The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has decided to implement a new training method called the Dexa Scan tests to assess the fitness of the 20 players shortlisted for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World cup. The BCCI came up with the idea of Dexa Scan tests in the review meeting conducted on January 01, 2023. From now, a player can only make it to the playing XI if he passes both the Yo-Yo and Dexa Scan tests.
Ramji Srinivasan, India’s 2011 world cup-winning strength & conditioning coach, recommended the Dexa Scan tests. Ramji recommended these tests to the BCCI and NCA due to the players’ workload. The Dexa Tests are a great way to measure bone density, water content, lean muscle and body fat percentage of the players.
What is Dexa?
A Dexa scan is a test that is used to determine bone density. The bone strength of an individual is determined with the help of X-Ray technology. Dexa scan can help identify the possibility of bone fracture at a very early stage.
The bone density is determined with the help of high-energy and low-energy beams that X-Ray emits. These beams are passed through the bone and the emitted X-Rays are measured to determine the bone density. Bone thickness is also an important criterion that is determined through Dexa Scan tests.
The BCCI has opted for the Dexa Scan tests as a few key players are getting injured more often due to not disclosing their niggles. According to Ramji, the ideal fat percentage in the body of a cricketer should be less than 10. However, anything between 10 and 12 can also be considered okay but, borderline okay. For a footballer, it should be ideally between 5 and 8 percent. Less fat results in more muscle mass. More muscle mass directly results in power, strength, agility and less stress on muscles and joints. These factors can prevent knee and back injuries from happening.
The Dexa Scan results will help the trainers prepare a customized diet and training program. For example, the diet and training program of Jasprit Bumrah can be completely different from what Ravindra Jadeja needs.
BCCI’s attention toward players’ fitness comes after India failed to qualify for the finals of 2 major T20 tournaments last year – Asia Cup and World T20. Injuries had a major role in India’s failure in these major events as players like Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah were absent. Their substitutions were rushed into the team but could not produce any major differences. With India hosting the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, the BCCI looks determined to field a fit and experienced team in the quest of bringing home a major ICC trophy after the 2013 Champions Trophy.