Judging by how well Pakistan performs on the field must owe to the fact that the players are very healthy and well looked after. The man responsible for healing their humps and bruises is 62-year-•>ld Ur. Dun Kiesel.
Thr Isrfwli-bom German phusician foined the team after stranae circumstances in 1995 ujler spending time with Sri 1 anku. To explain his story would require so much space . Essentially he considers himself a Good Samaritan helping those in need whenever called for. Only recently he helped West Indies skipper Jimmy Adams during the tour of the Caribbean. He also likes io work with disabled children. Above all never likes to be thought of as a physio like in other teams but a proper doctor.
Doctor Kiesel spoke to Lenin Gani of The Daily Star Sport on Sunday.
The excerpts:
Daily Star Sport: How have you kept the Pakistan team fit for the Pepsi Asia Cup after just linishing a tough tour of the Caribbean?
DK: Cricket without injuries is impossible. There are various times that a player can be hurt. He can be injured directly through diving or overstretching the muscles. So, of course, every player has got complaints and they have to be dealt with. I'm in a lucky position being a qualified physiotherapist (before I studied medicine) and also a qualified chiropractor and osteopathic medicine. These deal with muscular and Joint problems. 1 also perform acupuncture and studied sports medicine. Thus Tin in a position to use various methods to treat the players.
DSS: Do you work on Just physical aspects?
DK: A player has to deal with various aspects. He has to set certain goals, he has to be relaxed to
l>erform. This means when he is excited it Is natural for the adrenaline to start pumping. But too much adrenaline Is bad also. So a player must be able to control it and there are ways to do so. Such as autogenes' training (self hypnosis).
DSS: Compare the fitness levels of the Pakistan team to those of other teams around the world?
DK: 1 am never happy with the fitness of the players because no matter how fit they are they can always improve. In other words as hard as I hey work and even if they break the
world records they can break them over and over again.
DSS: Explain why some international players like Courtney Walsh are so durable whereas cricketers from the sub-continent are not
DK: In order to be durable one has to be talented and also motivated. And may be the motivation tan come from watching Wasim Akram In action. Even when there are days when he is under tremendous presDSS: How do you get on with the players and team management? Does the language and religious act as a barrier?
DK: Not at all . I get on perfectly well with players and ev-erybody in general with regard to religion However. I would love to learn a little more about the language. 1 can understand some words but really I want to master it. 1 know the literature is very rich. Quite frankly, most of the times the players try to speak In English. Take for instance Inzamam. who is a wonderful person He has so much to say and he doesn't want to be limited because of language. In fact, all the players are very nice and we get on well since we are together for nearly 24 hours a day.
DSS: Explain why during a Test series against Zimbabwe you decided to leave?
DK: Martina Navratilova once said there is a difference with being involved and being committed 1 feel myself being committed rather than vice versa. And she put it like this If you eat a steak with an egg on it, the chicken Is Involved but the cow Is committed’. I'm not Just involved in cricket I'm also committed to the sport.
Having said all that, the real reason 1 had to , ive was because my wife fel. Ill ml so I had to return horn r a short while.
DSS: Thank you Dan Klesel for talking to us
DK: My pleasure. ,