Reports | NCA in Bengaluru to focus on virtual physiotherapy

Taking no chances, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) left no stone unturned in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) they released on Sunday, in which they made it clear that they valued and prioritized the health and safety of the players and staff over everything. The 100-page SOP list released by the BCCI allowed the reopening of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for the first time since March, and allowed state sides to hold outdoor training camps, but the list made it clear that the state associations would have to strictly adhere to the protocols.

Along those lines, it is being reported now that the NCA has already devised plans to implement remote physiotherapy and strength and conditioning which will help players recovering from injuries. According to a TOI report, it is believed that the players who are returning to the NCA, will have to first “answer fitness questionnaires and undergo tests within two-four weeks of resuming formal physical training before moving on to full-fledged cricket training.” This, the publication said, was mentioned in a separate SOP that was released by the NCA itself. 

The report also added that each and every player will have to fill detailed forms about their fitness upon resumption. According to the new SOP, a player feeling any discomfort upon resumption will be made to get in touch with the NCA physio via video call, in which the state physio can also join in, after which the physio will share a rehab program to the player via e-mail and track progress through video calls. 

The players, at any point, will also speculatively be classified into two categories - trained and detrained. The report added that, “'Trained' cricketers are those who have followed a routine from professionals and 'detrained' ones will be given a fresh routine to follow before the fitness tests.”

The reason for the heavy focus on virtual physiotherapy, as revealed by a source, is to stop the NCA from being overcrowded, as apart from age-group cricketers, the academy also has a plethora of senior cricketers, especially those injured, turning up on a daily basis. On top of this, the academy, at times, also oversees National training camps.