The science behind the game: Inside cricket’s first sports medicine textbook

About this episode

This episode discusses the creation of cricket's first dedicated sports medicine textbook and its implications for the sport's future.

In this episode of the SASMA Podcast, cricket clinician Nick Pereira sits down with John W. Orchard and Benita Olivier — editors and co-authors of Cricket Sports Medicine — to unpack the making of cricket’s first dedicated sports medicine textbook and what it means for the future of the game. Bringing together contributors from across the global cricket landscape, the textbook represents a landmark step in bridging the gap between research, rehabilitation, performance, and real-world clinical practice. Across 39 chapters, it explores the unique medical and performance demands of cricket, from injury epidemiology and rehabilitation to youth athlete development and return-to-play decision making. Drawing on his experience as former Chief Medical Officer of Cricket Australia, Dr Orchard shares insights from decades working at the highest level of the game, including the persistent challenge of lumbar stress injuries in fast bowlers, the realities of load management, and how clinicians can better use injury surveillance and classification systems in practice. Prof Olivier provides the academic lens, discussing the collaborative process behind the textbook, the importance of…

People in this episode

Guests: Nick Pereira, John W. Orchard, Benita Olivier

Topics covered

• sports medicine
• cricket
• injury rehabilitation
• performance
• clinical practice
• youth athlete development

Keywords

• sports medicine
• cricket
• injury epidemiology
• rehabilitation
• load management
• return-to-play
• clinical outcomes

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cricket Australia

Books & works: Cricket Sports Medicine

More episodes of SASMA

• Research Podcast Series: AI in Research · May 26, 2026 · 31 min
• From Performance to Pathology: Altitude Medicine Unpacked · April 24, 2026 · 24 min
• Research Podcast Series: Thrive, Don't just survive · April 10, 2026 · 35 min
• Research Podcast Series: Smarter Research Starts Here: Study Design & Proposal Development · March 15, 2026 · 36 min
• Sports Dentistry · March 4, 2026 · 30 min
• Research Podcast Series: I want to do research, where do I start? · February 25, 2026 · 30 min