Zimbabwe trainer Webster Karimanzira has suggested change in food habit to the Bangladesh cricketers in order to acquire the optimum fitness required for match competition in modern day cricket.
Since the arrival of Zimbabwe in Dhaka last week, Webster has been attracting the cameras for his muscular physique.
Having started as a local fitness trainer, Webster emphasized on the importance for the cricketers to be regular in the gym and maintain a proper food habit with sufficient intake of nutrients.
Mainstream cricketers in Bangladesh have come a long a way in maintaining a proper diet and gym schedule but there is a lot more to be done.
Bangladesh Cricket Board’s sincerity about it has also been a good reason.
The board has recently set benchmark of fitness not only for the national cricketers but also for those in first-class cricket.
There are special cases where leniency is shown towards some cricketers but majority has to now pass level 11 in beep test or else they will not be eligible for selection.
Karimanzira reacts Dhaka Tribune/Md Manik
“Of course they have to spend a sufficient amount of time in the gym and work hard. They have to look at what they eat. It also affects their fitness level. We encourage players to eat clean food. You need to watch the amount of sugar that you take in your body,” Webster told the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Saturday.
“Yes they can spend time working in the gym. They can spend time working on the field, yes, or they can spend time doing some yoga but to me what's most important is nutrition and diet,” the Zimbabwe trainer added.
Eating fruits, low-fat dairy products, vegetables and whole-grain foods both at home and when on away assignment have been significant changes initiated by the Bangladesh cricketers in the last few years.
The cricketers are being able to match gym regime similar to other cricket playing nations but the challenge comes in belonging from the sub-continent where spicy and oily food with heavy amount of carbohydrate is staple.
“Training regime is the same whether it’s in Bangladesh, Zimbabwe or South Africa. You are looking at nutrition diet and from which country they are coming from. Things like speed, agility and explosive kind of work. Bodyweight exercise and more functional kind of training,” said Webster who stressed geographical belonging to play a big role in players’ physicality.
“There are lot of things that contributes to one’s physicality and also genetically. If you look at the guys from India and Bangladesh, they are small guys compared with the guys like Africans, Zimbabweans and the South Africans. These guys are heavily built because of geographic history. Look at the West Indies players like [Chris] Gayle and [Kieron] Pollard - it’s natural in their genes. We as Zimbabwe coming from Africa, we naturally peak as well but not compared to the West Indians,” Webster added.
