The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an injury
prevention and training programme for elite cricketers in regard to
biomechanical, physical and motor and anthropometric variables over a period
of six cricketing off-seasons (1998/1999-2003/2004). A secondary aim was to
investigate the injury epidemiology of elite cricket players over a six-season
period (1998/1999 – 2003/2004).
A total of 93 cricket players, who were part of the North-West professional
cricket squad, were evaluated over a six-season period stretching from the
1998/1999 cricket season to 2003/2004 cricket season. The players were all
evaluated at the end of the off-season (middle September) of the commencing
season and the injury lists were compiled throughout each playing season. This
included all players who needed medical attention due to injury sustained while
representing the North-West cricket team in a cricket match.
An analysis was done of literature sources by making use of electronic media,
library search and sports medicine journals. Databases such as Pubmed,
EbscoHost (Academic Search Elite), Sciencedirect, Medline, Eric, Health
Source - Consumer Edition, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition and
SPORTDiscus were used. Special consideration was given to cricket injury
epidemiology, injury prevention strategies in cricket, biomechanics in cricket
and general injury prevention strategies.
The recorded data were statistically processed and the practical significances
were calculated. Three different protocols were followed to evaluate the
effectiveness of the injury prevention and training programme. The recorded
data were analysed for the six off-season periods (1998/1999-2003/2004,
protocol 1) of the study for the biomechanical, physical and motor and
anthropometric evaluations, as well as for the injury epidemiology. The players
were then divided into four exposure times (protocol 2) in the study for the
biomechanical, physical and motor and anthropometric evaluations. Then the
players were divided into two groups (protocol 3), with each group consisting of
the same players, and over a three off-season period each evaluated for the
biomechanical, physical and motor and anthropometric variables. Lastly, the
results for the last three seasons of protocol 1 were compared with the result of
the last three seasons of protocol 3 (group 2) for the biomechanical, physical
and motor and anthropometric evaluations, as well as for the injury
epidemiology.
The results for this study indicate that the injury prevention and training
programme was successful in improving and maintaining the biomechanical,
physical and motor and anthropometric profile of the cricketers over the six off-season
periods (1998/1999-2003/2004). Although all injuries could not be
prevented, injuries resulting from structural vulnerability did decrease. Injuries
resulting from structural vulnerability (mechanism of injury) decreased from the
1998/1999 season (67,67% of the total injuries suffered during the 1998/1999
season) to the 2003/2004 season (10% of the total injuries suffered during the
2003/2004 season), indicating that the training and prevention programme
played a role in the prevention of these injuries. Injury incidence per 10 000
hours of play was 5,82 injuries for the six-season period (1998/1999-
2003/2004).
The injury prevention and training programme used in this study can be utilised
to improve the biomechanical, physical and motor and anthropometric profile of
cricketers. The biomechanical, physical and motor and anthropometric
evaluations can also be used as injury prevention strategies by identifying
possible injury risk factors as a result of poor biomechanical, physical and
motor and anthropometric profiles. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NWUBOLOKA1/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/893 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Peens, Jaco |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | North-West University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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