Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part E (2025)

Background: Ankle injuries are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries in cricket, especially in bowlers who undergo high-impact forces during run-ups, delivery stride, and landing. Poor ankle stability, lack of strengthening, and inadequate preventive training contributes to recurrent sprains and chronic instability. Although ankle-strengthening and proprioceptive exercises are known to reduce injury risk, awareness and routine integration among club-level bowlers remain unclear. The present study aimed to assess awareness regarding ankle-strengthening exercises and their role in reducing ankle injury risk among cricket bowlers playing for clubs.

Method: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 234 cricket bowlers aged 18-35 years with a minimum of three years of playing experience. Data were collected using a self-structured questionnaire (online + offline) assessing awareness of ankle injuries, instability, mobility, balance, chronic pain, and integration of ankle-strengthening exercises into regular training routines. Descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentage, were applied for data analysis.

Results: Participants demonstrated strong general awareness of ankle injuries, with 68.9% reporting moderate to high awareness. Similarly, 69.3% showed good awareness of ankle instability and the importance of stability in preventing reinjury. However, awareness of specific advantages of ankle-strengthening exercises such as improved mobility (65.6%), enhanced balance (59.8%), relief from chronic pain (56.8%), and support during rehabilitation or recovery (64.1%) remained only moderate. Notably, just 9.4% of bowlers stated that ankle-strengthening exercises were fully incorporated into their training routines, while 34.62% reported minimal inclusion. Overall, nearly half of the participants fell within the “somewhat to moderately aware” range, indicating a significant gap between awareness and actual practice.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that although cricket bowlers acknowledge the importance of ankle health, their understanding of ankle-strengthening exercises and their routine application remains limited. Lack of structured training, insufficient coaching guidance, and minimal physiotherapy exposure contribute to restricted awareness. Early screening, physiotherapy workshops, and routine inclusion of ankle-strengthening protocols are possible recommended to enhance performance and reduce ankle injury incidence among club-level bowlers.