‘Not Sure About Workload Management… Feel Very Fortunate To Travel The World': Lockie Ferguson

News18

2 days ago

Last Updated:
There has been a lot of chatter around a bowler's workload management lately. To understand more about it, News18-CricketNext caught up with New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson
The debate around a fast bowler's workload has taken the centrestage lately. The game of cricket has evolved over the years; matches come thick and fast, and the demands on players only seem to grow. That's where the workload factor comes into focus.
Take the recent England Tests, for example. Jasprit Bumrah, the world's No. 1-ranked bowler, played just three of the five matches to keep himself fresh. Mohammed Siraj, on the other hand, featured in all five, sent down more than 180 overs, and still found a way to improve his ICC ranking with 23 wickets.
Every cricketer's body is built differently. Injuries are part of the job — it's how players manage themselves that makes the difference.
To dig deeper into the term 'workload management', News18-CricketNext caught up with New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson — someone who doesn't feature nowadays in red-ball cricket but is constantly on the move in franchise leagues around the globe. He's had his share of injuries, too.
Last year, he skipped the Champions Trophy after suffering a hamstring injury in the ILT20 and was replaced by Kyle Jamieson. He recovered, and joined the Punjab Kings in the IPL but had to leave the season midway. He recovered again to get back to the field and represented Washington Freedom at the Major League Cricket (MLC) before gearing up for The Hundred 2025 with Trent Rockets.
Hopping from one T20 league to another in different time zones while staying ready for national duty is no easy feat — something Indian players don't experience since they can't feature in overseas leagues. Yet, in India, 'workload management' remains one of the hottest topics in cricketing circles.
'With these tournaments, you do sometimes play three games a week, and there's travel involved. So, it's probably different to when I started playing international cricket, when you had a few more days between games and probably more training sessions," he added.
'That's just the nature of cricket at the moment. And it's exciting. I think it's harder to say what the right or wrong answer is because every bowler, every player is different. So, I'm not sure about workload management.
'I think it sort of falls upon the athletes themselves to a point. Some tournaments have good spacing, and some tournaments are a little bit tighter together. Injuries are part of playing professional sport, where trying to do something at 100% three times a week. And sometimes we're going to get injuries from that, and it's just something you sort of have to roll with the punches a little bit," he further said.
Ferguson has been a favourite when it comes to franchise cricket. He has represented more than 10 teams across the globe. His journey has taught him how to keep himself relevant to what he has been doing.
'I have been on the circuit for sort of eight or nine years. You tend to understand a little bit more about how to stay in the park. And as I said earlier, injuries are part of my job, especially, you know, if you're trying to bowl high 140s a lot, which is required in this game. And why I'm picked for a lot of reasons that's going to come with extra stress."
'But yeah, tournaments you have sometimes you get through nicely, sometimes you don't. But yeah, I think from my point of view, it's exciting. It's I feel very fortunate to travel the world. I would love to play some more cricket in New Zealand at times," he said.
Lockie Ferguson is currently plying his trade with the Trent Rockets in The Hundred, with David Willey leading the side.
'I know some of the players already, and I'm really looking forward to playing with Stoin (Marcus Stoinis). He's a great teammate and dangerous with both bat and ball. I'm also happy David is captain — I played with him at Yorkshire and really enjoyed it. So, I'm pretty excited," the New Zealand fast bowler said.
Ferguson has been in the business since 2016 and has established himself as one of the best in the white-ball format. He has even played a Test match for New Zealand, but going forward, he has no intention of showing up for the longest format.
'No, I think that ship [red-ball cricket] has sailed. I look forward to following the Black Caps, but now I think those days are behind me," he concluded.
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.