Key movements and skills of wicket-keepers in one day international cricket

Abstract

The wicket-keeper is a specialist position within the fielding unit of cricket; however, this position has not been afforded a great deal of attention in empirical research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the movement and skill demands of wicket-keeping in one day international cricket through video analysis. Television footage of eight games (16 innings) from the 2011 one day international World Cup was analysed using the video analysis package SportsCode. The variables of interest included 7 movement-related activities and 15 skills-related activities from a mean innings of 41 ± 11 overs. Following the crouch action, which is required every ball, the highest average (times per innings) movement activities were the lateral step (78), lateral shuffle (53) and running to the stumps (27). The highest average skill activities were to receive the ball from the field (42), throw underarm (32) and take the ball following the bowler’s delivery (24). The most important skill for a wicket-keeper is the ability to catch the ball, be it with one or both hands, either from an almost stationary position standing close to the batsman, or following an explosive movement such as a dive or sprint. A wicket-keeping specific catching test should reflect this, and include a multitude of catching scenarios. Due to the fact that the wicket-keeper performs repetitive movement in multiple planes, training and movement assessments should take this into account. The findings from this study can assist practitioners in understanding assessment, program and skill development aspects of the wicket-keeper position.