Cricketers favour ‘old school’ net practice over high-tech training

Even elite players and coaches still opt for traditional methods, study finds

Professional cricketers appear to prefer traditional training methods, such as practice nets, despite the advantages of digital equipment that can monitor and improve performance, a Deakin University study has found.

Will Vickery, a lecturer in sports coaching at the university’s Melbourne campus, compared the physical and technical demands of 42 male cricketers in different training environments. The study is the first of its kind and involved a Cricket Australia training squad of elite players.