Top

Sports Medicine

Published in:

01-10-2018 | Systematic Review

Cricket Injury Epidemiology in the Twenty-First Century: What is the Burden?

Authors: Najeebullah Soomro, Luke Strasiotto, Tausif Sawdagar, David Lyle, David Mills, Rene Ferdinands, Ross Sanders

Published in: Sports Medicine | Issue 10/2018

Abstract

Background

At the turn of the century, a new format of cricket [Twenty20 (T20)] was introduced that has led to more matches being played. Since then, it has been debated whether T20 cricket has increased the risk of overuse injuries.

Objectives

The primary aim of this study was to meta-analyse the cricket injury rates in the twenty-first century. The secondary aims were to explore the risk factors and mechanisms of injury by analysing correlates such as age, format, era of play, country, player type, etc., and to conduct a qualitative analysis of the published studies.

Methods

Several databases were searched using keywords “cricket” and “injur*” and 24 papers reporting cricket injuries fitted the inclusion criteria. Fifteen papers included data on exposure time and were used to calculate injury rates to perform sub-group analysis.

Results

Pooled data on 12,511 players revealed 7627 injuries, and the 1.12 million hours of cricket play from 15 studies reporting exposure time showed an injury rate of 53.16 (95% confidence interval 51.84–54.52) per 10,000 h of play. There were no statistically significant differences in injury rates based on age, format, era of play, country, player type and injury definitions. Bowling biomechanics and workload were identified as the major risk factors for bowling injuries.

Conclusions

This review shows that injury rates in junior and amateur cricket are higher than the injury rates of comparable cohorts playing other popular non-contact or quasi-contact team sports. There is not enough evidence to conclude that T20 cricket has increased injury rates.

Available only for authorised users

Corrigan AB. Cricket injuries. Aust Fam Phys. 1984;13(8):558–9 (62).

Cricket Australia. Cricket becomes the leading participation sport in Australia 2016. http://www.cricketaustralia.com.au/media/media-releases/cricket-becomes-the-leading-participation-sport-in-australia/2016-08-23 Accessed 01 Jul 2017.

Appadurai A. Playing with modernity: the decolonization of Indian cricket. Altre Modernità. 2015;14:1–24.

Majumdar B. Commonwealth games 2010: the index of a “new” India? Soc Res. 2011;78(1):231–54.

Orchard JW, Kountouris A, Sims KJ, Orchard J, Beakley DT, Brukner PD. Change to injury profile of elite male cricketers in the T20 era. N Z J Sports Med. 2015;42(1):13–7.

Narayan PK, Rath BN, Prabheesh KP. What is the value of corporate sponsorship in sports? Emerg Mark Rev. 2016;26:20–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ememar.2016.02.003.CrossRef

Duff & Phelps. Playing with a straight bat: a concise report on brand values in the Indian Premier League. 2016. http://www.duffandphelps.com/assets/pdfs/publications/valuation/iplbrand2016.pdf. Accessed 01 Aug 2017.

Petersen C, Pyne D, Portus MR, Dawson B. Quantifying positional movement patterns in Twenty20 cricket. Int J Perform Anal Sport. 2009;9(2):165–70.CrossRef

McNamara DJ, Gabbett TJ, Naughton G. Assessment of workload and its effects on performance and injury in elite cricket fast bowlers. Sports Med. 2017;47(3):503–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0588-8.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Scanlan AT, Berkelmans DM, Vickery WM, Kean CO. A review of the internal and external physiological demands associated with batting in cricket. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2016;11(8):987–97.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Karppinen S. Strength training for fast bowlers: resistance to resistance training. Conference abstract presented at conference of science, medicine and coaching in cricket, Gold Coast, Qld, Australia, 2010.

12.

Taliep MS, Prim SK, Gray J. Upper body muscle strength and batting performance in cricket batsmen. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(12):3484–7. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e7261b.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Orchard JW, Newman D, Stretch R, Frost W, Mansingh A, Leipus A. Methods for injury surveillance in international cricket. Br J Sports Med. 2005. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2004.012732.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

14.

Mitchell R, Hayen A. Defining a cricket injury. J Sci Med Sport. 2005;8(3):357–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1440-2440(05)80047-7.CrossRefPubMed

15.

