How fitness guru Smith inspired Deccan Chargers

Fitness guru Steve Smith's unique boxing regimen helped Gilchrist's men keep fit for the long haul

How fitness guru Smith inspired Deccan Chargers

Fitness guru Steve Smith's unique boxing regimen helped Gilchrist's men keep fit for the long haul

Success in the Indian Premier League does not come easy. The hectic travelling and non-stop games can take a toll on the best of players.

Fitness is key. Deccan Chargers' victory was not only a triumph of their cricket ability but also a result of them maintaining their fitness level and sustaining the pressure throughout the 37-day tournament.

And Chargers' skipper Adam Gilchrist did not miss out on acknowledging his team's fitness guru Steve Smith's contribution in the team's win.

"Twenty20 has a different kind of fitness, intensity and dynamism than Test cricket. It's about high tempo and that's how it is going to be.

If you want to win, you have to have a high-intensity attitude," 56-year-old Smith told MiD DAY yesterday.

He believes one needs innovative fitness regime to keep sharp in T20. His kit includes four pair of boxing gloves as he believes boxing training has tremendous benefits for cricketers.
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And, boxing was an important part of most of the young and experienced players in the Chargers team.

Mind and body

"Boxing was an integral part of our training methods. All-rounder Tirumalsetti Suman loved it, while Andrew Symonds, Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs did it regularly. Suman really took to it. He is fast and you could see his confidence."

"Boxing is about using the mind. When we are physically alert, we are also mentally alert.

"And, boxing trains you to focus and helps you concentrate for long periods without which, you will get belted.
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It's also very useful for developing cardio fitness," said Smith, who was the Australian team's fitness trainer for the 1997 Ashes and South Africa series.

"It's great for your footwork, awareness, agility and confidence. As a batsman, the feet are moving and you are ready to go. In bowling, it helps to control breathing.
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It's brilliant for the older guys short and intense and it takes away a lot of pressure on the knees and the ankle which you feel while running on hard surfaces."

New to Indians

Boxing is a part of fitness training for most teams but it's a new training method for the Indian players. Not all of them were comfortable with it and for the likes of VVS Laxman, Smith worked out a different fitness chart.
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"Rohit Sharma and some other Indian players felt a bit different. But they saw what was happening with the other players and they felt comfortable doing it.

The younger and older ones have really accepted it," said Smith. "Someone like Gilly has an intense 30-40 minute session while for the Indian guys, we had short bursts."

Smith has also been a personal trainer to Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Bruce Reid, Geoff Marsh. Among current players, his trainees include Shaun Marsh and Luke Pomersbach.

With Chargers winning the IPL, the results of Smith's methods are for all to see.

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