You can be sure Derek Shackleton didn't do much weight training or running. He just went out and bowled 1300 overs in the 1966 summer.

1300!

This is the basis many ex-players work on when they argue that the only way to get match fit is to play cricket.

Does sport science agree with the pundits?

Cricket Specificity

One of the core principles of training is to get better at a particular exercise or skill, you must perform that exercise or skill.

This is great news for the cricketer.

Not only should you play cricket as much as you can, but your practice and training needs to reflect the movements of cricket as closely as possible.

That doesn't mean following the 1960s methods though.

Modern gym and training equipment allow you to develop specifically and still have greater strength, power and speed than Derek could ever muster (relatively speaking).

You just need to know how to do it right so you don't waste any time.

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