‘Ice baths are overrated, don’t lift..’: Brett Lee’s advice to Jasprit Bumrah on how to avoid injuries as a fast bowler

Former Australian bowler Brett Lee has posted a video explaining how to prevent injuries, just hours after the Indian cricket board issued an official statement regarding Jasprit Bumrah’s back injury ruling him out of the T20 world cup.

He thinks ice baths are “overrated,” and he advises fast bowlers not to carry hefty weights.

Speaking on YouTube, Lee spoke about how bowlers can avoid injuries and called ice baths ‘overrated’. He also felt that pacers should not lift heavy weights as lean muscle mass is key. “We see lots of bowlers lifting heavy weights like squats, leg press, body weights, bench press, bicep-curls … I want to make it clear gym work is important but if you want to bowl over 150ks, lean-muscle mass is the key. Don’t be lifting heavy weights, it’s slow (arm) action. You need fast-twitch muscles for fast bowling. You have to be able to run, to sprint”, he said.

He then detailed how he resumed his workout regimen after incurring injuries.

“I would do a lot of soft-sand running; it would take impact off my ankle, my knees and my back. I then supplement it by running on the grass and you feel like you are running super quick. Do the hard work on sand and then run on grass,” Lee said.

“Once you are not too bulky, because you have to think too every kilogram you carry extra is the force going through your front foot. When bowlers bowl, they are like two times their body weight. If you weigh 90kilos, it’s like 180 kilos going through their front ankle”, he explained.

“I was 16 times my body weight; and so had six ankle operations but it was also why I bowled fast because of pressure and power. A bit like a Pole vaulter, getting through and over your action.”

Lee also slammed the usage of ice baths for rehabilitation in modern-day cricket. Ice baths are supposed to wash away lactic acid, but the former athlete believes they are ‘rubbish.’

“When it comes to ice Baths, they are overrated. There is no scientific evidence to prove that they work. They are great here in India, or the subcontinent, to drop your core temperature, but if someone out there wants me to show a scientific paper on ice baths if they can prove it they can flush out nitric acid, bring it on. I reckon they are rubbish”, he said.

Lactic acid is considered a slow poison of sort for athletes as it’s a waste product that builds up in the muscles, leading to muscle fatigue, pain, and reduced performance.

He also discussed warm-ups and cool-downs, emphasizing that they should not be done for too long or they would be ineffective. Finally, he emphasized two critical factors: 8 hours of sleep and hydration.

READ| ‘I will only play if Babar Azam wants me to’, says Shoaib Malik on Pakistan T20 World Cup selection