Not many may be aware that the Indian women’s cricket team which won the World Cup (under-19) championship in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday took an oath long before the championship began not to take bread and sugar.
“An exception was given only when there were celebrations,” said a smiling Shalini, the strength and conditioning coach of the victorious team.
“We have prepared them mentally to be ready to take mostly salads and avoid junk food. And to their credit, the players were equal to the occasion,”she said.
“So, India’s triumph is the end result of months of planning and preparations, both skills-wise and equal emphasis on strength and conditioning,” the 36-year-old Shalini said.
“About 30 girls were called for the camp in Dharamshala and then the filtering process began. But, we made sure everyone is monitored daily from the first day in the camp till the end of the World Cup, whether they were on the field or at home,” she said.
“The average age of the team was 16-17 years and hats off to the support staff for ensuring that these girls are bubbling with enthusiasm and showing great intent right through the journey. We were at times worried about fatigue accumulation but hats off to the girls and the entire team to eliminate that risk,” the former India A opener said.
For someone who has been with the India under-19 team, Shalini “knew the nuances and the kind of efforts needed to get the best out of the team”.
ALSO READ | Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium ready for international cricket, announces PCB
“The best part is the way the workloads have been managed and recovery was spot on day in and day out. We were expecting sourness in muscles as each one of them had played 25 games between November and January. It is no easy task for the players and the support staff,” the articulate trainer said.
Why did she take on the role of trainer? “Passion for fitness, simply. I was not enjoying playing anymore because of selection snubs. So, I stopped playing at 26 and completed some courses in strength and conditioning,” Shalini said. “I realised the importance of work ethics from Mithali [Raj], that was a huge inspiration for me,” she added.
“Right now, I have been with the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for the last three years and that experience is really amazing in doing justice to my job,” she signed off.