by Mustafa Sohail
(Rawalpindi, Pakistan)
Dear Coach,
I am a fast bowler from Pakistan and I practice 2 to 3 hours daily, but I can’t get my self fit as a bowler. Can you tell me a diet plan to help me?
Hi Mustafa, please go to Greg King’s cricket fitness page to see where you can start with your cricket fitness program.
click this link … Cricket Fitness
You haven’t included your age, so I’m presuming you are a young cricketer. As a safety measure to prevent injury through over bowling / training during the week, my observation is that 2 to 3 hours of training per day is too much for a growing body.
Make sure you give yourself a day off between bowling sessions to allow your body to recover, don’t bowl more than 2 net sessions per week or for more than 30 mins per net session.
Here are some guidelines for help on good cricket nutrition and dietary choices. Thanks to Greg king who provided this general list for both Western and Asian Diets.
Cricket Nutrition And Diet
General Dietary Guidelines For Playing And Training
On match days the following items can be available throughout the day:
Tea/ Coffee/ Green Tea
Fresh fruit (whole and cut) – see training day below
Assorted Dried Fruit (raisins, dried pears, dried apples, dried prunes) and Nuts (almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, walnuts, peanuts, NOT SALTED)
Sandwich Bar (Guidelines):
Whole-wheat, brown and white bread
Tuna
Chicken (sliced)
Marmite/Vegemite
Marmalade and assorted jams
Honey
Peanut Butter
Salad items for sandwiches – sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, sliced onion and lettuce
Cheese – Low fat cheese.
Toaster
Toasted sandwich
Pre and Post Match Meal (Day Games and Day/Night matches)
These meals should consist of the items listed below.
SOUP
Options – clear vegetarian soup, mulligatawny soup, tomato soup, veg sweetcorn, spinach soup, veg minestrone soup, apple and pumpkin soup, leek soup, French onion soup, asparagus soup, Bombay curry soup.
NO CREAM IN ANY OF THE SOUPS
b. TWO SALADS:
ALWAYS PROVIDE ONE PLAIN CUT SALAD – cut cucumber, cut tomato, cut onion, cut carrot, cut beetroot
ONE ADDITIONAL SALAD OPTION – barley and corn kachumber , pineapple and cucumber salad, crunchy vegetarian salad , sweet lime and pepper salad , chickpea salad , sprouts salad.
The following side-dressings – vinegar, balsalmic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil
c. PROVIDE PLAIN STEAMED RICE
d. TWO VEGETARIAN DISHES
Options – Steamed mixed vegetables, Sweet and sour veg.
Preferably use the following vegetables for the mixed vegetables dishes – spinach, carrots, potato, cauliflower, asparagus, brinjal, broccoli, tomato, capsicum, sweetcorn,
USE MINIMAL OIL IN ALL THE VEGETABLE DISHES.
e. TWO NON-VEGETARIAN DISHES:
ONE CONTINENTAL DISH:
From Options – Grilled chicken, Grilled Fish, Stir fried chicken
g. ONE VEGETARIAN PASTA/NOODLES DISH:
h. PLAIN YOGHURT/CURD/DAHI (LOW FAT MILK TO BE USED)
i. BREADS
Sliced Brown, Seed Loaf etc. Also provide bread rolls
j. ONE DESSERT : low fat/low calorie dessert
Options – Fresh mixed fruits, jelly, strawberries, cherries or strawberries, Ice-lollies
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About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.