Not in the fitness of things

Faisal Shariff

Tomorrow, the second of June, Andrew Leipus will experience marital bliss. The Indian team physio of Australian-origin will wed Sue, a South African, and then cut short his celebrations to join the side currently battling in Zimbabwe.

So much so for celebrations; now for the serious tad.

In early February this year, when the Indian conditioning camp was on, I learnt from a couple of players that Leipus hadn't been paid by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for his services. Leipus is your quintessential nice guy, unwilling to get into a slanging match, disinclined to controversy. As such, he flatly refuses to touch the subject.

Soon, it was another conditioning camp, another chance to speak to the players and officials.

"He's getting married and those f*&^%$ haven't paid him yet," screamed a player, not so senior.

So, there we go again. Leipus had his bags packed, and was all set to fly to Johannesburg.

"There are times when he has had no liquid cash with him and it was very embarrassing for him to ask us," complained another player.

As a matter of fact, at the last camp, Leipus bought rolls and other bandages with his personal savings. So did coach John Wright, who bought mitts and other equipment for coaching, and didn't bother about passing on the bills to the BCCI.

Board officials are immediately paid their allowances for attending meetings. Entertainment allowances and travel allowances are reimbursed with lightning speed, but coaches, physios and players are made to grovel and beg for their rightful reimbursements.

Following up on the fitness levels of the team, the results bring a smile on John Wright's face, chuckles Leipus.

"There has been a remarkable improvement in the averages of the players' fitness levels. The fitter though haven't done great. Those who fared badly last time have pushed harder this time."

On the subject of fitness, it must be said that yoga has found a new student. Leipus believes that it leads to functional flexibility.

"Yoga is a training programme in itself. It stretches the muscles naturally and strengthens them, thus preventing injuries. Yoga reiterates the fact that everything that you do is active. It requires balance and body awareness, which are the core elements. I'm learning yoga myself. It helps a lot in breathing."

The board had appointed a sports psychologist, Ganesh, who also worked closely with the Tamil Nadu cricket squad. This time though he was missing from the camp. Why?

Said Leipus: "One or two of the guys are still in touch with him but I reckon that it will take a specialist to do the job. It is important to find the right person. It makes all the difference between a world champion and a runner-up. The guys need to trust and respect him.

"I think John [Wright] is doing a great job at that right now. He inspires them to work at different levels. He has introduced competitions in training sessions and that has fetched rewards."

And, what about the fitness of the fast bowlers in Zimbabwe?

"Not as good as we would have liked," said Leipus. "Zaheer, however, has improved a lot and takes a lot of interest in his fitness sessions. Ajit Agarkar has also come back but, overall, the fitness levels of the pacers isn't as desired by John and me."

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