Intent is the key: John Gloster

A lot of the backlash over India’s early exit from World Twenty20 has revolved around the fitness of the players and IPL-related fatigue. John Gloster, former Team India physio, who is now with Rajasthan Royals, talks to DNA about the challenges the T20 tournament is posing. Excerpts:

Has there been a change in attitudes towards fitness in Indian cricket over the last six years that you have been here?
There’s been a great change. For one, the infrastructure in India has developed phenomenally, particularly the stadiums in the country. All of them now have swimming pools and gymnasiums and beautiful outfields that are as good as any in the world, helping physios and trainers to perform their roles far more effectively. The NCA is as good a facility as any in the country. Having said that, the question remains about how it is being utilised. That comes down to the individuals.

Is there a link between the hectic nature of the IPL and does it
affect a team ahead of a big tournament such as the world T20?
I do not think the IPL is naturally fatiguing, it is mentally demanding of course, but as a physio, I know when a bloke needs rest so you take foot off him during the tournament. During the IPL, players are sleeping on soft beds with soft pillows or on flights, so there are a lot of small factors. My job is to make sure every player, at the end of the tournament, is as fit, if not fitter, than at the start. If he’s injured or fatigued, that’s our problem, it’s bad management on our part. And there is increased responsibility on the players as well.

How much communication is there between the franchises and
the national team?
They are given updates. Fortunately, I have a good relationship with Gary (Kirsten) and Nitin (Patel). You generally have an idea of which players are going to play the World Cup so you keep an eye on them and information is given to the governing body about those players. At the end of the day, you want to be playing before a tournament and not sitting around doing nothing.

With the amount of cricket being played, is it possible for players to stay fit all year round?
As I said, you can have the best facilities in the world — which I believe India now have — (but) it comes down to how they’re being utilised and whether you want to utilise them. I believe the cricket board has done a fantastic job in providing the facilities and now it’s up to the individual to make use of that. It’s difficult with the playing schedules for the guys to have free time or relaxation time, but at the end of the day, you’re playing professional sport and everybody’s accountable.

As a physio for an IPL team, isn’t your role restricted to keeping a player fit for 45 days, to patch him up so he can give you another game?
Not at all, because it’s my reputation on the line, one that I have built over many years. I can’t afford to have a cricketer go to the national team and say, ‘I’ve been overworked’ or ‘they just patched my shoulder up when I wasn’t fit’. As I said, it’s my responsibility to make sure players are fit when they finish the IPL.

What about mental fatigue?
That’s far greater factor, especially for young cricketers. Physically, they can rebound quickly, but I believe the things that wear them down are the constant pressure, staying away from family for months at a stretch.

Was it hard dealing with Indian eating habits, the kind of food we eat?
I think you just have to make up for it. There’s a huge variety in diet in India, so it’s easy to not choose the oily stuff. The players have to be more aware. We know (Yusuf and Irfan) Pathans’ mum makes the best biryani in the world and it’s something we’d never miss when we were playing in Baroda. But if your mum is making the best biryani in the world every day, then you need to know when to say no.

The spotlight has been especially harsh on Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma…
Look, there are some individuals who have different body shapes. For me, if I see the intention to train is there, that’s good enough. However, if they’ve got some time off, and there’s a tour coming up and they turn up unfit, then maybe you do have an issue. I’m not talking about anyone in particular here, but for me the intent is more important than the end result.

How receptive are players in general to advice?
A lot of younger guys coming through, their level of enthusiasm is immense. The level of awareness is limited, but they’re very keen to learn new things. When you talk about cricketers playing for the national team, the older you get the more you should be training, the more enthusiastic you should be, the harder you have to work. Alec Stewart always said that each year he got older, his season started one week earlier. Two of the hardest workers in the Indian team during my time were Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid. They knew that they didn’t want to be made to look foolish by the young kids.