Former India fast bowler Munaf Patel has opened up on the challenges he faced during his early playing years, describing a lack of structured coaching, limited medical backing and almost no guidance on fitness and recovery. While reflecting on how injuries shaped his pace and career, Patel also heaped praise on Shoaib Akhtar, crediting the Pakistan speedster for sustaining blistering pace throughout his time at the top level.
Munaf Patel on training and medical support in his early years
- Patel said that during his formative period, medical support was “not strong” and there was little to no understanding of systematic training.
- He recalled that when he first played for Mumbai, he had no clear idea what a dedicated trainer’s role was, and that the “trainer” around him was essentially someone who accompanied the group alongside a doctor.
- According to Patel, this support did not come with specialised knowledge—neither physio-like expertise nor an informed approach—so if a problem occurred, the guidance was limited to basic direction rather than proper rehabilitation.
- He added that there was also no structured education on what to eat, explaining that players were simply told to eat whatever was available—roti, sabzi, or whatever they were served.
- Patel pointed out that, in his view, the gap between then and now is enormous, particularly because injuries are less likely to derail careers in the modern era thanks to better awareness.
- He said recovery procedures were not understood in that period—how recovery should be handled, what the process should look like, and how to manage downtime effectively.
- To highlight the lack of knowledge, he described a routine where he would sleep at 2:00 am, wake up at 6:00 am, and then head straight to the ground, without any informed plan for rest and fitness.
- Patel summarised the situation by saying players were, in his words, “illiterate” about the subject they had to manage daily and throughout the year, making failure more likely.
Munaf Patel stressed that the modern framework—especially around injury management and recovery—has moved far ahead of the system that existed during his playing days. He suggested that many athletes from the earlier era did not have the support needed to withstand injuries that today might be treated as manageable setbacks rather than career-ending events.
Patel cites Shoaib Akhtar as an endurance benchmark
In the same discussion, Patel used Shoaib Akhtar’s career as a reference point for durability in harsh conditions. He said he always credits Akhtar for being able to keep delivering extreme pace—arguing that sustaining speeds around the 150 km/h mark for 15 years in Asian conditions deserves the highest respect.
Patel also spoke about Akhtar’s physical challenges, stating that the fast bowler reportedly began walking properly only at around four or five years old and that both knees were “finished.” Still, Patel described Akhtar’s mindset as pure determination—saying there was “madness” in him that drove him to keep going and that only such an attitude could make it possible.
Akhtar, widely known for consistently bowling at very high speeds, dealt with multiple injuries during his career. Despite those setbacks, he continued to bowl at around 150 km/h through the end of his international career in 2011, earning the reputation of maintaining pace under pressure right up to the close of his time in international cricket.
