Playing the game of cricket can be exciting. There are numerous situations that you can find yourself in. For instance, you could be on the road to victory and be relaxed. Yet, in the same game, a full 180 can take place and you could be on the verge of losing and be distraught.
However, with all the excitement that goes on, there are health concerns that players can suffer from as a result of the extremity of playing the game. Some can be light and treated for while others may be career ending.
In recent news, former Bangladesh captain, Tamim Iqbal, was hospitalised after suffering a cardiac arrest during a Dhaka Premier League game. Subsequently, he underwent emergency angioplasty.
Doctors said that Tamim Iqbal had regained consciousness and spoken to a family member following the emergency surgery on Monday. Tamim will remain in the coronary care unit (CCU) for the next 48 hours as doctors will monitor his recovery from the heart surgery.
Tamim was leading Mohammedan Sporting Club against Shinepukur Cricket Club but fielded for just one over of the game's first innings. After feeling discomfort in his chest, Tamim left the field and went to the KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing Home (formerly Fazilatunnesa Hospital) nearby to see doctors.
"He was in good spirits during the toss," Montu Dutta, the BKSP chief cricket coach, told reporters in the afternoon. "When he felt sick, he left the field and went to the hospital. The doctors there did not want to let him leave at the time, but Tamim left anyway."
As he returned to the ground, a family member had made arrangements for an air ambulance to take Tamim to Dhaka. Tamim, however, was unable to do so as his condition worsened; to the extent that the Mohammedan team physio had to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him. He was then rushed back to the KPJ hospital as doctors at the ground felt lifting him on the air ambulance was out of the question.
He arrived at the hospital in critical condition, according to doctors and tests revealed a blockage in his arteries. An hour after the surgery was completed, the hospital held a short press briefing where it confirmed that Tamim had come to the hospital twice on Monday, the second time having suffered a heart attack. Cardiologist, Dr. Moniruzzaman Maruf, performed Tamim's surgery, the hospital said.
"He returned to us in a critical condition," said Dr Rajib Hasan, of the KPJ Hospital. "We can call it a heart attack, and we subsequently did an angiogram and angioplasty to remove the blockage. The medical procedure has gone smoothly. He is currently under observation. The swift coordination between the medical staff at BKSP and the hospital ensured Tamim was treated quickly."
BCB's (Bangladesh Cricket Board) chief physician, Dr Debashis Chowdhury confirmed later that Tamim had regained consciousness. "Tamim Iqbal has regained consciousness. His vital signs are improving so we also hope that his overall health will also get better in the next 24 hours. The hospital has briefed you that they have put a ring in one of his arteries. The other arteries are healthy."
BCB cancelled their scheduled directors' meeting soon after they heard of Tamim's situation. President, Faruque Ahmed, rushed to the hospital alongside chief executive, Nizamuddin Ahmed and director, Akram Khan, Tamim's uncle.
Later in the afternoon, Tamim's Mohammedan team-mates: Mushfiqur Rahim; Mahmudullah; Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam visited him. A large number of reporters and cameramen were at the hospital reception, apart from many fans and on-lookers.
In another case, the late Englishman, Tony Greig, had an epileptic seizure during a game. In 1971–72, he collapsed on the field during his first match for Eastern Province and half a dozen team-mates were required to hold down his large frame. The incident was explained away as heat stroke thanks to sympathetic media and team management.
Returning from the tour of Australia in 1975, Greig had another epileptic seizure at Heathrow Airport. His condition became public during the Packer furore, when a number of commentators questioned his judgement in the matter and speculated that epilepsy impaired his ability to make decisions.
Cricket, once called the, "gentleman's game," has been a target of criticism from health circles. For example, professional cricketers spend countless hours in open daylight. Excessive exposure to heat in these individuals increases the risk of dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion; whereas excessive sunlight exposure has been associated with an increased risk of melanoma and other skin cancers (Sheikh, Arsalan Ali, Saleem, Ali & Salman Ahmed, 2013).
To counter this, most cricketers use different brands of sunscreens, which, themselves, have health implications. In addition, cricketers have also been known to suffer from depressive and other psychological disorders, with many requiring rehabilitation (Sheikh, Arsalan Ali, Saleem, Ali & Salman Ahmed, 2013).
Apart from the direct effects on cricketers, inappropriate advertisements in commercial cricket have been criticised in the past. For example, concerns have been raised in the past over the sponsorship of events by a fast-food chain, which may promote unhealthy ingestion of fried foods and thus lead to obesity. Similar concerns have been voiced for alcohol promotion via cricket advertisement (Sheikh et al., 2013).
Injuries sustained during cricketing activities form a major chunk of the health hazards caused as a result of playing the sport. A cricketing injury is defined as, 'any injury or other medical condition that either prevents a player from being fully available for selection for a major match, or during a major match, causes a player to be unable to bat, bowl or keep wicket when required' (Sheikh et al., 2013).
Current reports estimate the incidence of cricket injuries at 2.6/10,000 athlete hours played, with 28.4% to 71.6% of cricketers sustaining between 1.61 and 1.91 injuries per season. Lower limb injuries account for 22.8% to 50.0% of the injuries sustained; whereas upper limb injuries are responsible for 19.8 to 34.1%. Back and trunk injuries account for about 18% and 33.3% of total injuries; whereas head and neck injuries account for 5.4% to 25% (Sheikh et al., 2013).
Cricketing injuries range from minor contusions and lacerations to career-threatening deformations. For example, Mark Boucher, the former South African wicketkeeper, was forced to retire early from international cricket following a serious eye injury. Graver consequences have occurred to other players; with many not being able to cope with the imposing physiological demands of the game and some even dying during the course of a match. Fast bowlers and batsmen are especially the endangered species (Sheikh et al., 2013).
