'I can't change my body structure. Everybody is not going to be slim' - article on overweight cricketers

[vvvslaxman]

https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1352875/is-cricket-fat-shaming-big-players-azam-khan-rahkeem-cornwall-and-others-talk-about-their-experiences

 

This is a fantastic piece of writing.  This is written from the perspective of over-weight players.

[LordPrabhzy]

People will always judge me because my father has played for Pakistan but it's not my fault I was born at his house," says Azam, now 24. "But after I got my chance in the PSL, people criticised me because I was overweight and said my body is not suited for the elite game [level] of cricket.

 

 No its not.... seriously in the name of body positivity why are we allowing unfit overweight people to play elite sports? The definition of a sports player is an 'athlete'- no wonder cricket isnt taken seriously anywhere.  Professional footballers playing for elite clubs and countries aren't fat or overweight, neither are hockey or NBA players. If you get paid millions then you have the moral responsibility to ensure you represent an athlete image and same goes for our vada pav captain

[vvvslaxman]

12 minutes ago, LordPrabhzy said:

People will always judge me because my father has played for Pakistan but it's not my fault I was born at his house," says Azam, now 24. "But after I got my chance in the PSL, people criticised me because I was overweight and said my body is not suited for the elite game [level] of cricket.

 

 No its not.... seriously in the name of body positivity why are we allowing unfit overweight people to play elite sports? The definition of a sports player is an 'athlete'- no wonder cricket isnt taken seriously anywhere.  Professional footballers playing for elite clubs and countries aren't fat or overweight, neither are hockey or NBA players. If you get paid millions then you have the moral responsibility to ensure you represent an athlete image and same goes for our vada pav captain

 

Pant himself is an overweight guy. But i doubt we will drop him based on that.  If we strictly talk about athleticism  Kohli, Iyer, Jadeja can qualify as ahtletes. Pandya only looks athletic. But no real flexibility. Rest have to improve.  Guys like Sundar have scopre for improvement. But people like Chahal are never going to improve.

[LordPrabhzy]

11 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

 

Pant himself is an overweight guy. But i doubt we will drop him based on that.  If we strictly talk about athleticism  Kohli, Iyer, Jadeja can qualify as ahtletes. Pandya only looks athletic. But no real flexibility. Rest have to improve.  Guys like Sundar have scopre for improvement. But people like Chahal are never going to improve.

Pant can run as fast as Kohli... dont lump him in the same bracket as Azam or Rakheem.. hes not obese with fat overflowing from him. Yes he needs to become a bit leaner but he has the power in his arms to hit the ball yet also be athletic in the field.

[bowl_out]

1 minute ago, LordPrabhzy said:

Pant can run as fast as Kohli... dont lump him in the same bracket as Azam or Rakheem.. hes not obese with fat overflowing from him. Yes he needs to become a bit leaner but he has the power in his arms to hit the ball yet also be athletic in the field.

 

Plus he is a wicketkeeper who wouldn't have to run in the outfield to take catches or save boundaries.

[vvvslaxman]

Just now, LordPrabhzy said:

Pant can run as fast as Kohli... dont lump him in the same bracket as Azam or Rakheem.. hes not obese with fat overflowing from him. Yes he needs to become a bit leaner but he has the power in his arms to hit the ball yet also be athletic in the field.

 

But he did gain a lot of weight. In his most recent matches he declined a few possible twos. By text book standard he is not that fit.  So is Rohit who moves slow. Atleast he has the excuse of age. But Sarfraz is under scrutiny for the exact same reason.

[BacktoCricaddict]

Good article.

 

This is a nuanced topic.  No one is demanding that cricketers have the fitness of a LeBron James.  At the same time, there is a minimum level of fitness required to be a consistent performer and allow you to be at your best for long periods of time without getting tired.  Reading what guys like Cornwall and Azam are saying, it seems like they just see themselves as "batsman" or "bowler" and not as a fielder, runner between wickets etc. 

 

In the case of Pant, there is no doubt that he is an explosive athlete (he was a gymnast).  With a bit more attention to fitness, he can stretch his GOAT-level performance for many years.

[vvvslaxman]

3 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

Good article.

 

This is a nuanced topic.  No one is demanding that cricketers have the fitness of a LeBron James.  At the same time, there is a minimum level of fitness required to be a consistent performer and allow you to be at your best for long periods of time without getting tired.  Reading what guys like Cornwall and Azam are saying, it seems like they just see themselves as "batsman" or "bowler" and not as a fielder, runner between wickets etc. 

 

In the case of Pant, there is no doubt that he is an explosive athlete (he was a gymnast).  With a bit more attention to fitness, he can stretch his GOAT-level performance for many years.

 

Pant has absolutely no other options but to lose weight now. Force of nature. Because having a lean upper body is essential to keep his knee issues in control. 

[BacktoCricaddict]

1 hour ago, vvvslaxman said:

 

Pant has absolutely no other options but to lose weight now. Force of nature. Because having a lean upper body is essential to keep his knee issues in control. 

 

He is at a cross-roads in his career.  Hoping fervently that he has a good support system to keep him motivated - along with the best, cutting-edge medical, rehab and dietician staff. 

[vvvslaxman]

27 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

 

He is at a cross-roads in his career.  Hoping fervently that he has a good support system to keep him motivated - along with the best, cutting-edge medical, rehab and dietician staff. 

 

This year was going to be one of the most important year in his career to further his legacy as a critker. Potential WTC final,  World cup in India. No telling when India will host its next world cup. By the time they do he will be in his mid 30s. Massive loss for India and him personally. Hope that  doesn't let him down.

[cricketfan28]

when all things are equal  fit players will have the advantage, so one should try to better themselves in this aspect as well, if they can(mostly can).

[Mesky99]

11 hours ago, vvvslaxman said:

 

Pant himself is an overweight guy. But i doubt we will drop him based on that.  If we strictly talk about athleticism  Kohli, Iyer, Jadeja can qualify as ahtletes. Pandya only looks athletic. But no real flexibility. Rest have to improve.  Guys like Sundar have scopre for improvement. But people like Chahal are never going to improve.

Why do we need athletic guys in a game of cricket? The most agile and flexible was nehra but a rubbish fielder, raina was fat but quite athletic, either drop all overweight players now and have the same parameter for all.

[vvvslaxman]

2 hours ago, Mesky99 said:

Why do we need athletic guys in a game of cricket? The most agile and flexible was nehra but a rubbish fielder, raina was fat but quite athletic, either drop all overweight players now and have the same parameter for all.

 

Rejecting players purely based on weight will give us six pack useless players.  There has to be some cricket level fitness test. This guy plays for long hours. So  batting fitness is there 100%. 

[MK55]

Unless you are some extraordinary talent, players should be good at their primary skill (batting/bowling) AND fit/athletic.