The Silent Burden: Shoulder Overuse Injuries in Cricket’s Fast Bowlers

Cricket has always celebrated the raw athleticism of the fast bowler. The sight of a bowler charging in, arm whirling through the air, and ball searing past the bat at 90 miles an hour is one of the sport’s defining images. Yet behind the drama lies a quieter, more insidious story: the toll of shoulder overuse injuries.

Recent research has shown just how widespread the problem is. A 2025 study of professional and semi-professional fast bowlers reported that 35% were experiencing shoulder pain at the time of assessment, and over 50% had suffered symptoms in the previous two years. Many of these athletes demonstrated measurable deficits: reduced internal rotation at the glenohumeral joint, external rotation weakness, and altered scapular mechanics. Together, these issues compromise performance and set the stage for more serious injuries.

Why the Fast Bowler’s Shoulder is at Risk

The mechanics of fast bowling are uniquely demanding. At the point of delivery, the shoulder undergoes extreme external rotation (often beyond 170°) followed by rapid internal rotation and deceleration forces estimated at up to 60–80 Nm. Unlike baseball pitching, where a game involves around 100 throws, cricket demands repeated high-load deliveries across long spells, with bowlers sending down hundreds of overs in a season.

When this intensity is coupled with congested schedules—international tours, domestic leagues, and franchise tournaments—the shoulder is rarely given time to adapt or recover. In younger athletes, early specialisation and high workloads amplify the risk.

The Clinical Picture

The patterns seen in clinic are strikingly consistent:

· Posterior shoulder pain that worsens during or after spells.

· Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) – often >15° loss compared to the non-bowling shoulder.

· Rotator cuff weakness and imbalance, particularly in external rotation.

· Scapular dyskinesia, where the shoulder blade fails to stabilise smoothly during motion.

Left unaddressed, these functional deficits can progress to structural problems such as partial thickness rotator cuff tears, SLAP (superior labrum anterior to posterior) lesions and even bone stress changes in the humeral head.

Prevention Over Cure

The real opportunity lies in prevention:

1. Screening and monitoring – simple goniometric measures of internal rotation, handheld dynamometry for cuff strength, and scapular control tests can flag problems early.

2. Workload management – guidelines already exist for limiting overs in youth cricket, but compliance remains inconsistent. Tracking total weekly bowling load is as important as pitch counts in baseball, which is now the norm.

3. Targeted conditioning – programmes focusing on rotator cuff strength, scapular stabilisation and thoracic mobility have shown promise in reducing symptoms.

4. Education – players and coaches need to recognise that shoulder pain is not simply “part of the job.” Early reporting and rehab make a difference.

Box-Out Feature: Top 5 Tips for Protecting the Fast Bowler’s Shoulder

1. Count the overs, not just the matches – keep a log of weekly bowling load to spot dangerous spikes.

2. Stretch what’s tight, strengthen what’s weak – regular internal rotation stretches and external rotator strengthening reduce imbalance.

3. Train the scapula – simple exercises like wall slides and prone “Y” raises build better shoulder blade control.

4. Don’t ignore pain – persistent soreness is an early warning, not a badge of honour.

5. Prioritise recovery – sleep, nutrition, and structured rest are as vital as nets and gym work.

A Call for Change

The evidence is clear: cricket must take shoulder health as seriously as concussion and lumbar stress fractures. For governing bodies, this means mandated screening and rest policies. For clubs, it means embedding physio and strength-and-conditioning support throughout their pathways. And for clinicians, it means bringing the science onto the field—turning technical concepts like GIRD or scapular dyskinesis into practical interventions athletes can understand.

Conclusion

The fast bowler’s shoulder is both a weapon and a weakness. By shining a light on the problem of overuse injuries—and by adopting proactive measures—we can safeguard the next generation of bowlers. Cricket cannot afford to lose its most thrilling performers to preventable shoulder pain.

References

1. Walter, S. et al. Shoulder function and pain in elite cricket fast bowlers: prevalence and risk factors. J Sci Med Sport. 2025.

2. Mullaney, M. et al. Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit and its relationship to shoulder injuries in overhead athletes. Am J Sports Med. 2010.

3. Kibler, W.B. & Sciascia, A. Current concepts: scapular dyskinesis. Br J Sports Med. 2010.

4. Orchard, J. et al. Injury surveillance in cricket: a review of methods and findings. Sports Med. 2016.