IJERSS

Volume 1 | Issue 6

June 2014

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANTHROPOMETRIC

AND MOTOR ABILITIES WITH PERFORMANCE
OF SELECT CRICKET PLAYERS

Krishna Kumar H S
Dr. C. Venkatesh

Research Paper
SPORTS SCIENCE
Keywords: Anthropometric and Motor
Abilities

Assistant Director, Department of Physical Education, University of Mysore

Assistant professor, DOS in Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Mysore

ABSTRACT
In the present study an attempt is made to identify the relationship between anthropometric and motor ability variables with
performance of cricket players. A total of 115 cricket players (Batsmen, Bowlers and Wicket keepers) were selected from the
universities of Karnataka state Mysore, Bangalore, Mangalore, Kuvempu, Jain and Karnatak Universities. They were assessed for
anthropometric variables like Height, Weight, Arm length, Chest girth, Leg length and Arm span and motor abilities like Arm power,
Leg power, Speed, Agility, Abdominal Strength and Endurance adopting standard procedures. Correlation and stepwise multiple
regression analysis were applied to find out the mutual relationship between performance and selected anthropometric and motor
ability variables. Results revealed that performance was linearly and significantly related to anthropometric variables- Height, Weight,
Arm length, Leg length and Arm span. In the case of motor abilities, Performance was linearly and significantly related to Arm
Power, Leg Power, Speed, Agility, Abdominal Strength and Endurance. Lastly, it was found that Speed, Leg Power, Weight and
Agility were the major predictors of the cricket performance.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
studied to gauge a players capabilities by scaling his physical
endeavours. Koley and Yadav, (2009) studied such qualities in
I. INTRODUCTION
university players to find out that, as the players developed
their capabilities, so did their performance as a cricketer. In
Cricket is the game of the world, so to say it has reached the
their study, Kumar et al. (2007) observed that the university
level of popularity almost as much as foot ball in the world;
players of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh province improved
the game has that charisma in it, which people relate to a
themselves more than the beginners, but not upto the standards
dearer level. Cricket in developing and underdeveloped
of elite players (Kumar et al. 2007). The increased stress level
countries has become more or less a home game; it is no
with respect to the increased practice and training period, the
longer addressed overseas as an unfamiliar game. In a country
same aspect has been guessed of being one of the contributing
like India, where Cricket is not a national game, but has
factors to the increased incidents of physical accidents with
acclaimed peoples admiration over the decades and has built
the players. (Davies et al. 2008). According to Iconaru (2010),
itself sturdily among all communities and different age groups.
the motor skills acquired through a variety of training
The Game was actually played over specific seasons around
programmes offered to the players might increase the motor
the year, according to suitable environment and climatic
skills such as aerobic capacity, endurance and muscular
conditions of that specific region. A few decades back; for
strength besides achieving body weight status at the desired
example it was played in winter around Asiatic countries and
level. From the said discussions it is philosophically
in summer over European countries; but now the game is
understood that there may be certain qualities (physical and
being played throughout the year, with least precedence to
motor); which are contributing to the performance in cricket.
climate and region. Hence, the sport began to claim more
But so far scientifically very little, if any, has been done to
matches through the year, which made the players to be bound
establish relationship of these qualities in cricket and certain
to more regular practices and training. The continuous
qualities assumed to be related to the game of cricket
exposure to the game instigated more popularity, and with
(Mathew, 1973). Not many studies are found with regard to
popularity the game invited fresh talents to enter by initiating
the relationship of anthropometric variables, motor abilities
more matches at lower level other than the international
and psychological variables among university cricketers, such
matches. With all such attributes vindicated, the game of
as, Bowlers, Batsmen, and Wicket keepers, hence the
cricket has now become a sport to be appreciated not just to
investigator was interested in undertaking a study to assess the
watch but indeed to play, as there are newer and greater
relationship of anthropometric and motor variables to their
opportunities (singh, 1988). As afore mentioned, as the players
performance among cricketers.
grew, so did the practice and training level, and more exposure
to research and study into the game was required. The study of
anthropometric characteristics is one such study which
appealed; the anthropometric characteristics of a player are

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II. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

