Zeecric Bureau
Jo’burg: India’s South African coach Gary Kirsten offered an interesting advice to the country’s cricketers, urging them to boost their sex lives, which he feels would spur their on-field performances!
The secret document circulated among players by coach Gary Kirsten and mental conditioning expert Paddy Upton, is believed to have extensively explored the benefits of sex.
It came as India take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their first Champions Trophy match in Centurion on Saturday.
"Yes it (sex) does, so go ahead and indulge," the document said, before detailing the benefits of a good sex life.
"From a physiological perspective, having sex increases testosterone levels, which cause an increase in strength, energy, aggression and competitiveness," the document said.
"Conversely, not having sex for a period of a few months causes a significant drop in testosterone levels in both males and females, with the corresponding passiveness and decrease in aggression."
The document quotes a professor and sports scientist at the University of Cape Town, Tim Noakes as saying that "sex was not a problem, but being up till 2:00 am, probably having a few drinks at a bar while trying to pick someone up, on the eve of a game, almost always was."
The option of "going solo" is also fine, if no partners were available, according to the document.
"If you want sex but do not have someone to share it with, one option is to go solo whilst imagining you have a partner, or a few partners, who are as beautiful as you wish to imagine," the document said.
"No pillow talk and no hugging required. Just roll over and go to sleep."
Enforced celibacy may also affect performance, the advice said.
"You may experience that your mind spends more time focusing on the fire in your groin than on good sport practice, preparation and sleep," the document said.
Besides sex, the document also stresses on the importance of being aggressive on the field from the start, self-improvement and healthy eating.
Kirsten wants the team to take note of their diet and remain healthy at all times of the year.
“For a team on tour most of the time, cricketers need a balanced & healthy diet. You are not an average man, so chose your food cleverly,” added the Indian coach.
Hailing Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar as a 'living example', the South African has asked his team to raise the bar and take their games and lives to greater heights by taking on more responsibility.
"Raise the bar, take our games and lives to even greater heights. Shift from blaming others to taking responsibility," the charter states.
First Published: Thursday, September 24, 2009, 08:57