Saturday, April 12, 2008, Rabi-ul-Sani 5,1429    

More Tests longer life for cricketers: study

London—Cricketers who play more Test matches can expect to live a longer life, according to a research. A study of England players found that those who represented their country more than 25 times had an average life expectancy of almost 80, compared with 73 for those who played fewer than 25 times.

The research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests that cricketers where more successful were happier because of the acclaim they received and were therefore less likely to suffer illness.

However, those who reached the pinnacle of their careers by captaining England did not live any longer than those who did not, the study found. Prof.Paul Boyle, from the University of St.Andrews in Fife, Scotland, who carried out the research said: “There are many reasons why successful cricketers would be more likely to live longer than those deemed less successful.

One suggestion is that they benefited from the kudos they earned and this stayed with them for the rest of their lives, meaning they were less likely to be stressed and suffer ill-health.” He looked at 418 cricketers who played for England between 1876 when the first Test was played and 1963.The average life expectancy for those who played more than 25 Tests was 77.95,compared with 73.25 years for the others.

The research considered players social backgrounds which influences how long people live. During the years studied, cricket players were classed as either ‘gentlemen’ who tended to be wealthier or professional ‘players’ who were working class.—APP