Mumbai: Not only Indian team but Mahela Jayawardane's Sri Lankan team will need to look out for a new physio after the current West Indies tour, it is learnt here.
According to the high level sources in Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), their young national physio Tommy Simsek has put his papers before flying out with the team to West Indies as his last assignment. "He has forwarded his resignation to join the IPL," a source said.
In Sri Lanka's support staff Simsek is the most experienced having joined them in June 2005 when Tom Moody took over as coach. While the rest of the overseas staff has left or not been retained Simsek have more or less filled the vacuum created by Sri Lanka's popular physiotherapist Alex Kountouri.
Born in Turkey, but living in Melbourne, Simsek is renowned for his sprints between dressing room and the pitch and back to base (he has been clocked at 11.3 secs in the 100 m dash).
Holds a Masters Degree in Sports Physiotherapy and has worked with Australian professional rugby and soccer teams in Melbourne before undertaking his present job with a cricket team for the first time.
He also spent some time at the Australian Institute of Sport and worked with a soccer team in Melbourne. His Australian wife is also a physiotherapist, and they have two sons.
"He will be attached with the Chennai team in IPL."
The serious aspect of Simsek's job is to do a full assessment of every player who comes into the national team and write up a rehabilitation program which the players must fine tune.
The coach Trevor Bayliss may be asked to suggest few names for the physio's post.
|