How fast bowlers can give shoulder overload the big send-off

The UK is gripped by cricket fever.

With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup underway and England’s men taking on New Zealand, India and Pakistan this summer, it’s shaping up to be one to remember.

When there is such excitement around a sport, it follows that more people will take it up. Unfortunately, cricket is no different to any other code in that injuries are frequent.

One of the most common is shoulder overload – a condition fast bowlers know all too well.

Ultra Sports Clinic senior physiotherapist Will Oostenbroek explains that fast bowling puts the shoulder through one of the most demanding movements in sport.

“From the high-cocked position at the top of the delivery stride to ball release, the muscles around the joint have to decelerate the arm at an extraordinary rate,” Will says.

The problem is that the modern cricket calendar, particularly for professionals playing at international level and in T20 leagues around the world, doesn’t offer players adequate time to recover. “[Women’s World Cup] players who've been in high-volume training blocks without proper rest built in are in their highest-risk window.”

Shoulder overload tends to manifest as soreness that hasn’t cleared 24 hours after a heavy bowling session, a drop in pace or subtle change in bowling action, aching at the back of the shoulder as a bowler follows through, or severe pain while at rest.

Younger seamers between the ages of 13 and 18 are at even greater risk since the growth plates around the shoulder are still developing. They also tend to be reluctant to report the pain for fear of being called “soft” or dropped from the side.

Will says workload monitoring should occur at every level of the game, not only in the international and first-class arena where sports scientists track loads carefully.

“Most shoulder injuries don't happen at the top. They develop over years of poorly monitored junior cricket and players often arrive on the elite pathway already carrying accumulated damage. A simple over-count log and basic awareness of load spikes would make a genuine difference if it were used consistently.” 

The biggest mistake that bowlers make is returning too soon after injury because they might be “feeling better”.

According to Will, effective rehab moves through clear phases:

• Settle the pain, restore range of motion, and identify what's actually injured.

• Progressive, targeted strengthening (rotator cuff and scapular stability in particular), with attention to any strength asymmetry between internal and external rotation.

• A staged return to bowling, starting with short spells off a reduced run-up, with pace reintroduced gradually before returning to full competitive loads.

He says progression between stages should be based on objective measures, strength benchmarks, pain-free loading and mechanics.

The psychological side is also easy to underestimate. “A bowler who's been out for several months will push to return faster than the tissues can tolerate. Part of the job is helping manage those expectations while rebuilding genuine confidence in the shoulder through a process that gives real, progressive evidence it can handle load again.