Are Modern West Indian Players More Injury-Prone Than Their Historical Counterparts?

Whether it’s the sight of Obed McCoy clutching his side, Andre Russell nursing chronic knee troubles, or Evin Lewis missing yet another tour for fitness reasons, the narrative has taken root: Modern West Indies players are as brittle as stale macaroni.

Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Andre Russell, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, Keemo Paul, Obed McCoy… The list goes on. I cannot be the only one looking at those names and wondering why West Indies players are suddenly so injury-prone. When was the last time we fielded a full-strength team in any format?

This is a perception, but is it rooted in fact? Are today’s West Indies cricketers genuinely more injury-prone than their legendary predecessors, or are a confluence of modern factors distorting our view?

I want to explore the historical context, medical realities, and systemic issues surrounding player injuries in West Indies cricket to answer the following questions:

1. Are modern players really more injury-prone?

2. If so, then why?

3. If we know why, can we fix it?

I should preface this piece by saying I am not a medical expert. Nor am I educated in sport biomechanics. My degree only vaguely touches upon health, so I will try not to present any medical misinformation, but I ask for forgiveness if anything slips through the cracks.

Golden Era Toughness

Much has been written, said, and sung about the ‘golden era’ of West Indies cricket, typically considered to be the 20-year period between 1970 and 1990. I will focus on this era because of the legacy that accompanies it. The way these men were described to me made them seem invincible, like real-life superheroes. Their auras were that of the boxer and seldom the boxed.

But, from what I’ve read, although fast bowlers like Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Malcolm Marshall terrorised batting line-ups, beneath the veneer of dominance, injuries did exist.

So, what separates the injury record of Keemo Paul from that of Michael Holding?

One of the key differences appears to be in how injuries were perceived and dealt with during Holding’s era. Sports medicine, for example, was extremely rudimentary by modern standards, which meant that niggles and injuries were often neglected, misdiagnosed, or overlooked. Players were expected to play through pain, and the zeitgeist glorified stoicism in the face of adversity and injuries, especially minor ones like strains and soreness, which were seen as little more than a hurdle to overcome, rather than a condition to be managed.

Michael Holding’s chronic back pain, Malcolm Marshall playing with a broken hand, and Clive Lloyd’s hamstring issues are well-documented, yet were often downplayed in media narratives of the time. These players, above all, needed to serve the game and the series in front of them. The idea seemed to be that you can rest and recover afterwards, and, to an extent, that was the case. Due to a less congested cricketing calendar, there genuinely was more downtime between tours, giving players time to recover after games.

The Modern Landscape: More Cricket, More Strain

Cut to the modern era and the cricketing world is vastly different. With the introduction of shorter formats like T20 and even T10, organisers are scheduling a busier cricket calendar than ever before.

Modern cricketers, especially from the Caribbean, face an unrelenting scheduling issue. Beyond their international commitments, players tend to participate in global franchise leagues, like the IPL, PSL, CPL, MLC, BBC, SA20, BPL, GSL and BBL. One of those isn’t a real franchise league, but you probably didn’t notice that until just now.

The cricketing calendar for 2025 only exemplifies this point. Let’s look at the schedule for someone like Shai Hope, for instance. As the ODI and T20I captain, he will be playing every West Indies game in those formats on top of his choice of franchises. What does his schedule look like?

21st - 25th May: 3 ODIs vs Ireland

29th May - 3rd June: 3 ODIs vs England

6th - 10th June: 3 T20Is vs England

12th - 15th June: 3 T20Is vs Ireland

25th June - 17th July: 3 tests vs Australia

20th - 28th July: 5 T20Is vs Australia

31st July - 3rd August: 3 T20Is vs Pakistan

8th - 15th August: 3 ODIs vs Pakistan

In addition, Shai Hope will return to the CPL this year, where he can play up to ten matches, and if his team advances to the play-offs, he faces a further three. And this still does not account for the possibilities of new tours being scheduled between now and the end of the year, or of Hope playing in more leagues outside of the one mentioned. Based on all of these factors, the expectation is that Shai Hope will play between thirty-seven and forty-three games in a five-month period this year, possibly averaging up to two games per week.

