ABSTRACT
Until recently, cricket had not been the focus of much applied scientific research. The advent of a new form of the game (Twenty20) and rule changes (e.g. powerplays for both batting and bowling sides in one-day games) have brought an increased demand for knowledge about the game activities and physiological strain experienced by players in all forms of the game. By understanding better the game demands placed upon batsmen, bowlers (fast and spin) and fielders (wicketkeepers and infielders/outfielders) in Test/first-class, one-day and Twenty20 matches, the training and preparation of players to compete in the various forms of the game, and their ability to recover appropriately between matches, should be improved. In the shorter forms of the game, some statistical research from recent World Cups has also examined team performance and provided some potential strategic and tactical information which may relate to success within Twenty20 and one-day cricket matches. Notwithstanding the physiological demands of the different game formats, cricketers must often compete in hot and humid climates, usually without sufficient time for natural heat acclimatisation. Not only can these conditions affect the physical performance of players, but the concentration and anticipation necessary for the skills of batting, bowling and fielding can also be negatively affected. These skills have also been recently investigated, employing new technology such as instrumented bats, visual occlusion goggles and video projection.
