'9 hours of sleep': BCCI's to do-list for players!

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is leaving no stone unturned in the Indian team's preparations for the 2023 World Cup, with a major focus on keeping the players fit and injury free.

The Asia Cup-bound players, who returned from the West Indies and were not part of the T20I series in Ireland, were given a 13-day fitness programme, said a report in The Indian Express on Thursday.

The fitness programme, which has been prepared by the National Cricket Academy, had given the Indian cricketers a list of things which they had to follow on their return from the West Indies.

The programme states that each player had to take a certain amount of protein on a daily basis, do gym sessions, walking and running followed by swimming, yoga sessions and massage. Depending on whether one was a bowler or batter, they were advised to do a few fixed drills.

Importantly, the players were advised to get nine hours of sleep daily.

All the top players including Captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj will undergo a complete body test, including blood when they assemble for the Asia Cup preparatory camp at Alur, Bangalore, from Thursday. The NCA trainers will test their fitness and the players who don’t match up to the standards could face some action.

"This is a special programme designed for players as we want them fit for the next two months. The trainer will come to know who has followed the programme and who hasn’t. The team management will then take a call on what to do with players who have not followed their programme," a BCCI official was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

The fitness report of each player will be submitted to the selection committee and the team management before they pick the final 15-member squad for the 2023 World Cup.