Clarsen B, Myklebust G, Bahr R. Development and validation of a new method for the registration of overuse injuries in sports injury epidemiology: the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) overuse injury questionnaire. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47(8):495–502. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091524.CrossRefPubMed

16.

Moonda F. Injured Kallis unable to bowl, but can bat. ESPN Cricinfo. 2012. http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-south-africa-2012/content/story/592429.html. Accessed 2 Aug 2017.

17.

CricInfo. Lightning strike fells Test star. ESPN Sports Media. 2003. http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/story/132767.html. Accessed 3 Aug 2017.

18.

Bayne H, Elliott B, Campbell A, Alderson J. Lumbar load in adolescent fast bowlers: a prospective injury study. J Sci Med Sport. 2016;19(2):117–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2015.02.011.CrossRefPubMed

19.

Kountouris A, Portus M, Cook J. Quadratus lumborum asymmetry and lumbar spine injury in cricket fast bowlers. J Sci Med Sport. 2012;15(5):393–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2012.03.012.CrossRefPubMed

20.

Saw R, Dennis RJ, Bentley D, Farhart P. Throwing workload and injury risk in elite cricketers. Br J Sports Med. 2011;45(10):805–8. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2009.061309.CrossRefPubMed

21.

Engstrom CM, Walker DG. Pars interarticularis stress lesions in the lumbar spine of cricket fast bowlers. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(1):28–33. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000241642.82725.ac.CrossRefPubMed

22.

Gregory PL, Batt ME, Wallace WA. Comparing injuries of spin bowling with fast bowling in young cricketers. Clin J Sport Med. 2002;12(2):107–12. https://doi.org/10.1097/00042752-200203000-00007.CrossRefPubMed

23.

Leary T, White JA. Acute injury incidence in professional county club cricket players (1985–1995). Br J Sports Med. 2000;34(2):145–7. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.34.2.145.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

24.

Orchard JW, Ranson C, Olivier B, Dhillon M, Gray J, Langley B, et al. International consensus statement on injury surveillance in cricket: a 2016 update. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(20):1245–51. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096125.CrossRefPubMed

25.

Orchard JW, Kountouris A, Sims K. Incidence and prevalence of elite male cricket injuries using updated consensus definitions. Open Access J Sports Med. 2016;7:187–94. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S117497.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

26.

Ahearn N, Bhatia R, Griffin S. Hand and wrist injuries in professional county cricket. J Hand Surg Asian Pac. 2015;20(1):89–92.CrossRef

27.

Olivier B, Stewart AV, Olorunju SAS, McKinon W. Static and dynamic balance ability, lumbo-pelvic movement control and injury incidence in cricket pace bowlers. J Sci Med Sport. 2015;18(1):19–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2013.10.245.CrossRefPubMed

28.

Stretch RA. Cricket injuries: a longitudinal study of the nature of injuries to South African cricketers. Br J Sports Med. 2003;37(3):250–3. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.37.3.250.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

29.

Saw R, Dennis RJ, Bentley D, Farhart P. Throwing workload and injury risk in elite cricketers. Br J Sports Med. 2011;45(10):805–8. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2009.061309.CrossRefPubMed

30.

Dhillon MS, Garg B, Soni RK, Dhillon H, Prabhakar S. Nature and incidence of upper limb injuries in professional cricket players a prospective observation. Sports Med Arthrosc Rehabil Ther Technol. 2012;4(1):42–5.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

31.

Orchard J, James T, Kountouris A, Blanch P, Sims K, Orchard J. Injury report 2011: Cricket Australia. Sport Health. 2011;29(4):16–29.

32.

Orchard JW, James T, Portus MR. Injuries to elite male cricketers in Australia over a 10-year period. J Sci Med Sport. 2006;9(6):459–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2006.05.001.CrossRefPubMed

33.

Frost WL, Chalmers DJ. Injury in elite New Zealand cricketers 2002–2008: descriptive epidemiology. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(12):1002–7. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091337.CrossRefPubMed

34.

Mansingh A, Harper L, Headley S, King-Mowatt J, Mansingh G. Injuries in West Indies cricket 2003–2004. Br J Sports Med. 2006;40(2):119–23. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2005.019414.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

35.

