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Journalism of Courage
Alcohol abuse by some of the South African cricketers was a cause of their poor performance during the recent ICC World Cup in the West Indies, observes Adrian le Roux, the former fitness trainer of the team. “In my opinion, the use of alcohol within the national team is a problem. This does not include all the players, but it does include players who play a vital role within the team,” said Le Roux in the latest issue of The Wisden Cricketer.
Drinking alcohol inside the 72-hour period before a match “would not allow the body to function in its normal capacity … (and would be) a contributing factor to muscle cramping,” he said.
Captain Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers suffered from crippling cramping during World Cup matches and the team came in for criticism after some of them were seen drowning their sorrows in the early hours following a loss to New Zealand.
Le Roux, who resigned, said cramping was the direct result of the use of alchohol. He become increasingly frustrated when some players refused to take seriously his advice of 72-hour “alcohol curfew” before matches.
“Some players are simply not mature and responsible enough,” he claimed. “I felt confident (before the tournament) that, apart from Roger Telemachus, all players in the squad were physically ready for the challenge of a two-month tournament.”
Later in the day, the CSA sent out a message, refuting Le Roux’s claim that he resigned because of alcohol abuse among some of the Proteas. “He stated clearly in his letter of resignation that he was leaving cricket to concentrate on a new career so that he could be with his family in Bloemfontein,” the message said.
