The VelloCricket Journal

Dear American Cricketers, Aged 20’s 30’s 40’s and younger, this is what Peter Della Penna, ( DC) had to say about our national team’s fitness:

“Rating D: The team looked very tired batting second after having to field for 50 overs against Denmark and Nepal. The heat In Malaysia was draining on every team, but a team’s strategy can’t be based on winning the toss to avoid having to field first.

USA looked particularly woeful on the second day of back-to-back matches. The team had a 3-0 record playing after an off day and a 0-3 record playing for the second time in two days. The World Cricket League format is not new to USA, so there shouldn’t have been any surprises about what was expected in regards to the fitness requirements to make it through six matches in eight days.

Just about the only players who looked like the heat didn’t affect them were Nadkarni and Allen. Otherwise, most players struggled whether it was batting, bowling or fielding. USA’s 23 missed chances in the field can be partly attributed to the poor fitness standards. The playing field was level for all teams with regards to the heat, but it looked like USA felt the effects more than most.

S. Hossein Most of the guys has fulltime jobs, and in some states there is only a few months of warm weather

Vello Cricket tho. I agree with you that’s an excuse especially if you aspire to play at the international level

L. Hoops S. Hussein, unfortunately I don’t agree that those excuses are valid anymore. If you want it, you have to make sure you stay fit even if it means jogging on a tread mill during the winter. Players, especially in NY have basically reduced the game to batting and bowling. Once those mediocre standards are tested at a higher level, players become expose and their performances decline.

Vello Cricket well said there Hoops those excuses may work up until U-19 and especially at club level, but to move from ICC Div 3 to Div 2 it will require more commitment and effort than in Div 4

S. Hossein Yep that’s what I am getting to, we need an infrastructure to nurture players, have them play all year round if possible, have camps in sunshine states. And of course it’s up to the players to stay fit at all times.

Vello Cricket well said S. Hossein, sunshine states would be ideal, I am sure we can develop winter programs, sponsors welcome

S. Hossein Until we have players constantly playing 50 matches we will take longer to get better

Vello Cricket Yes your quite right, even Two Day, TWO INNING matches

A. Mohammed I think the USA team is doing well to just go out there a play against teams who are training day in day out. USA performs on just raw talent and we do and average job, just imagine if we trained everyday like the rest of the world.

S. Hossein Nobody said you guys do not do a good job, you guys made us proud; we are just discussing ideas that could further nurture and improve our performance

A Mohammed Our fitness is compared to teams who are training every day. There is “cricket fitness” and then there is “physical fitness”. I think peter should have done a separate grade for each. “Physical fitness” I think we can go head to head with any team.

L. Hoops S. Hossein is right A. Mohammed but you going to have to explain the fitness to me.

S. Hossein A. Mohammed is right, but it’s called “match fitness”

A. Mohammed I can go to the gym every day and become physically fit but if I do not go on a cricket field and do the necessary training such as catching, fielding, bating, bowling that means I am not “match fit”.

L. Hoops You can go to the gym and become physically fit. Going to the cricket field to practice uses your physical fitness to enhance your talents not your cricket fitness. I could be the worst player batting, catching and bowling, however I go out and become super fit; does that mean that now I am fit? but my cricket gets better?

A. Mohammed your cricket will get better if you practice cricket, it all comes down do USA players are not practicing enough? Enough for international scale at least.

L. Hoops I am cricket fit but the reason I did not run in from Mid on to take that catch is because In not physically fit?

B.Thompson Youngsters in High school should join their indoor track teams; they might not win many races but they will be in shape for the spring.

A. Mohammed You think USA is more cricket fit or physically fit

L. Hoops I would replace the word cricket fit in a different way. Talent + physically fit equals cricket fit. (Match Fit)  I would say the US team is a talented bunch that lacks physical fitness (few exceptions); as a result, they are not match fit or cricket fit.

Nyyouth Cricket Central Contracts are the very core to a sports team.

Mark A In USA?

Nyyouth Cricket yes Mark.

Nyyouth Cricket sleep, eat, and breathe cricket

Mark A Any of the test playing nations, but not the associates, they called us Hamburger cricketers.

Nyyouth Cricket so how do they expect the Associates to improve?

Vello Cricket Well said Teacher Rick. Central Contracts, so the players are not distracted by other means of living, Ireland has it, Holland and Scotland play in the county championship where they are playing regular cricket so they would have contracts or something close to. That is the only way. WICB had retainer and in TNT have annual contracts, it provides motivation and stability for the system

Omar W Barbados has contracts to but the 12th and 13th man have a big role to play by after each wicket make sure them there with water and I did not watch the games but the guys had to be flat the guys need to cheer on each other and don’t be tired during the game and at the end you should be tired put in you all every ball