Das NS, Usman J, Choudhury D, Osman NAA. Nature and pattern of cricket injuries: the Asian Cricket Council under-19, elite cup, 2013. PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e100028.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

36.

Ranson C, Hurley R, Rugless L, Mansingh A, Cole J. International cricket injury surveillance: a report of five teams competing in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47(10):637–43. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091783.CrossRefPubMed

37.

Finch CF, White P, Dennis R, Twomey D, Hayen A, Finch CF, et al. Fielders and batters are injured too: a prospective cohort study of injuries in junior club cricket. J Sci Med Sport. 2010;13(5):489–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2009.10.489.CrossRefPubMed

38.

Al Attar WSA, Soomro N, Sinclair PJ, Pappas E, Sanders RH. Effect of injury prevention programs that include the nordic hamstring exercise on hamstring injury rates in soccer players: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2017;47(5):907–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0638-2.CrossRefPubMed

39.

Soomro N, Sanders R, Hackett D, Hubka T, Ebrahimi S, Freeston J, et al. The efficacy of injury prevention programs in adolescent team sports: a meta-analysis. Am J Sports Med. 2016;44(9):2415–24.CrossRefPubMed

40.

Al Attar WSA, Soomro N, Pappas E, Sinclair PJ, Sanders RH. How effective are F-MARC injury prevention programs for soccer players? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(2):205–17.CrossRefPubMed

41.

Emery C, Meeuwisse W. The effectiveness of a neuromuscular prevention strategy to reduce injuries in youth soccer: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Br J Sports Med. 2010;44(8):555–62.CrossRefPubMed

42.

Downs SH, Black N. The feasibility of creating a checklist for the assessment of the methodological quality both of randomised and non-randomised studies of health care interventions. J Epidemiol Commun Health. 1998;52(6):377–84.CrossRef

43.

Orchard J, Seward H. Epidemiology of injuries in the Australian Football League, seasons 1997–2000. Br J Sports Med. 2002;36(1):39–44. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.36.1.39.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

44.

Orchard J, James T, Alcott E, Carter S, Farhart P. Injuries in Australian cricket at first class level 1995/1996 to 2000/2001. Br J Sports Med. 2002;36(4):270–4. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.36.4.270.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

45.

Blanch P, Orchard J, Kountouris A, Sims K, Beakley D. Different tissue type categories of overuse injuries to cricket fast bowlers have different severity and incidence which varies with age. S Afr J Sports Med. 2015;27(4):108–13. https://doi.org/10.17159/2078-516x/2015/v27i4a436

46.

Orchard JW, James T, Portus M, Kountouris A, Dennis R. Fast bowlers in cricket demonstrate up to 3-to 4-week delay between high workloads and increased risk of injury. Am J Sports Med. 2009;37(6):1186–92. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546509332430.CrossRefPubMed

47.

Dennis R, Farhart R, Goumas C, Orchard J. Bowling workload and the risk of injury in elite cricket fast bowlers. J Sci Med Sport. 2003;6(3):359–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1440-2440(03)80031-2.CrossRefPubMed

48.

Chan Y, Walmsley RP. Learning and understanding the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis-of-variance-by-ranks test for differences among three or more independent groups. Phys Ther. 1997;77(12):1755–61.CrossRefPubMed

49.

Williams MN, Grajales CAG, Kurkiewicz D. Assumptions of multiple regression: correcting two misconceptions. Pract Assess Res Eval. 2013;18(11):1–14.

50.

Dennis R, Farhart P, Clements M, Ledwidge H. The relationship between fast bowling workload and injury in first-class cricketers: a pilot study. J Sci Med Sport. 2004;7(2):232–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1440-2440(04)80014-8.CrossRefPubMed

51.

Olivier B, Taljaard T, Burger E, Brukner P, Orchard J, Gray J, et al. Which extrinsic and intrinsic factors are associated with non-contact injuries in adult cricket fast bowlers? Sports Med. 2016;46(1):79–101.CrossRefPubMed

52.

Stretch RA. Junior cricketers are not a smaller version of adult cricketers: a 5-year investigation of injuries in elite junior cricketers. S Afr J Sports Med. 2014;26(4):123–7. https://doi.org/10.7196/sajsm.543.CrossRef

53.

