Injuries to elite male cricketers in Australia over a 10-year period.

This study analyses injuries occurring to Australian male cricketers at the state and national levels over 10 years using recently published international definitions of injury. Data was collected retrospectively for 3 years and then prospectively over the final 7 years. Injury incidence has stayed at a fairly constant level over the 10 years. Injury prevalence has gradually increased over the 10-year period but fell in season 2004-2005. Increasing match scheduling over the 10-year period has probably contributed to the increasing injury prevalence. Fast bowlers miss, through injury, about 16% of all potential playing time, whereas the prevalence rate for all other positions is less than 5%. Some match and schedule-related risks for bowling injury have been noted, including a greater risk of injury in the second innings of first class matches (compared to the first innings), a greater risk of injury in the second game of back-to-back matches and an increased risk of injury in the rare situation of enforcing the follow-on in a test match. The introduction of a boundary rope at all grounds has successfully eliminated the mechanism of injury from collision with fences whilst fielding. Cricket is a much safer sport to play at the elite level for batsmen, fieldsmen, wicketkeepers, and spin bowlers than the football codes, which are the other most popular professional sports in Australia.