Anthropometric Measurements
Anthropometric measurements are dimensions of the structure
of the human body taken at specific sites to give measures of
height, weight, length, girth and width etc.
Motor Ability
Motor ability is the conditional ability of an organism, which
helps to attain high level of sports performance. The factors
encompassed are strength, speed, power, agility and
endurance.
Motor ability has been defined as the present acquired and
innate ability to perform motor skills of a general or
fundamental nature exclusively of highly specialized sports
and gymnastic techniques.
III. METHODOLOGY
In the following paragraphs the selection of subjects, criterion
measures, reliability of data, administration of the tests,
collection of data, design of the study and statistical procedure
used for analyzing the data have been described.
Selection of Subjects
To achieve the purpose of the study the investigator was
selected the male cricket players who have represented
universities in Inter-university cricket competition. The total
number of subjects was 115 selected from the universities of
Karnataka state, that is, from Mysore University, Bangalore
University, Mangalore University, Kuvempu University, Jain
University and Karnataka University.
Selection of variables
The research scholar had gone through the scientific literature
pertaining to the analysis of anthropometric measurements,
motor performance, and psychological variables from
different sources and also consulted the experts in these areas.
Along with the said literature and expert opinion, the
administrative feasibility in terms of availability of
instruments and expertise for measuring and recording of data
were also given due consideration while selecting
anthropometric measurements, motor performance, and
psychological variables. Based on the above mentioned
criteria the following variables were selected. 1)
Anthropometric measurements 2) Motor ability.
IV. SELECTED VARIABLES AND TEST ITEMS

Research Paper
V. CRITERION MEASURES
Anthropometric Variables:
1.
Weight of the subject was recorded in kilograms with
the help of a standard weighing machine.

2.

Standing height was recorded to the nearest half

centimeter with the help of stadiometer.

3.

Girth and Length measurements was recorded in

centimeters with the help of flexible steel tape.
Motor abilities
1. Arm power was measured with the help of two hand
medicine ball throw test. The distance was
recorded to the nearest centimeter.

2.

Leg power was measured with the help of standing

broad jump test. The distance was recorded to
the nearest centimeter.

3.

Speed was measured with the help of 50 meters dash

test and time will be recorded in 1/100th of a
second.

4.

Agility will be measured with the help of 4 x 10

meters shuttle run test and the time taken by the
subject was recorded in 1/100th of a second.

5.

Abdominal Strength was measured with the help of

administering Bent knee sit-ups test. The score
was completed sit-ups in 60 seconds.

6.

Endurance was measured with the help of adopting

600 yards run or walk test. The time was recorded
in Minutes and Seconds
Performance Rating Scale
The Rating Scale was developed according to the opinion and
suggestions of the experts in the field. The following persons
who are in the coaching field in the cricket game namely Mr.
Jaswanth former cricket player and presently Director Royal
Challenge Cricket Academy, Mr. Syed Kirmani former
International Cricket Player and present Ditrector Royal
Challenge Cricket Academy, Mr. P.V. Shashikanth and Mr.
Ananth former Ranaji cricket player, Mr. C.G. Ramesh
Cricket Coach, SAK, Govt. of Karnataka. and Dr. Mansoor
Ahmed Cricket Coach, University of Mysore, were consulted.
After a thorough discussion among the experts the guide and
research scholar the performance rating scale of cricket
players was formulated. The experts suggested to combine
both subjective and objective types of Rating scales to assess
total performance of the cricket players.
Objective performance Rating Scale:
The Cricket players were classified /categorised as Batsman,
Bowler and Wicket Keeper. To assess the performance of each
category of players separate method was adopted.The
performance was assessed for 10 points. Its is explained in the
following Paragraphs.
Batsmen:
To assess the performance of Batsmen the Runs scored in five
matches was recorded and the points for each match was given
according to the following points table.

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Points Table for Batsmen

1 to 25 runs 2 points; 26 to 50 runs 4 points; 51 to 75 runs 6
points; 76 to 100 runs 8 points
100+runs 10 points. The
points were given for Runs scored in each match. The
aggregate was divided by the number of match played by the
subject.(max. 5 matches)
Bowler performance assessment:
In case of Bowlers, performance assessment Only the wickets
taken in five matches was considered. The points table for
bowlers is given below. The scoring method followed for
Bowler was same as in batsmans scoring. The total points was
ten only.
Points Table for Bowlers
1 wicket =2 points ; 2wickets =4 points; 3 wickets =6 points;
4wickets =8 points ; 5+wickets =10 points.
Wicket Keepers Performance Assessment:
In case of wicket keeper performance assessment only the
wickets taken by the wicket keeper is considered and the
points were awarded in the procedure as mentioned below.
Points Table for Wicket Keeper
1 dismissal 2 points; 2 dismissals 4points; 3 dismissals 6
points; 4 dismissals 8 points; 5+ dismissals 10 points
The Final Assessment:
The scores of objective Assessment (max. 10 points)was
added to the subjective assessment (max. 10 points) to arrive
at overall performance (maximum 20 points) and the player
who scored more points was considered to have the better
performance.