Conversely, according to ESPNCricInfo, the West Indies team faced only one international tour in the 1970/1971 season, a five-match test series vs India. The region did see a handful of regional tournaments, but they pale in comparison to the work schedule of modern players.

This cricketing overload leaves little time for rest and rehabilitation, and the physical demands of constantly switching formats undoubtedly takes a toll on the players’ physical health. But for West Indian cricketers, who often rely on franchise contracts for financial stability, opting out is rarely an option.

A 2003-2004 study recorded a match injury incidence of 48.7 per 10,000 player-hours in Tests, and 40.6 in ODIs for West Indies cricketers. These figures reflect a trend of increasing injuries coinciding with intensified playing schedules.

Better Diagnostics and Higher Visibility

Another vital factor amplifying the perception that modern players are more fragile is sports medicine, which has evolved significantly in the past half-century. Our understanding of biomechanics pays attention to every detail of the player, from sore muscles and minor niggles to mental welfare. This new approach often encourages players to withdraw from duty for injuries that might have been ignored or undiagnosed in the past. As our understanding of stress fractures and overuse injuries deepens, every sore thigh and bruised thumb is meticulously documented.

The Elephant in the Room

West Indies’ injury woes are deeply entwined with systemic flaws in the domestic cricket infrastructure.

For too long, the Caribbean has lagged behind the rest of the world when it comes to providing top-tier strength and conditioning facilities. The regional competitions do not match the intensity, professionalism, or medical support systems seen in Australia, England, or India.

This means players transition from under-resourced domestic cricket into the hyper-professional world of international cricket and franchise leagues. The abrupt jump exposes them to injury risks, as their bodies haven’t been adequately prepared to handle the stress load.

Psychological Considerations and Sports Science Neglect

Amidst the cuss and fingers in the chest, one thing we can all agree on is that the Caribbean tends to produce physically gifted athletes. However, there is a strong argument that athletes in the region overemphasise their raw abilities and neglect the proper forms and techniques of the game, aspects which are specifically designed to minimise injury.

Modern fast bowling, in particular, doesn’t just demand speed, it also requires endurance, biomechanical efficiency, and specialised conditioning. Shamar Joseph is a prime example of this phenomenon. He is undoubtedly talented and probably possesses the most raw ability of all the fast bowlers in the region. However, if you watch his series vs Australia, he was doing very little to brace his front leg. His action suggests he learned to bowl without the guidance of an elite coach.

Meanwhile, nations like India and Australia invest heavily in biomechanics labs, physiotherapy programs, and workload management software. The Caribbean, constrained by resources and often mired in administrative inefficiency, has not kept pace.

This gap leaves players susceptible to repetitive strain injuries, stress fractures, and soft-tissue injuries that proper scientific conditioning might have mitigated.

The Franchise Fiasco

West Indian stars are sometimes forced to prioritise short-term gains over long-term health. For many players in the region, franchise cricket is the only way to make a living from the game. However, the interconnectivity of franchise owners across leagues means that once you enter the cycle, you must constantly prove your commitment to the owners in order to be selected for other leagues and future events. These leagues are no longer team vs team, but rather brand vs brand, and this adds significant pressure on the player to jump from league to league, many of which don’t adhere to standard fitness protocols. It also worsens players’ cricketing schedule.

Quick turnarounds between leagues, insufficient recovery time, and lack of centralised fitness oversight contribute to chronic injuries. Andre Russell’s mechanical knees, for example, are a textbook case of overuse injuries aggravated by relentless franchise commitments, compounded by inconsistent injury management.

Cultural Attitudes and Professional Discipline

Another often overlooked factor in this discussion is the cultural shift in the professional discipline. The pure pride of representing the West Indies was enough for cricketers of the Golden Generation to stay fit and in form. The badge was their status symbol, and they had to fit the mould the badge demanded.

In the modern game, however, professional discipline has become inconsistent. Stories of failed fitness tests, neglected fitness programs, and alcohol and fast-food binges in the off-season are not uncommon.