Ranson C, Gregory PL. Shoulder injury in professional cricketers. Phys Ther Sport. 2008;9(1):34–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ptsp.2007.08.001.CrossRefPubMed

54.

Engstrom CM, Walker DG, Kippers V, Mehnert AJH. Quadratus lumborum asymmetry and L4 Pars injury in fast bowlers: a prospective MR study. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(6):910–7. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e3180408e25.CrossRefPubMed

55.

Orchard JW, Blanch P, Paoloni J, Kountouris A, Sims K, Orchard JJ, et al. Cricket fast bowling workload patterns as risk factors for tendon, muscle, bone and joint injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(16):1064–8. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2014-093683.CrossRefPubMed

56.

Orchard J, Farhart P, Kountouris A, James T, Portus M. Pace bowlers in cricket with history of lumbar stress fracture have increased risk of lower limb muscle strains, particularly calf strains. Open Access J Sports Med. 2010;1:177–82. https://doi.org/10.2147/oajsm.s10623.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

57.

Steffen K, Myklebust G, Olsen OE, Holme I, Bahr R. Preventing injuries in female youth football—a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2008;18(5):605–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2007.00703.x.CrossRefPubMed

58.

Douglas FM, William CF, Jesse CD. The incidence of injury in Texas high school basketball. Am J Sports Med. 1999;27(3):294–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/03635465990270030401.CrossRef

59.

Emery CA, Rose MS, McAllister JR, Meeuwisse WH. A prevention strategy to reduce the incidence of injury in high school basketball: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Clin J Sport Med. 2007;17(1):17–24. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0b013e31802e9c05.CrossRefPubMed

60.

Silva RT, Takahashi R, Berra B, Cohen M, Matsumoto M. Medical assistance at the Brazilian juniors tennis circuit—a one-year prospective study. J Sci Med Sport. 2003;6(1):14–8.CrossRefPubMed

61.

Hjelm N, Werner S, Renstrom P. Injury profile in junior tennis players: a prospective two year study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2010;18(6):845–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-010-1094-4.CrossRefPubMed

62.

Orchard J, James T, Kountouris A, Portus M. Changes to injury profile (and recommended cricket injury definitions) based on the increased frequency of Twenty20 cricket matches. Open Access J Sports Med. 2010;1:63–76.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

63.

Petersen CJ, Pyne D, Dawson B, Portus M, Kellett A. Movement patterns in cricket vary by both position and game format. J Sports Sci. 2010;28(1):45–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410903348665.CrossRefPubMed

64.

Foster D, John D, Elliott B, Ackland T, Fitch K. Back injuries to fast bowlers in cricket: a prospective study. Br J Sports Med. 1989;23(3):150–4.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

65.

Kountouri A. Stress fractures of the pars interarticularis in cricket fast bowlers. Sports Link. 2003;1:4–5.

66.

Ranson CA, Burnett AF, King M, Patel N, O’Sullivan PB. The relationship between bowling action classification and three-dimensional lower trunk motion in fast bowlers in cricket. J Sports Sci. 2008;26(3):267–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410701501671.CrossRefPubMed

67.

Portus MR, Mason BR, Elliott BC, Pfitzner MC, Done RP. Technique factors related to ball release speed and trunk injuries in high performance cricket fast bowlers. Sports Biomech. 2004;3(2):263–84.CrossRefPubMed

68.

Johnson M, Ferreira M, Hush J. Lumbar vertebral stress injuries in fast bowlers: a review of prevalence and risk factors. Phys Ther Sport. 2012;13(1):45–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ptsp.2011.01.002.CrossRefPubMed

69.

Burnett AF, Elliott BC, Marshall RN. The effect of a 12-over spell on fast bowling technique in cricket. J Sports Sci. 1995;13(4):329–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640419508732247.CrossRefPubMed

70.

Ranson C, King M, Burnett A, Worthington P, Shine K. The effect of coaching intervention on elite fast bowling technique over a two year period. Sports Biomech. 2009;8(4):261–74.CrossRefPubMed

71.

