Australia’s top sport science and medicine advisers have converged on the Australian Institute of Sport for a biennial cricket conference to continue Australia’s goal to be global leaders in the area of cricket high performance.

As well as cricket’s leaders in this area, the conference will also involve international experts from outside the sport – including from the New Zealand All Blacks and Canterbury Crusaders – to provide wider knowledge and continue to broaden horizons.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland says being a world leader in the sport science and medicine area is crucial in giving Australia a jump on opponents.

‘I firmly believe that best practice sports science will help us achieve a competitive advantage as we strive to be number one in all formats, for both men and women,’ Mr Sutherland said.

‘This conference is a unique and opportune moment where Australian cricket’s high performance experts can pause to review where we are at and our progress over recent times.’

CA’s General Manager Team Performance, Pat Howard, said the conference was timely given it’s been almost a year since the Australian Team Performance Review was handed down.

‘The review highlighted the need for a more coordinated focus on injury management, the role of coaches and the collective use of sports science,’ Mr Howard said.

‘It has been encouraging that some of the changes have coincided with a performance gain. The nature of any performance change or win has to be built on sustainable performances both individually and collectively at national level.’

Australian Cricket Team Head Coach, Mickey Arthur, said it was important that everyone was clear on their role and understood the need to work in one direction with a common goal.

‘With the amount of cricket played these days, it is so very important that we all know our roles within our very elite set up and all are committed to these roles to making Australia the world leader and the benchmark organisation in world cricket,’ Mr Arthur said.

‘Our competitive edge has to be our ability to manage our elite players better than our competitors so that when a major series or ICC event is on the line our major players are mentally and physically ready to perform at their highest capacity.’

The conference opens today with a series of working group discussions before the official conference starts tomorrow with key notes addresses from identities such as New Zealand All Blacks High Performance Manager Don Tricker and Canterbury Crusaders High Performance Leader Steve Lancaster.

Friday will open with a keynote address from Australian Institute of Sport Senior Physiologist, Dr Dave Martin discussing the science and practice of load monitoring.  

The conference concludes on Friday.