How fit are our boys?

Even as BCCI sorts out the captain-and-coach muddle, Team India’s glaring lack of fitness is being swept under the carpet. On the occassion of World Health Day, Speak Up puts the Indian team under the scanner.

Speak Up took this picture to Mumbaikars, for their take on Rahul Dravid’s physique.

Picture shows Dravid isn’t fit enough

Rahul Dravid is one of the finest and the most dependable players in the Indian team. But from the picture, he doesn't seem fit enough. However, he isn’t as big a fitness concern as some of the other players. They have recurring health problems and we have breakdowns on almost every tour.

With the current crop plagued by fitness problems, perhaps it’s time to bring in a fitter bunch of boys to revive India’s fortunes. — Murtaza Patrawala. Bhindi Bazaar

Bellies grow with bank balance

Indian cricketers are clearly overweight. It seems to me the bellies grow in proportion with their bank balance. Somebody needs to inform the BCCI that Team India is full of lazy sportsmen who are good, but are too lazy to put in the effort to become the best. And no, our captain Rahul Dravid is not fat at all. Dravid has been the saviour on several occasions. His marathon innings in Test cricket are ample evidence of his fitness. He is the fittest and the most dependable of all. — Abir Patel.  Wadala

Dravid is the fittest of them all

Cricket is not as physical a sport as football or hockey. There isn't as much non-stop action. The requirement is for a player to be skilled in a specific task. Let's not go crazy and zoom in on trivialties like the paunch of players or the fact that our boys don’t look muscular enough.

Rahul Dravid is the fittest players of our team, though the same can’t be said of Dhoni and Sehwag, who need to go on a diet. — Bhavesh Patel. Charni Road

He’s fit and fine

I agree, the Indian team is getting 'Fatter' day by day. But the fitness of our captain or the players is not the only problem. We can afford to ignore Dravid’s tummy as long as he scores well. But apart from rigorous exercise, the Indian team needs an optimistic approach to the game.

We have lost the winning habit and team seems to be comfortable with the ‘loser’ attitude. They need motivational sessions before each game, apart from proper exercise routines. — Sunil Agarwal. Altamount Road

Does out of shape mean unfit?

• Simply put, fitness is the ability to perform. And Rahul Dravid performs. He is perfectly fit. Within the team, I think Zaheer Khan is unfit. He rarely bends or dives for catches. The team would benefit if the players were more fitness conscious.
  
  But that's not the reason for our poor show at the World Cup. We suffered because of a lack of tactical approach to the game.” — Bharat Ketkar. Founder of Ketkar Aero Gym
  
  
• Cricket  is a sport in which players have to have a lot of stamina to run hard between the wickets. According to me, the Indian cricket team lags behind in stamina and agility. But flab is not the real issue here — you can be thin but still unfit. On the other hand, you can carry a of flab, but can still be fitter. It depends on your stamina levels and the exercise regimen you follow.”— Shital Nahar. Managing Director, Inch By Inch — The Body Temple