarp above note, theyre all fit :))
 

fiddy

Likes Dirt
all im going to say is that looks can be deceiving... the majority of people think that "fit" is being an afl footballer. its a FACT that gymnists and racing car drivers are among the fittest athletes.

P.S i like cricket
 
if your comparing beer consuption & fitness,

peat & gracia certainly get their fair share of beer, and i'd be willing to bet they're quite fit also;)
 

norcorulz

Likes Bikes and Dirt
My opinion is that cricketers (especially the Australians) are fit. For example take a look at Shane Warne, hes not the skinnest guy but he is actually fit. For example, take tuesday when he bowled from 10am till around 4pm non stop. He bowled from memory someone where between 35 to 40 overs?? Then there is brett lee. He runs in full steam ahead to the crease and bowls balls in excess of 140km/h every ball and then does it all over again. And he probably has the longest run up in the game. Then there is Adam Gilchrist who has to run to the stumps every time a scoring shot is played in case of a runout possibility. Then there is the class of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke who prowl the inner circle for any chance of a run out and these two are on the move all day. Im my opinion they are fit.
 

PINT of Stella. mate!

Many, many Scotches
Yeah, you´d be right enough to say that they are fit (even a fat smoker like warne) compared to the common bloke but there´s no way you could compare them to other sportsmen and women who represent their countries at international level (well, apart from maybe darts and snooker)

Fitness and Stamina is not a major deciding factor in cricket. Many of the lads are only fit because bodies like the AIS give them training and nutrition plans. Put it this way, imagine how Warnie would do on the beep test compared to even a rank amateur boxer or footie player.
 

Customjimmy

Likes Dirt
We saw them up close at the Gabba. They are very fit bastards. Except for Warney, who couldn't be stuffed. Bowling leg-spin and fielding at slip he should be able to play until his 60.
 
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