Bowling biomechanics, physical profiles, and injuries among female cricket players

Abstract

The recent surge in interest, participation, and investment in women’s cricket has ushered in a more professional environment with heightened competition and popularity. The growth of women's sports and professionalism in female cricket players necessitates support from applied sports science and sports medicine (SSSM) clinicians to enhance well-being and performance. However, higher participation rates and athlete professionalism pose challenges for practitioners due to the lack of injury prevention and performance-enhancement research for female cricket players. This thesis presents four novel papers that aim to address the current gap in research for female cricket players. The first paper, a scoping review, consolidates evidence from 158 studies in SSSM for female cricket players, identifying research gaps and highlighting future topics. The second paper investigates the physical profiles and preparation strategies of female cricket players, revealing differences in body composition, muscle strength, power and fitness among player roles. The third paper explores injury profiles of female cricket players, reporting an incidence of 85.23 injuries per 1000 player match days, with pace bowlers experiencing the highest incidence compared to other player roles. Fielding was the most injury-prone activity, emphasising the need for injury prevention strategies, particularly in training. Most injuries are due to direct contact and are acute. The fourth paper compares anthropometric and biomechanical factors of elite male and female pace bowlers. The results indicate sex-specific differences, such as increased rotational movements observed in female pace bowlers during the delivery vi stride and variations in the sequence of the trunk side flexion strategy, emphasising the need for tailored coaching and preparation strategies specific to female bowlers. The findings from this thesis provide ample SSSM evidence to guide the management of female cricket player’s well-being in a professional environment. This thesis not only offers applied guidelines for clinicians but also highlights priority areas for future research.