Leipus had a training session recently with physiotherapists and fitness trainers who work with Indian cricketers in their respective home towns. He took time off from his busy schedule at the NCA to speak to M D Riti in an exclusive interview.
How fit was the Indian team when you began working with them?
When we began working with them their fitness level was obviously not very high. They were just about fit enough to play the game. But they were not quite up to being world beaters.
What improvement do you notice now?
I think the improvement is in their education, their awareness of the importance of fitness. No longer do they have to be pressed into a programme. They will actually ask for their programmes and do it themselves, of their own volition.
Is enough care being taken over their nutrition when they are back home?
When they are back home, they probably relax their dietary habits somewhat to get a taste of home cooking. You have to admit it's very difficult to be on the road and eating out of hotels the whole time. But, generally, on tours and when they are with the team, we are quite strict about exactly what they are eating.
A major problem, it seems, is that players spend large chunks of time at home when they do not maintain their fitness. How do you combat this?
Every player is given an individual programme before he leaves the team to go home. They have got a programme to follow. The training of physios and trainers at the National Cricket Academy will, hopefully, go a long way towards having a professional where the player lives. He can have similar programmes and be monitored.
Do the players themselves recognise the importance of maintaining good fitness routines now?
They do. We too have minimum expectations; so when they do return to national duty, they are supposed to be at a certain level. That they are aware of. And if they are not fit enough, they do extra when they come back.
I think it is that sports injuries are multifactorial in their presentation. The sheer volume of cricket being played is a factor; so are the environmental conditions, fatigue and, of course, fitness. So I would say it's not just fitness that is a cause, but just one of the things that could contribute to sports injury.
Anything that one can do to prevent this?
We obviously pay a lot of attention to recovery and planning proper practice sessions. We know when the matches are and when the breaks are, and we plan out a programme according to that. We incorporate recovery periods, staring from when a match is finished to the start of the next game. We do things like paying attention to post exercise nutrition, eating proteins immediately after the game to taking care of injured joints, for that matter, knees and shoulders, doing whatever we can at a professional level to minimise these risks.
Have you encountered any attitude problems from our any of our senior or celebrity players, who might never have had to address fitness so seriously before?
Never any attitude problems. That comes down to educating players on the importance of whatever we have tried to do. So the players know what we are trying to do, and the benefit to their future and their career. So obviously they are quite compliant.
Do you think that our younger cricketers, like those now on the 'A' team, will make better players in the future than their seniors because of all this attention being paid to their fitness?
Unquestionably, the NCA is doing a wonderful job of education, installing the basic competence in the gym, teaching them mental and physical exercises. Naturally, by the time the younger cricketers finish their training, when they are in their early twenties, they will be physically better off than either the senior team or the players of yesteryear.
Are you pushing the Indian team hard enough?
Cricketers, worldwide, not just Indian cricketers, are nowhere near realising their physical potential. But that's understandable because they are cricketers first and athletes next. A lot of their time and training is devoted to developing their skills, understandably. They do not have the opportunity to train a lot on physical skills. I am generally pretty happy with where the cricketers are, though. Obviously, we are not complacent; there is a lot of room for improvement.
Do you think it's because of inadequate fitness maintenance that the Indian team has not become world beaters yet?
I don't know whether you can put it down to fitness. Cricket is a funny game; there are a lot of factors involved in victories and losses. Fitness may be one factor.
Is more attention being paid to the technology of fitness and physiotherapy now?
There are always a lot of advancements in science and training methodologies. The Board is very pro-active in this area. We are given whatever tools we need to provide the tools with the best of opportunities and the best environment to improve their fitness and playing ability.
Whom would you describe as the fittest players on our team now?
I don't think it's relevant. I think the public can judge for themselves when they see these guys playing.
Are their varying fitness levels in the team?
Fitness is an odd term to throw around. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.