Culture wars between islands can also damage progress. There is a deep-rooted suspicion that small islands sometimes reject plans drafted by larger islands, while Trinidadians might see fit not to support a Guyanese proposal, and Barbadians might try to find some way to incorporate England, so on and so forth. Ultimately, our historical millstones bog down regional conversations and raise hurdles that slow the implementation of changes.

Environmental Factors: Facilities and Training Conditions

Let’s face it, Caribbean cricket grounds, especially at the grassroots level, can be an embarrassment. Subpar gym equipment, poorly maintained pitches, and a lack of indoor training centres greatly exacerbate injury risks. I have even heard reports that players in the region don't like to dive anymore because pitches at the grassroots levels are filled with divots and stones, making diving hazardous, so they are trained not to.

Forcing players to train and play in sub-optimal conditions worsens the risk of injury as it increases susceptibility to soft tissue injuries and overuse problems. It also means that by the time a player enters the international level, they are likely to be nursing several minor injuries that have begun to compound, further worsening once the player is introduced to the much more demanding international arena.

Case Studies: McCoy, Dre Russ, Hetmyer

Although he is an extremely talented left-arm seamer, Obed McCoy has had one of the most stop-start careers of any player in West Indian history, to the point where many people doubt he can even make it through a T20I game series, much less a World Cup or larger tournament. Side strains and back injuries have crippled any prospect of McCoy representing the maroon in the long term. His case highlights the perils of inadequate workload management and the physical toll of franchise hopping.

Andre Russell was once the most fearsome T20 all-rounder in the world, but his chronic knee issues have cast doubts on the tail end of his career. In response, Dre adopted a manage-as-you-go approach, being extremely strategic with exactly which franchises and West Indies tours he shows up for. He can no longer play in as many games as he used to for fear of severely worsening his injuries. Andre Russell serves as the de facto warning of the long-term consequences of overuse without proper rehabilitation.

Shimron Hetmyer, meanwhile, while not injury-plagued in the traditional sense, has suffered fitness-related absences that point to cultural and disciplinary issues in maintaining peak physical condition.

What Needs to Change?

Centralised Fitness Programmes

Ideally, there would be mandatory, year-round strength and conditioning camps to assess the fitness levels of everyone in the player pool. Performance data could also be used to create individualised templates to guide players towards betterment by tailoring their diet and fitness regime to their body’s needs.

Investment in Sport Science

This one goes without saying. Collaborations with global sports science institutions to upgrade biomechanical analysis and injury prevention methodologies would be a heavenly boon. Using this investment to advance research into athlete health, medicine, and biomechanics, especially in under-documented environments like the women’s formats, would go a long way toward regional development.

Franchise and National Team Synergy

Clear protocols should be established to guide each player in managing their franchise and international workload. I am not asking to copy India and ban players from playing in foreign leagues, but some regulations are needed to ensure long-term player health.

Infrastructure Upgrades

Training facilities and grounds across the region need to be modernised and standardised to ensure every player, regardless of island origin, has access to the same quality of development opportunities.

Cultural Reorientation

A concerted effort needs to be made to rewrite the cultural pitfalls and reemphasise the pride and discipline that previous generations felt when representing the West Indies. In an ideal world, fitness is non-negotiable when the West Indies’ reputation is at stake.

Not Fragile, Just Mismanaged

The narrative that modern West Indies cricketers are more injury-prone than their iconic predecessors oversimplifies a complex reality. While today’s players face more rigorous schedules and scrutiny, their struggles stem not from inherent fragility but from a convergence of avoidable factors: overcrowded calendars, inadequate domestic structures, underinvestment in sports science, and cultural complacency towards fitness.

This is not an unsolvable crisis. With strategic investments in infrastructure, modernised player development systems, and a cultural recommitment to excellence, the West Indies can reclaim its legacy, not just as a factory of cricketing brilliance, but as a model for sustainable athlete management.

The heroes of yesteryear endured because they had to. The stars of today deserve to thrive because we planned for it. The opportunity to rewrite this narrative is within reach. For the sake of West Indies cricket, it must be seized.

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Thank you to Steph Jaggassar for her article you can find her on Substack - here

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