Should the Australian cricket team have a doctor on tour?

[injuryupdate]

It may amaze some of you out there, but the Australian cricket team is one of the only high profile sports teams in the country which regularly travels without a doctor. The reason for this is obviously not necessarily financial, as if the Australian netball team can afford to travel with a doctor (which it does), then cricket could. It is part-tradition and partially the unique length of time for which cricketers are away. A doctor is going to spend a lot of time doing nothing on tour, whereas at least the physios can be actively treating players. South Africa have used high profile medico Dr Tim Noakes in the past, although there is no team that routinely travels with a doctor in world cricket. It seems that when important decisions are made (like Brett Lee being sent home from Sri Lanka) that it wouldn't hurt to have the full compliment of experts available to examine him in Sri Lanka, rather than back home in Australia. Is cricket living in the past on this one, or are the players already looked after more than adequately?

[Monica]

I have noticed this with the Australian team for a number of seasons. As you stated, money is clearly not the issue here... so what is? Cricket Australia takes Errol Alcott (physio) and Lucy Frostick (massage therapist) on international tours and games, but no doctor. It has always seemed a little odd to me. There are reports of players being injured on tour and having to be referred to local GPs in the country they are currently in. This, at times, has the potential to be very dangerous. This is a pressing issue - surely, it would be in the best interests of the players and staff to have someone travel with them?!!

[injuryupdate]

The fact that the players have not seemed to have suffered any major harm from lack of a doctor on tour is probably the only reason why this change has not been made. However, cricket has lots of money so it will strike the average person as being a major stuff-up if there is ever a disaster as a result of not having a doctor in the touring party, given that the Australian netball team, all Olympic sports, all football codes etc. wouldn't leave the country without a doctor in tow.

Cricket is a pretty unique sport in that games go on for such a long period. In a football game (over 2 hours) a doctor may be asked a question at the very least half a dozen times, if not required to stitch a laceration or manage a major injury. In cricket, being as slow moving as it is, a doctor may attend the ground for 2-3 six hour days in a row without an injury event occurring. Cricket has probably seen having a doctor in the rooms (as opposed to on call) as an overuse of resources. However, if Shane Warne's shoulder is valued as being worth a few million, it would seem like a good insurance policy to have a doctor accompany it wherever it goes, even as a precautionary measure only.

[Danny]

A very under-rated threat for cricket teams is the lack of a doctor on tour. Remember in cricket there are no substitutions only a 12th man who is only allowed to field. Although injuries may be few and far between it could be a case that having a doctor on site prevents the lose of a player from play for to long, possibly saving a test match or winning a one dayer.

[Monica]

It's very easy to watch on and comment (obviously, through personal experience), but just how pressing is this issue to Cricket Australia? Not prevalent enough to have been acted upon until now... but does its priority change after, for example, a potentially preventable injury, causing a player to miss time in the middle, or the release of new cricketing injury statistics?

[injuryupdate]

I had to add this comment, which came from an international cricketer I spoke to over the last week (I won't reveal his name at this stage).

I was discussing whether international teams should take a doctor with them when they tour and I mentioned, "the argument against taking a doctor is that the doc might do some very important work at a particular time on the tour, but then might spend the next few days or even weeks sitting around doing absolutely nothing..."

...to which the player replied, "How would this be any different from one of the players?!"

Good point.

[Nicholas]

There are not a lot of injuries in cricket but I still think the Australian team should have a doctor on tour.

[sdredmerah]

There are not a lot of injuries in cricket but I still think the Australian team should have a doctor on tour.

I agree. They need a doctor.

[Dbailey]

There are not a lot of injuries in cricket but I still think the Australian team should have a doctor on tour.

disagree - there are a lot of injuries in cricket...

[bazza99]

I had to add this comment, which came from an international cricketer I spoke to over the last week (I won't reveal his name at this stage).

I was discussing whether international teams should take a doctor with them when they tour and I mentioned, "the argument against taking a doctor is that the doc might do some very important work at a particular time on the tour, but then might spend the next few days or even weeks sitting around doing absolutely nothing..."

...to which the player replied, "How would this be any different from one of the players?!"

Good point.


I agree how many times is the 12th man taken on tour(not billy birmingham...i am not sure if he is ever invited) and not played a single game? I can remeber for almost a hwole summer brett lee was almost a team mascot, he never got a spot in the run on side...so a doctor, may not work as hard for his crust as th ephysio on tour, but he will have access to their pre existing conditions & medical records on tour. We all like to have a GP of our own, so if you lived away from home 1/2 the year wouldnt you like your own GP there?

[Mike Davis]

disagree - there are a lot of injuries in cricket...

I agree with your disagree

Ricky Ponting - side injury
Michael Clarke - rib inuury
Brett Lee - ankle injury
Mathew Hayden - foot injury
Andrew Symonds - Bicep injury

That is 5 of Australia's first XI one day side.

Glenn McGrath is always susceptable to an injury on tour (eg Ashes 2005) and any freak accidents could occur (egSteve Waugh and Jason Gillespie collision)

The doctor would be of great benefit on tour due to the injuries we already have, the injuries we may get over in the carribean (where im sure doctors are not at a premium) and to support the physio in rehab for injuries we have and need players to recover from before the all important first game against Scotland.