Ranson C, Burnett A, King M, O’Sullivan P, Cornish R, Batt M, editors. Acute lumbar stress injury, trunk kinematics, lumbar MRI and paraspinal muscle morphology in fast bowlers in cricket. ISBS Conference 2008; 14–18 Jul 2008. Seoul: ISBS-Conference Proceedings Archive; 2008. pp. 233–236.

72.

Ranson CA, Kerslake RW, Burnett AF, Batt ME, Abdi S. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine in asymptomatic professional fast bowlers in cricket. J Bone Jt Surg. 2005;87B(8):1111–6. https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620x.87b8.16405.CrossRef

73.

Cyron B, Hutton W. Variations in the amount and distribution of cortical bone across the partes interarticulares of l5: a predisposing factor in spondylolysis? Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1979;4(2):163–7.CrossRef

74.

Micheli LJ, Wood R. Back pain in young athletes: significant differences from adults in causes and patterns. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149(1):15–8.CrossRefPubMed

75.

Standaert CJ. Spondylolysis in the adolescent athlete. Clin J Sport Med. 2002;12(2):119–22.CrossRefPubMed

76.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Fast bowling match directives. 2015. pp. 329–330. http://www.ecb.co.uk/sites/default/files/3485_nfc_fastbowling_2015_p329-330_lr.pdf. Accessed 20 Sep 2017.

77.

Cricket Australia. Well played, Cricket Australia’s playing policies and guidelines. 2012. http://mrdca.nsw.cricket.com.au/files/2955/files/Australian_Crickets_Playing_Policy_and_Guidelines.pdf. Accessed 30 Sep 2017.

78.

Fulton J, Wright K, Kelly M, Zebrosky B, Zanis M, Drvol C, et al. Injury risk is altered by previous injury: a systematic review of the literature and presentation of causative neuromuscular factors. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2014;9(5):583–95.PubMedPubMedCentral

79.

Brown JC, Verhagen E, Knol D, Van Mechelen W, Lambert MI. The effectiveness of the nationwide BokSmart rugby injury prevention program on catastrophic injury rates. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2016;26(2):221–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12414.CrossRefPubMed

80.

Rössler R, Donath L, Verhagen E, Junge A, Schweizer T, Faude O. Exercise-based injury prevention in child and adolescent sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2014;44(12):1733–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0234-2.CrossRefPubMed

81.

Finch CF, Twomey DM, Fortington LV, Doyle TLA, Elliott BC, Akram M, et al. Preventing Australian football injuries with a targeted neuromuscular control exercise programme: comparative injury rates from a training intervention delivered in a clustered randomised controlled trial. Inj Prev. 2016;22(2):123–8. https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2015-041667.CrossRefPubMed

82.

Soomro N, Chua N, Freeston J, Ferdinands RED, Sanders R. Cluster randomised control trial for cricket injury prevention programme (CIPP): a protocol paper. Inj Prev. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2017-042518.PubMedCrossRef

Title: Cricket Injury Epidemiology in the Twenty-First Century: What is the Burden?
Authors: Najeebullah Soomro
Luke Strasiotto
Tausif Sawdagar
David Lyle
David Mills
Rene Ferdinands
Ross Sanders
Publication date: 01-10-2018
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Published in: Sports Medicine / Issue 10/2018
Print ISSN: 0112-1642
Electronic ISSN: 1179-2035
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0960-y

ACC 2024 Congress

Springer Medicine

Cricket Injury Epidemiology in the Twenty-First Century: What is the Burden?

Abstract

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

ACC 2024 Congress

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 10/2018

Authors’ Reply to Webster and Smith: Comment on: “Substrate Metabolism During Ironman Triathlon: Different Horses on the Same Courses”

The Effect of Angle and Velocity on Change of Direction Biomechanics: An Angle-Velocity Trade-Off

Physical Activity Questionnaires for Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of Measurement Properties

The Psychophysiological Determinants of Pacing Behaviour and Performance During Prolonged Endurance Exercise: A Performance Level and Competition Outcome Comparison

Effects of Warm-Up, Post-Warm-Up, and Re-Warm-Up Strategies on Explosive Efforts in Team Sports: A Systematic Review

Cross-Sectional Associations of Reallocating Time Between Sedentary and Active Behaviours on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Young People: An International Children’s Accelerometry Database (ICAD) Analysis