Bowling Actions, Injury Epidemic, and the Decline of Pace Bowling

 

This is going to be something of a controversial post as I'm going to start with a statement that a lot of people won't like "There are lots of bad coaches out there who are poorly educated, fast tracked as a "coach" into community cricket which is where many young bowlers learn the basics.

Fast bowling, one of cricket's most demanding skills, has seen a worrying rise in injuries, particularly stress fractures and back problems. Young bowlers are being pushed to deliver results without being taught proper biomechanics. Poor actions, and weak bodies, combined with low intensity, lack of recovery etc. are leading to:

• Long-term injuries: Persistent physical issues like stress fractures are sidelining promising bowlers during critical development phases.
• Reduced career longevity: Many bowlers face recurring injuries, forcing them to retire or change their role early in their careers.
• Months of recovery time: Extended recovery periods not only stall player development but also impact team performance and disrupt the continuity of a bowling unit.

This injury epidemic is having another significant consequence: the decline of pace bowling. The physical demands of bowling fast, combined with improper techniques and insufficient conditioning, are causing many young pacers to abandon speed altogether. Instead, they turn to spin bowling, which, while less taxing on the body, is not always their natural skill set.

The result? A decline in genuine fast bowlers at the grassroots and professional levels. Teams are increasingly fielding fewer players capable of consistently hitting high speeds. This trend not only affects the balance of the game but also limits a team’s ability to exploit conditions favouring pace bowling.

It's time for coaches to revolutionize bowling training, teach biomechanically sound actions from a young age and manage workloads to prevent overuse injuries.

The great fast bowlers have certain things in common. 

1. A good Run Up that is rhythmical, consistent and allows them to gain an optimal amount of momentum ahead of their bowling action.

2. Their head doesn't fall away. If that falls away, the body will follow. Keep your head as straight as possible and focus on your target. 

3. Their back leg powers through after delivery. If your head remains as upright as possible, then the rest of your body, including the back leg, will power through and momentum will be behind the ball towards your target."

4. If your front foot isn't pointing down the line of the pitch you are intending to bowl at, it will act as a break in your momentum, slowing you down. This technical flaw will result in your body 'twisting', putting additional pressure on your back and hips, making it a challenge to achieve the consistent accuracy you want. You'll also be more vulnerable to long-term injury.

5. Quick back Foot Contact is essential to transfer the energy through the crease to generate pace for fast bowlers. 

If coaches aren't equipped to identify and rectify these faults what hope have our young fast bowlers got? The four images above are of young bowlers who attend school holiday cricket camps in Perth, they've all played cricket for several years, have coaches yet if I'm being blunt have shocking actions of which two could lead to a back injury if not fixed. At these camps I shoot some footage of each bowler so I can give them feedback on what they need to work on, it becomes a repetitive job of writing on these reports "lack of momentum in the run up, heavy back foot contact which leads to the head falling away through ball release".

Workloads are managed in games yet are strangely overlooked at practice sessions, bowlers are often allowed sometimes forced to bowl for 60/90 mins with no focus on what they are working on. They basically become bowling machines for the batters. Too many coaches turn up and have no session planned, rotate your bowlers, most are good in their first spell but what are they like coming back for the second. At our sessions we have 2/3 of our fast/seam bowlers bowl a 4/5 over spell dependent on age, then go away and do some fielding, the second group bowls the same spell then group 1 come back and bowl their second spell. We then flip them on the second weekly training night so that they all bowl the same number of balls each week. Have a theme for them to focus on (first spell may be top of off, second spell death bowling, etc)

Never be afraid to stop a bowler from bowling if you feel there is a danger of injury. Changing an action isn't easy, it's not going to happen overnight but you have a duty of care to stop your bowlers getting injured. Bowling off a short run, with agility poles, cones used as visual cues to iron out the faults is a great way to start

Explain to the parents what you are doing and why. Some can be difficult but be clear and firm that the course of action that you are prescribing (remodeling of action, no bowling, reduced workload, etc.) is in the best interests of the player.

We also need to focus more on the Strength and Conditioning side of fast bowling. So many young cricketers today are bad movers because they spend so much time sat down looking at mobile phone screens, game consoles etc. We all run but how many of us have actually had any running coaching which teaches us to move properly? Very few I'd be happy to wager. Spend some time learning about the different running styles/gaits and you'll be amazed how quickly you can start pointing out simple tips to your players.

A genuine fast bowler is a rare commodity, treat them well and they'll win you lots of games, bowl them into the ground and they'll soon become just another medium pacer.