The fast bowlers are mostly at risk for hamstring injuries, rotator cuff injuries, lower back pain and sprained ankles; whereas batsmen and fielders are mostly threatened by impact injuries caused by the cricket ball. However, the scope of cricket-related injuries is not limited to the players only. Umpires and even spectators, have suffered fatal injuries as a result of the deadly impact of the murderous cricket ball (Sheikh et al., 2013).
Bowlers, especially fast bowlers, are at the highest risk of cricketing injuries, with 33.0% to 65.7% sustaining back injuries. Overuse injuries due to repetitive movements are the most common. Bony abnormalities such as spondylosis are often encountered in first-class cricket; which involves long spells of bowling; whereas stress fractures mainly involve the metatarsals, fibula and tibia (Sheikh et al., 2013).
The main reasons include: improper bowling technique; long spells with repetitive movements and excessive training. Spin bowlers, on the other hand, are subjected to splitting or wearing injuries caused by the seam of the ball (Sheikh et al., 2013).
Batsmen and fielders are at an increased risk of impact injuries caused by the incoming ball. These may include: fractures; soft tissue injuries as well as orbital injuries. Splenic ruptures have also been reported due to impact of the cricket ball or due to collision with the advertisement billboards traditionally placed at the boundary (Sheikh et al., 2013).
Batsmen and close-in fielders, such as the wicketkeeper, are also vulnerable to rebound injuries caused as a result of visual inadequacies leading to inappropriate evasive action. In addition, batsmen may also be subjected to muscle tears and strains; whereas wicketkeepers may also experience osteoarthritic changes in the knees due to repetitive squatting (Sheikh et al., 2013).
Across both cricket types (white ball and red ball), bowling resulted in the most seasonal days lost and highest injury severity; with the lumbar spine the body region with the most seasonal days lost from bowling (Goggins, Williams, Griffin, Langley, Newman & Peirce, 2024).
Injury incidence was higher in white ball compared to red ball cricket (per unit of time), with bowling (and its various phases) the most frequently occurring mechanism in both cricket types (white ball: 67.0 injuries per 1 000 days of play; red ball: 32.4 injuries per 1 000 days of play (Goggins, Williams, Griffin, Langley, Newman & Peirce, 2024).
When bowling, the abdomen and thigh were the body regions most injured from white (13.4 injuries per 1 000 days of play) and red ball (6.4 injuries per 1 000 days of play cricket, respectively). Overall, clear differences emerged in the nature and mechanism of injuries between red ball cricket and white ball cricket (Goggins et al., 2024).
Bowling presents the highest injury risk (across both cricket types), as well as highlighting the increased risk of injuries from diving during fielding and running between the wickets when batting, in shorter white ball cricket (Goggins et al., 2024).
With these potential hazards, there are precautions available. Suggestions include: knowing and using the right techniques for bowling, batting and catching; get your coach to teach you the proper sliding stop technique; if you are a pace bowler, you should restrict the number of overs bowled during play; taking into account your physical maturity and fitness and know how to use the equipment properly and safely (Better Health, no date).
Suggestions to prevent injuries include: wear a hat and use sunscreen; drink water before, during and after play; don’t play in extreme heat or wet conditions; where possible, games should be rescheduled; make sure everyone, including coaches, players and parents are aware of the symptoms of heat-related illness; check that qualified first aid personnel, first aid kits, icepacks and a stretcher are available at all times and check that telephone access to contact emergency services is available (Better Health, no date).
If you or someone else is injured: remove injured or bleeding players from the ground immediately; seek prompt attention from qualified first aid personnel; make sure you are fully rehabilitated before returning to play and wear a brace for at least three months after serious joint injuries (Better Health, no date).
Major cricket teams hire professional experts such as batting, fielding and bowling coaches to guide the players on injury prevention. In addition, professional cricketers participate in training sessions and warm-up exercises before the match. During the match, batsmen and close-in fielders wear protective clothing such as gloves, helmets, pads and guards in order to prevent impact injuries. Each cricket match has drinks and lunch breaks at regular intervals, which help prevent dehydration and hypoglycemia. Most cricket teams also have a physiotherapist, who provides rehabilitation services in the event of an injury. A psychologist also often accompanies the team (Sheikh et al., 2013).
While cricket may be entertaining to watch and play, the dangers still exist. Players may still get hurt while playing. It's therefore vital to have health professionals at hand in case an emergency arises. There are clear ways to prevent this from happening. Every cricketer should adhere to the preventitive measures mentioned above and any outside advice given to them.
On a final note, I have to disagree with the media response to Tony Greig and his decision making ability. I suffer from epilepsy and I don't allow my diagnosis to govern how I behave or think. It, in no way, affects my personality and way of life. There are certain things that I won't do to protect myself from having a potential seizure. My epilepsy is a mere side note in my life.
Reference List
Ali, S.A., Ali, S, Ahmed, S.S., Saleem, A & Sheikh A. (2013) 'Health consequences of cricket - view from South Asia'. Int Arch Med., 6(1), pp. 6-30. Available at: doi: 10.1186/1755-7682.
Better Health. (No date). Cricket - preventing injury. Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/cricket-preventing-injury (Accessed: 25 March 2025)
Goggins, L., Griffin, S., Langley, B., Newman, D., Peirce, N. & Williams, S. (2024) 'English and Welsh men's domestic cricket injury risk by activity and cricket type: A retrospective cohort study from 2010 to 2019'. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 27(1), pp. 25-29.