Effects of 8- week plyometric training on physical fitness and technical skills of domestic cricket players: a randomized clinical trial

Background: Cricket requires a special blend of mental sharpness, technical skill, and physical fitness. Plyometric exercises, known for enhancing explosive power and speed, have gained popularity in cricket training. Objective: to investigate the impact of plyometric exercises on the overall performance of domestic cricket players, considering their demanding physical requirements Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Bestion Cricket Club (Gujrat Sports Complex). The study included n=22 cricket players, a plyometric group (n=11), and a conventional group (n=11) that underwent a training program focusing on upper and lower body exercises. Training sessions occurred three times a week for 60 minutes, with appropriate rest periods. Data was collected at baseline, 2nd week, 4th week, 6th week, and 8th week. Results: The average age is 19.74±1.65 years, BMI is 26.0±13.95 and average sleep duration was 8.48±1.309 hours. Plyometric training led to significant improvements in agility (p=0.04), strength (1RM, p=0.03), flexibility (Sit & Reach, p<0.001), balance (SEBT-L, p=0.04; SEBT-AM, p=0.04), and throw length (p<0.001) among university-level cricketers, with notable gains from the 4th to 8th weeks. Bowling speed increased within the plyometric group (p<0.001), though not significantly between groups (p=0.15). Conventional training showed limited improvements. Overall, plyometric training proved more effective than conventional methods in enhancing cricket-specific fitness. Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that plyometric training enhances the physical fitness components and also has some effect on the technical skills of domestic cricket players as well. Keywords: agility; balance; coordination; endurance; plyometric; physical activity. Clinical trials # NCT06155071