Characteristics of the Sport

Cricket is played between two teams which include players of specialised abilities comprising batsmen, bowlers, all-rounders and a wicket keeper. Games vary in duration, and number of balls bowled, and include Twenty20 fixtures, one day competition (limited overs cricket), and a game played over 4-5 days (test cricket). Cricket is not just a game of skill, but often involves playing in very challenging hot conditions for extended periods. All team members will field and may bat, however only the specialist bowlers and all-rounders may be called on to bowl.

Training

Cricket is primarily a summer sport, with the season spanning October to April in Australia however at the international level, cricketers tour nearly all year round. During the Australian winter, many elite players participate in the cricket tournaments of countries in the northern hemisphere (for example, County Cricket in England or the Indian Premier League).
Professional and elite development cricketers follow a training program throughout the offseason. This includes skill based and fitness training. Weight and aerobic sessions such as running or swimming are also included several times in the training week.

Competition

District cricket is played on weekends and may be in the form of 1 or 2-day fixtures. At the state level, male cricketers play in the Weet Bix Sheffield Shield which involves 4-day matches, the Ford Ranger Cup, which involves 1-day matches and the KFC Twenty20 BigBash which is the inter-state Twenty20 competition. Female cricketers play in the inter-state Women’s National League and also internationally in each of the 3 forms of the game.
The international cricket season in Australia involves one-day fixtures, two test series and a Twenty20 competition. Players may be involved in all types of competition.  However the different skill sets required in each of the forms of cricket increasingly dictates that in international competition players are often specialists in a specific form of the game. Players usually return to play in their state competition when not required for international commitments.
The physical requirements of cricket vary with the format of the match and the player's position in the team. For example, a batsman may bat in the heat all day or may get out on the first ball and sit in the pavilion all day. A bowler could bowl as many as 30 overs in a day’s play, or could sit around for 2 days whilst his teammates bat. Test matches are played during the day (usually 11am - 6pm), and can involve long hours of low intensity activity interspersed with very high intensity activities (running between wickets, running to field a ball, bowling). Limited-over matches are played over 6 hours during the day or night, while Twenty20 matches are played as either day or night fixtures, and usually last approximately 3 hours. Twenty20 cricket is emerging as a game of strength, skill and speed, dominated by short bursts of running.  

Common Nutrition Issues

Training Nutrition

Elite cricketers can have a busy training schedule with multiple sessions throughout the day. The intensity of sessions can range from low to very high. Cricketers therefore need to base their intake on a balance of nutrient-dense foods such as cereals, fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean meat/poultry/fish or vegetarian alternatives.  Food intake needs to be well timed to help with recovery between sessions. Intake may need to be adjusted to match the activity level of each day with extra snacks being included on heavier days.

Body Fat Levels

Unless regular conditioning sessions are included in training, cricket can involve long hours of low intensity activity. Players can often find themselves gaining unwanted body fat if they don’t adjust their energy intake to their energy output on a daily basis. Cricketers wanting to lose body fat need to assess their training load. It may be necessary to undertake some additional aerobic activity in addition to scheduled training sessions. Long-term changes need to be made to food intake. Key areas to target are snack choices and alcohol intake.

Pre-Match Nutrition

Cricketers do not know whether they will be batting or bowling on the first day of a match until approximately 45 minutes prior to start time. Consequently, they need to prepare for a match assuming they will be involved in their capacity on the first day.  Pre-hydration is extremely important to ensure cricketers begin the match in a well hydrated state.

Match Day Nutrition

Cricketers need to stay fuelled and hydrated throughout a game. Ideally, a meal that is based on carbohydrate and includes some protein, vitamins, minerals and small amounts of fat should be consumed before a cricket match. Good choices include cereal, yoghurt, sandwiches, pasta and fruit. The timing of the meal can be difficult; especially when the team bats first and players have no idea when they will be required to participate. Ideally, players should eat 2-4 hours before the match begins and include snacks such as fruit, cereal bars, yoghurt and sandwiches every 1-3 hours whilst waiting to bat.
Test and limited over matches usually include breaks for lunch and tea. Depending on the level of competition, meals may be formally catered, provided by the social club, assembled by asking players to 'bring a plate' or consist of individual packed lunches. The nutritional quality of meals at the elite level is generally good, however occasionally high-fat, lower-carbohydrate foods such as cold cuts, fried foods and cakes can still feature. Ideally, meals consumed during a cricket match should provide carbohydrate to keep blood glucose levels topped up, protein to aid in muscle repair, provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, be low in fat and easy to digest. Good examples include sandwiches and rolls with lean meat, low-fat cheese and salad, homemade pizza, tomato based pasta dishes with lean meat or chicken, fruit salad, yoghurt, fruit and smoothies.
Drink breaks are generally scheduled every hour, however at some lower levels of cricket this could be less frequent. Combating dehydration is an important issue, and cricketers should aim to drink regularly at breaks in order to replace sweat losses. For active players such as batsmen, bowlers (especially fast bowlers) and the wicket keeper, additional drinks may be required and can be provided on the boundary line or brought onto the field by the 12th man at the change of overs or when a batsmen is given out. 
In multi-day games, recovery is a primary concern. At the end of the day, or at the end of an innings players need to replace fluid and electrolytes and consume a snack or meal containing carbohydrate and good quality protein. For players that have undertaken a heavy workload during the game, a meal or snack such as sandwiches with lean meat, poultry or low fat cheese, yoghurt, milk drinks or smoothies  should be consumed in conjunction with fluids such as sports drinks, cordial, juice and water within 30-45 minutes of the completion of the day's play.

Alcohol Intake

Historically alcohol intake has been heavily interwoven into the cricketer's lifestyle. Pleasingly this activity is fast diminishing at an elite level, particularly in the middle of a tournament or during a heavy competition schedule. Alcohol increases urinary fluid loss and can interfere with the recovery of the body's carbohydrate stores and worsen any soft tissue injury. If you plan to have a few drinks post-match, make sure you have adequately rehydrated yourself with fluid and electrolytes and consumed a recovery snack similar to those stated earlier in the fact sheet, before consuming alcohol. Alcohol should definitely be avoided 24 hours pre-match, and will only hinder recovery during a 4 or 5-day match.

This fact sheet is based on AIS / National team athletes and is therefore specific to these athletes. Written by AIS Sports Nutrition, last updated August 2009. © Australian Sports Commission.