Musculoskeletal Problems in Cricket Players in Rawalpindi and Islamabad
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/7yt43456Keywords:
musculoskeletal problems, cricket, shoulder pain, back pain, athletesAbstract
Background: Cricket involves repetitive high-intensity actions that impose significant musculoskeletal (MSK) demands on athletes. These movements predispose players to injuries affecting the shoulder, spine, and upper extremities. While studies in Pakistan have reported injury prevalence in Lahore and Sindh, epidemiological data from Rawalpindi and Islamabad remain scarce despite their vibrant cricketing academies. Objective: To determine the frequency and distribution of musculoskeletal problems among cricket players in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between June 2024 and January 2025 among 278 male cricket players aged 18–32 years with at least one year of playing experience. Participants were recruited from clubs and academies through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a self-structured questionnaire and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed in SPSS v25. Frequencies, percentages, 95% confidence intervals, and chi-square tests were reported. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was secured from all participants. Results: The shoulder was the most frequently affected region, reported by 32.4% of players over the past 12 months, followed by lower back (23.4%) and wrist/hand (20.9%). In the past 7 days, both shoulder and lower back problems were reported by 6.5% of players. Shoulder injuries accounted for the highest rates of activity limitation (20.9%) and physician visits (15.8%). Conclusion: Shoulder and lower back problems represent the greatest MSK burden among Rawalpindi and Islamabad cricketers. These findings highlight the need for preventive physiotherapy, structured conditioning, and workload monitoring strategies to safeguard player health.
References
1. Pardiwala DN, Rao NN, Varshney AV. Injuries in cricket. Sports health. 2018;10(3):217-22.
2. Cai H, Bullock GS, Sanchez-Santos MT, Peirce N, Arden NK, Filbay SR. Joint pain and osteoarthritis in former recreational and elite cricketers. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2019;20:1-10.
3. Bodanki C, Krishna YH, Badam VK, Harsha T, Reddy AG. Prevalence of cricket-related musculoskeletal pain among Indian junior club cricketers. International Journal of Research in Orthopaedics. 2020;6(4):744.
4. Jacobs J, Olivier B, Dawood M, Perera NKP. Prevalence and incidence of injuries among female cricket players: a systematic review protocol. JBI evidence synthesis. 2021;19(8):1977-83.
5. Perera NKP, Kountouris A, Kemp JL, Joseph C, Finch CF. The incidence, prevalence, nature, severity and mechanisms of injury in elite female cricketers: a prospective cohort study. Journal of science and medicine in sport. 2019;22(9):1014-20.
6. Hoque MF, Khan AR, Khan MJ. Epidemiology of Sports-related Musculoskeletal Injuries Common in Men’s Domestic Cricket: An Analytical Cross-sectional Study Based on Sports Fields. Journal of Clinical Physiotherapy Research. 2021;6(1):e29.
7. Stretch R. The incidence and nature of injuries in first-league and provincial cricketers. South African Medical Journal. 1993;83(5).
8. Rao MR, Srinivasan TM, Itagi RK. Epidemiology of annual musculoskeletal injuries among male cricket players in India. Indian Journal of Community Health. 2020;32(3):590-3.
9. Sathya P, Parekh RN. Prevalence of musculoskeletal problems in cricket players. International Journal of Health Sciences & Research. 2017;7(8):210-5.
10. Prabhakar S, Raj N. The wicketkeeper and injury. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, Education and Research. 2013;47(2).
11. Kumar P, Singh R, Singh R, Kumar MS. Comparative analysis the physiological variables of all India intervarsity level batsmen’s, pace bowlers, spin bowlers, wicketkeepers and all-rounders men cricketers of India. International Journal of Behavioral Social and Movement Sciences. 2013;2(1):104-17.
12. Ali B, Aslam M, Ahmed I, Hussain R. Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Conditions Among Cricketers in Sindh, Pakistan. THE SPARK" A HEC Recognized Journal". 2023;8(1):81-9.
13. Aziz M, Zeeshan M. Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among cricketers in Lahore, Pakistan. RMJ. 2020.
14. Rahman E, Akter MF, Haque MO, Rahman MH. Common Sports Injuries among Male Cricket Players in Bangladesh. Journal of Current Medical Research and Opinion. 2019;2(11):331-3.
15. Ahmad S, Ullah S, Ibrahimi ZK, Zeb A. FREQUENCY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONG THE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS IN PESHAWAR. Rehman Journal of Health Sciences. 2024;6(1):111-5.
16. Krishna V, Noronha T, Pathak AA. Association between core strength and dynamic balance of throwing hand in professional healthy cricket fast bowlers: A cross sectional study. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2024;39:156-61.
17. Tasnim A, Amjad F, Zahra N, Khatoon R, Zafar A, Bashir K. Prevalence Of Musculoskeletal Problems Among Tennis Players In Twin Cities Of Pakistan. Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research. 2024;4(1):858-62.
18. Ejaz R, Farooq MN, Amjad F, Batool R, Khalil H, Tasnim A, et al. Prevalence of Musculo-Skeletal Pain among Badminton Players in Twin Cities of Pakistan: Prevalence of Musculo-Skeletal Pain. THE THERAPIST (Journal of Therapies & Rehabilitation Sciences). 2023:14-8.
19. Bhushan H, Vishwanath S. Prevalance of Muscuioskeletal Disorders in Cricketers. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Health Professions. 2023; 13 (2): 20–26p. Muscuioskeletal Disorders Bhushan H and Sneha Vishwanath STM Journals. 2023:2.
20. Mohammad Rashaduzzaman M, Mohammad Kamrujjaman M, Mohammad Ariful Islam MA, Sharmin Ahmed S, Salauddin Al Azad SA. An experimental analysis of different point specific musculoskeletal pain among selected adolescent-club cricketers in Dhaka city. European Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. 2019(4).
21. Zondo S, Abdullahi Y, Noorbhai H. Highlighting Rural Cricket: Prevalence, Aetiology, and Risk Factors of Injury among Cricket Players in a Community Setting. The Open Sports Sciences Journal. 2023;16(1).
22. Dube A, Gundani MPD, Rastogi S. Musculoskeletal injuries among adolescent cricketers in Zimbabwe. MOJ Sports Med. 2018;2(1):49-52.
23. Kumar S, Kulandaivelan S, Kaur J, Chaturvedi R, Girdhar B, Singh V, et al. One year prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder among cricket Players in Haryana: A retrospective study. Strain. 2015;20:36.
24. Mondam S, Shaik R, Prakash J, Fook JL, Nekkanti S. Surveillance of Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Anthropometric Variables among Four International Cricket Teams Competed in ACC Premier League Malaysia 2014. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Health Care. 2016;8(2):47-51.
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
availability on demand
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Aatiqa Kanwal, Muqaddas Mukhtiar, Qazal Bash Rauf Kiani, Maryam Hameed, Fatima Amjad (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
