MARGATE/FL – USA: Chairman and CEO of Cricket Council USA (CCUSA) Mahammad Qureshi is calling on all cricketers to find novel ways of keeping fit during the coronavirus quarantine period.
Qureshi who runs the successful Maq T10 and US Open T20 tournaments in America warned cricketers that by staying home and consuming larger than normal amounts of food, they run the risk of becoming unfit.
“We don’t know how long we will be off the grid in terms of active cricket, so the players must exercise regularly and eat the same portion of food that they are accustommed to. Being at home one is tempted to visit the kitchen regularly but the players must be disciplined.
“You don’t want a case of cricket starting back and you are way off in terms of the fitness required to play the sport. There are many exercises that can be done at home. Some may not be fortunate enough to have a gym set up at home, but this does not stop you from training still.
“I recommend skipping which a lot of us take for granted. Skipping, in my opinion, is big and we can do that in limited spaces. Players can also use their body weight for training. There are also many exercises they can do to improve their core strength at this time. Resistance bands can also be used to work out.
“There are also good books out there that athletes can read that would help them mentally prepare for their sport. Mental preparation is huge in today’s sport and a lot of cricketers fail to reach their potential because of a lack of mental strength. This is a time when work can be done on this aspect of your game.
“So, all in all, there is a lot that can be done by the cricketer so when the cricket resumes who remain in good condition or in even better readiness to play the game.”
