Cricketers spend the majority of the spring and summer training, playing and socialising. When the season finishes in September, it can feel unusual to have nothing to do on a Saturday and during the week.
Autumn to spring can feel like an eternity, and for cricket lovers, finding a purpose during this period can be tricky. Fortunately, below we share some ideas as to how you can spend your time during the off-season.
Enjoy the break
The cricket season is intense for players and families alike. Multiple training sessions every week matches on Saturdays and sometimes Sundays – it’s fair to say you might be exhausted when the season finishes.
So, just enjoy the break and have your weekends and weeknights back. Spend time with friends and family, go away on holiday, have lazy Saturdays on the sofa or do anything else you haven’t had the chance to do during the season.
Get in the gym
If you felt you could have been fitter or perhaps you struggled with injury last season, why not use the off-season to rebuild and prepare for next year?
Consistency and planning over the off-season will lead to good results early next Spring, so focus on areas that you want to improve on.
This could be strength and conditioning, flexibility, balance, reflexes, injury prevention and rehabilitation or general cardiovascular fitness. You’ll find plenty of dedicated courses or workout plans for cricketers online if you want some advice.
Sort out your clothing and equipment
The off-season is a good opportunity to sort out your kit bag and potentially find great deals to prepare for next year.
You can benefit from discounts on cricket clothing and equipment over winter when demand is lower and retailers are trying to sell last season’s stock to prepare for Spring.
If you need some gloves, pads, a helmet, whites or a bat – the off-season is a great time to find a bargain. Also use this period to clean out your kit bag, wash your whites and treat your bat if it needs sanding or oiling.
Keep your skills sharp
If you absolutely love the sport and want to keep your skills sharp over the off-season then you can continue training in some form.
This could be exercises or drills at home to keep your hand-eye coordination sharp or using indoor net facilities to keep your arm turning over before winter nets begin.
During the lockdown, cricketers found all sorts of ingenious ways to train or simulate matches at home and this helped a lot of people through tough times – so try some of these again while it’s cold and wet outside!