Play your best cricket match yet with Restore Physiotherapy.
We help you get back in the game after an injury.
At Restore, we understand that an injury can keep players off the field for a long time. It is a frustrating experience, but having the right team by your side can help you recover better and reduce further injuries in the long term.
We work with players to understand what contributes to their injuries and address them effectively, whether it’s poor core or lower body strength.
As an experienced sports physiotherapist, Joel Ames brings firsthand experience to the management of cricket injuries. Joel is a former state junior and district-level fast bowler and middle-order batsman who knows what it takes to perform at a high level.
His cricket background gives him a unique ability to connect with players, parents, and coaches to provide expert care and insight into cricket-specific rehabilitation.
Our team of physios have helped all types of cricket players manage their injuries with a tailored plan.
Fast bowlers
Batters
Fielders
With care and expert knowledge, we help cricket players regain their movement and strength after an injury. Here’s an example of how a lower back injury is treated for a fast bowler.
Young cricketers don’t reach full skeletal maturity until around 20 to 23 years of age, making them more susceptible to cricket injuries, particularly bone stress injuries in the lumbar spine. Junior cricketers also often juggle multiple commitments in their school, club, and training, which further increases the physical load on their bodies.
Our team works closely with parents and coaches to guide them on the appropriate bowling loads, training volumes, and deliveries bowled per week, as well as injury prevention for their young players.
Together, we can assess bowling techniques in detail and help coaches understand what contributes to a young player’s injury. Our physio works with coaches and parents to tailor a management plan for young cricketers that includes feedback on biomechanics, pain monitoring, and long-term strategies for load management.
Scenario
A Year 12 student and elite junior athlete came to Restore Physiotherapy with a three-week history of lower back pain that began after returning to cricket training post-Christmas. He was juggling three cricket and three athletics sessions weekly. Our clinical assessment and imaging revealed an incomplete stress fracture in the left vertebra. Unfortunately, this was a serious overuse injury and could be career-threatening if not managed carefully.
Solution
We planned a phased rehabilitation program, starting with six weeks of relative rest, physiotherapy, core activation, and stretching. As the symptoms settled, he started low-impact cardio on a bike, which progressed to core and lower body strength exercises, and eventually to running at 12 weeks, with close monitoring. We also gradually rebuilt bowling loads, from partial run-ups to full intensity, while coordinating with his coach to address technique issues contributing to the injury.
Results
After nine months of carefully structured rehab, the athlete returned to full cricket competition without recurrence of back pain. He successfully resumed cricket while we continued to support him with an ongoing maintenance program targeting strength, flexibility, and load management.
Better mobility starts here. Book an appointment online or contact Restore Physiotherapy to speak to our care team.
Frequently asked questions
Certainly! We develop individualised rehab and prevention plans based on the player’s specific injury, biomechanics, and competitive goals. For example, we may structure a gradual return-to-bowling plan for a lumbar stress injury or design a throwing load management strategy for a fielder with shoulder pain.
Junior cricketers, who are still developing skeletally, are more prone to lumbar stress injuries but tend to avoid the soft tissue strains common in older players.
Amateur players often experience soft tissue injuries, such as calf or hamstring strains, and may carry injuries from other sports or gym sessions that impact their cricket performance. They also participate in multiple sports, which increases their overall injury risk.
Professional cricketers are more likely to suffer overuse injuries, such as knee or ankle pain in fast bowlers or lumbar disc issues in batters. This is due to the high volume and intensity of play.
For pre-season preparation, we focus on correcting muscle imbalances, managing previous injuries, and building a clear return-to-sport plan. This approach is particularly important for multi-sport athletes who have come from a different sport, like football.
After long innings or bowling spells, we will introduce recovery techniques that may include soft tissue treatment, stretching, joint mobilisation, and personalised at-home recovery plans.
Be proactive. We encourage players to practice strength, mobility, and recovery habits early in their cricketing journey. They should also monitor training loads and not ignore persistent pain in their bodies. Even if the problem is minor, getting it assessed allows us to provide targeted strategies that help players return to the game stronger.