Australia's heat tackling strategy: Saunas and sweat for Women's T20 World Cup preparation

Be it the men's team or the women's side, there is no doubt that they stand undisputedly at the top of their respective charts in world cricket. Of course, the end finished output everyone bases their judgement on is their ability to hoard titles year after year. But not a lot of general people have any substantial idea about the rigorous preparation the team undergoes before a mega-event such as the Women's T20 World Cup 2024.

In the same vein, Australia's physical performance coach, Jordan Stares, disclosed how they prepared to tackle the extreme heat conditions of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Initially, the ninth installment of the Women's T20 World Cup was supposed to be held in Bangladesh, which is known for its harsh conditions. Stares elaborated on the intriguing processes they followed to get acclimatized to the change in climate they expected to face.

"We wanted to be as well prepared as we possibly could be So, we had a really strong emphasis on our aerobic capacity in pre-season. That was the first part, and then closer to the time, we started some graduated heat exposure using protocols that were developed by the Australian Olympic Commission for the Tokyo Olympics, which were in similar conditions," Stares was quoted as saying by the Cricket.com.au.

Furthermore, Stares also underscored the various repercussions of the daily sauna sessions that the members of Australia Women would be subjected to during their three-match series against New Zealand Women.

"There's a few physiological changes that were observed after (with the heat acclimation strategies). Number one is an increased sweat rate. Often, sweating is considered to be a negative thing, but it's actually what helps us cool our body temperature down, so we get increased blood volume," the Australian performance coach continued.

"Then, there’s some psycho-cognitive adaptations as well, in how you perceive the heat. If you spend a little bit more time in heat, it takes a little bit longer before you start to feel the heat or feel the negative effects, so (that leads to) improved decision-making and those sorts of things," Stares further mentioned.

Besides, Australia's physical high-performance coach further expounded on the day-by-day routine that the girls followed post arriving in the UAE. Notably, he elucidated the significance of a balance to be maintained so as to not cross the line and get overexposed. Interestingly, he also pointed out the role of heart rate and the amount of conditioning needed for an athlete.

"On our first day, we sent everyone out for a walk in the heat just to get a bit used to the ambient conditions outside. On day two, we had a flush run, and light aerobic work in the heat as well. We haven't really needed to do too much conditioning work, because once you get out there, your heart rate gets elevated, as it is, but it's just trying to manage our exposure to get some positive benefits without cooking us before our games," Stares concluded.

Also Read: 'India will be the team to beat but needs to be wary of Australia' - Harbhajan Singh ahead of Women's T20 World Cup 2024

I absolutely hated doing all our sauna prep: McGrath

Vice-captain of Australia Women, Tahlia McGrath, was quite candid in her assessment of the exacting regime but admitted that it has all paid off thus far. The Australian bowler revealed that she hated attending sauna sessions. Furthermore, she also lauded the sports medicine and science team for helping the team out to prepare for the Women's T20 World Cup in the best way possible.

"I absolutely hated doing all our sauna prep in the lead up, but it's worth it. We've got a really good SSSM (sports science and sports medicine) team behind us, giving us all the right advice and any little edge or advantage we can get, we're going to go there. So, it's all helping!" exclaimed McGrath.

Also Read: Twitter Reactions: Mooney, Schutt help Australia clinch low-scorer against Sri Lanka

The defending champions have already got off to a sweet start as far as their campaign is concerned. They overcame Sri Lanka Women by six wickets with 34 deliveries in the kitty to open their account.