Cricket: Pakistani officials lukewarm on icy New Zealand tactics

By RICHARD BOOCK

Pakistan officials have raised eyebrows over New Zealand's demands for 1.5m high ice-tubs and air-conditioned dressing rooms.

The requests were apparently made after manager Jeff Crowe viewed Pakistan facilities on what New Zealand Cricket has described as a routine reconnaissance mission after last month's Coca-Cola Cup tournament in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported yesterday that the Pakistan Cricket Board has accepted the reasoning behind the demands, but suggested that they were faintly amused by the lengths the Kiwis were going to on next month's tour.

"NZC have explained that their players, after returning from the field, will first stand in the ice-tub and then proceed to the showers or changing kits," a confused official was reported to have said.

"This is a unique demand, but NZC claims it is in line with the modern scientific and medical information. They believe it will help beat heat stroke and exhaustion."

Perplexed PCB staff were apparently discussing how to design the ice-boxes.

"Frankly speaking it is a very uncomfortable situation," the official said. "The boxes have to be of either fibreglass or iron to keep the ice intact."

The New Zealand team have used ice-baths in the dressing room for the past couple of seasons to lower the levels of lactic acid and aid subsequent recovery.

Australia this year used ice-jackets to combat the Indian heat.

The PCB official said there was little chance that Crowe's request for air-conditioned changing rooms would be met.

"It is an unrealistic demand because we know that very few dressing rooms in the world are air-conditioned," he said. "But we will try."

NZC operations manager John Reid said yesterday that the ice treatment was now an established part of the team's recovery programme, and was used in various other sporting codes around the world.

"From what I gather, it is aimed at injury prevention and aiding the players' recovery, which is a little different from merely cooling down in an ice-jacket."