Pacers should know their body in T20 era: Kapil

Kapil Dev, one of cricket’s greatest all-rounders, is quick to slip in a humorous take on a serious matter.

Speaking about why modern-day fast bowlers tend to get injured so often, and what it takes to stay fit for long periods, Kapil quipped, “My mother is no more. If she were alive, she could have given a few of her recipes to the current fast bowlers!”

After a few laughs, Kapil, who famously never missed a Test in his long career due to injury, returned to serious business.

The 67-year-old explained that pacers should manage their workload, especially in an era when T20 cricket dominates the calendar.

“One should know about one’s own body. There is too much T20 cricket happening, so you have to be careful about the toll it takes on the body.

“Our body is actually not tuned to being a fast bowler. Our body is more tuned to being a batter. The BCCI should look into how much workload can be given to fast bowlers,” Kapil said here on Tuesday.

Kapil was speaking at the launch event of Bengaluru Blasters ahead of the inaugural JITO Premier League.

Domestic matches vital

The former India captain also agreed with the BCCI’s recent insistence that international cricketers play domestic cricket.

“Playing domestic cricket is very important. The reason why Indian teams struggle against spin is because the top players don’t play enough domestic cricket. That’s where the BCCI should put its foot down and make everyone play multi-day matches. The other aspect is that the younger generation will get to learn from the top players,” Kapil said.

India will have to tackle spin effectively to do well in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday, Kapil added.

“In recent times, India has not been the best against spin bowling. They play too many T20s and ODIs. Test matches are a different ball game. I hope they can put their heads together”.