Alcohol

Alcohol does not contribute to good physical fitness or good health. It dehydrates the body when consumed prior to a match, and impairs the physical performance during the match. When consumed after the match, it retards recovery which adversely effects the capacity to train well during the following week.

Better results will be achieved if alcohol is not consumed.

Tobacco Smoking

Tobacco smoking is a proven health hazard. It has been identified as a major cause of heart disease and various forms of cancer. Smoking has been the cause of millions of deaths.

The dangers of smoking are well documented and publicised.

From an umpiring perspective, smoking reduces the fitness potential of the athlete. Irrespective of the level of fitness, an athlete who does not smoke would achieve a better result for the same amount of training than the athlete who did smoke.