Dambulla, Aug. 15: An overdose of cricket is not detrimental to the player alone. It also brings down the standard of the game and spectator interest. Tournaments arranged outside the Future Tours Progamme (FTP) have been the culprit for meaningless cricket like the ongoing triangular ODI series in Dambulla. The bowlers of Asian teams tend to carry a bigger workload and strain on their bodies due to the weather oppressive conditions and largely unresponsive wickets. A limit on the number of matches can be the only logical step.
Senior members of the Indian team have already expressed their unhappiness over the taxing schedule. It’s important for bowlers to be rotated and Dhoni himself admitted there is a problem. “I think what you need to see, especially among the bowlers compared to the batsmen. You have to see where exactly the player stands and what will be the impact if he continues to play. Niggles should not become injuries,” he said.
Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh are the latest victims and unless there is a proper process in place, bowlers missing tours on account of injury will only become more regular. “The stress on bowlers can be too much if you they are playing in more than one format. Bowling close to 25 overs per day is challenging the limit. Batsmen don’t have it that tough,” added Dhoni.