Research Paper
Table 2
Pearsons correlation coefficients between motor ability
variables and performance of the selected sample

The motor ability variables were correlated with performance

of the selected samples; it was found that all motor ability
variables correlated significantly and positively.
The
correlation coefficients between performance and Arm Power
(r=-.458; p=.000), performance and Leg Power (r=-.885;
p=.000), performance and Speed (r=.955; p=.000),
performance and Agility (r=.889; p=.000), and performance
and Abdominal Strength (r=.905; p=.000), and performance
and Endurance (r=.928; p=.000), were all found to be linearly
and significantly related to each other. Hence, as the Arm
Power, Leg Power, Speed, Agility, Abdominal Strength and
Endurance increased, performance of the cricketer also
increased linearly and significantly.
Table 3
Results of stepwise multiple regression for performance as a
dependent variable against motor abilities.

VI. RESULTS
Table 1
Pearsons correlation coefficients between anthropometric
variables and performance of the selected sample

When anthropometric variables were correlated with

performance of the selected sample, it was observed that
except for the chest girth, all other anthropometric variables
correlated significantly and positively.
The correlation
coefficients between performance and height (r=.341; p=.000),
performance and weight (r=.317; p=.001), performance and
arm length (r=.209; p=.025), performance and leg length
(r=.378; p=.000), and performance and arm span (r=.308;
p=.001), were all found to be linearly and significantly related
to each other. In other words as the height, weight, arm
length, leg length and arm span increased, performance of the
cricketer also increased linearly and significantly. However,
chest girth was not found to be significantly related to
performance (r=.093; p==.325).

Criteria probability F enter<=.050, probability F

remove>=.100... Of the 6 motor abilities considered as
independent variables, entered into the equation through
stepwise multiple regression to find out the best predictor of
cricket performance as a major dependent variable, following
results were obtained. Out of the 6 variables entered into the
equation four variables were best predicted the cricket
performance, i.e. speed, leg power, weight and agility. Speed
as a first major predictor for the cricket performance had a
correlation coefficient of .955 with squared r value of .912.
The total variance explained by this variable was 91.1%. Next
variable was leg power as a second major predictor for the
cricket performance had a correlation coefficient of .959 with
squared r value of .919. The total variance explained by this
variable was 91.7%. On the other hand Weight as a third
major predictor for the cricket performance had a correlation
coefficient of .964 with squared r value of .929. The total
variance explained by this variable was 92.7%. In the same
way agility as a fourth major predictor for the cricket
performance had a correlation coefficient of .966 with squared
r value of .934. The total variance explained by this variable
was 93.2%. However, rest of the variables failed to predict
the cricket performance of the cricketers as for as motor
abilities are concerned.

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DISCUSSION
Main findings of the present study are
Performance was linearly and significantly related to
anthropometric variables- height, weight, arm length,
leg length and arm span.
In the case of motor abilities, Performance was
linearly and significantly related to Arm Power, Leg
Power, Speed, Agility, Abdominal Strength and
Endurance
Regression analysis indicated that speed, leg power,
weight and agility were the major predictors of the
cricket performance.
Cricket is a game of endurance, also is played throughout the
year. Thus demand of physical fitness of the players is the
prime. It is well established that anthropometric analysis of
different sports has shown optimum performance appears to
have definite physical requirements. The results of the present
study are in agreement with the studies done elsewhere. A
study by Koley and Mahendra (2009) found that hand grip
strength might be an acceptable indicator for the excellent
performance in cricket as well as a useful selection criterion
for this sport. Further, Wormgoor , Harden, and Mckinon
(2010) indicated that greater front leg knee extension at ball
release, shoulder alignment in the transverse plane rotated
further away from the batsman at front foot strike , greater
ankle height during the delivery stride, and greater shoulder
extension strength contribute significantly to higher ball
release speeds. Gender comparison revealed that the male
bowlers had larger length, breadth, and girth
measurement than their female counterparts. There were
differences in proportionality between the sexes, with only the
male bowlers exhibiting characteristics that could be
considered large relative to height (Stuelcken,
Pyne,
& Sinclair, 2007). The results of the study imply that the few
anthropometric and motor abilities of players in cricket are
partly responsible for variations in their performances.
Coaches and players should therefore consider incorporating
the development of these abilities within players training
schedules. These efforts could be broadened to make use of
research from other domains too (Morris, 1989, Parkinson,
Totterdell, Briner & Reynolds, 1996). The ability of cricketers
to score runs can be viewed as a measure of their productivity
at work.
CONCLUSION
Anthropometric measurements and Motor abilities were the
major predictors of the cricketers performance. The findings
obtained in this study can provide viable contributions for
Coaches and Selectors to groom and retain talent in the game
of cricket. Further, fresh talents can refer to the present study
and its results while opting for cricket as career choice; and a
cricketer can deliver his/her best performance indulging in
these practices regularly by developing attitude and aptitude
skills suitable to cricket game.

Research Paper
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