Kesh Fonseka
LANCASHIRE AND ENGLAND U19 – UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD (FROM SEPTEMBER 2026)
I’m out in Australia at the moment and absolutely loving it – playing loads of cricket, learning a lot, and soaking it all in. I’ll be here until March, then back to Lancashire for the summer.
I’ve recently had an offer to study part-time physiotherapy at the University of Salford, which would be ideal really. I could keep training at Lancashire while studying – it’s the perfect balance. I’ve always been fascinated by how the body works, and drawn to biology, and through cricket I’ve seen how rewarding the role of a physio can be.
When you’ve been injured and someone helps you back to doing what you love, that leaves a mark. I had a pretty bad knee tear last year and needed surgery. That ruled me out for the Under-19 World Cup, which was really tough at the time, but it turned out to be one of the best learning experiences I’ve had. The physios at Lancashire were brilliant. They helped me through it physically and mentally. When you’re side-lined for months, you go through frustration, boredom, everything – but those guys kept me motivated.
During that process I realised how rewarding it is to help someone get back to what they love doing. It’s a proper journey, and I think I’d really enjoy being part of that for other players one day.
The PCA has been great through the whole process, helping me with the Salford application and interviews while I was still training. It’s a big commitment but I’m really looking forward to it.
For now, my focus is still on cricket – playing as much as possible, learning every day. But it’s nice knowing I’ve got something I’m genuinely passionate about outside the game. It feels like the start of something exciting.
James Pipe
PHYSIOTHERAPY & MEDICAL LEAD, RCB – LONDON SPIRIT LEAD PHYSIOTHERAPIST – GULF GIANTS LEAD PHYSIOTHERAPIST – UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD BSC (HONS)
6)
I have always been driven by a desire to help people. It’s a privilege to be entrusted with the health of players and patients across a variety of settings. I’ve always been fascinated by the complexity of the human body, particularly in how it responds to injury, and I’ve always had a strong curiosity to keep learning to help me provide the best possible care to everyone I have the honour of working with.
I was extremely lucky in my formative years to play for Worcestershire and Derbyshire. My journey into physiotherapy began after sustaining a serious eye injury when a ball passed between the peak of my helmet and the grill. The specialists were uncertain if my sight would return and whether I would be able to play again! Fortunately, after a prolonged period out of the game I was able to return.
It was during this period that I applied to study Physiotherapy at the University of Salford. The experience made me realise that my career could end anytime and reinforced the importance of planning for the future.
Throughout my playing career, I was fortunate to be supported by some outstanding physiotherapists and S&C coaches. Their knowledge, care, and encouragement were fundamental in inspiring me to pursue a career in physiotherapy. I am extremely grateful to the PCA, whose guidance played a significant role in helping achieve my goal.
Balancing full-time cricket with part-time study at Salford was demanding, but I received exceptional support from my family, the university, and the club. Although intense, it was an experience I valued greatly. Studying helped provide life balance, perspective, and personal growth.
I have spent the past 15 years working in cricket, the NHS and private healthcare settings. You can see my ongoing work for franchises above, and between competitions, I continue to work in clinical practice.
It has been an unbelievable experience and I’ve loved every minute. I still wake up every day with the same excitement to help as I had on the first day I walked into university to begin this journey. I genuinely appreciate how fortunate I am and sincerely grateful for the opportunities and support I’ve received along the way.
”I have always been driven by a desire to help people. It’s a privilege to be entrusted with the health of players and patients across a variety of settings.
Lee Daggett
HEAD PHYSIO, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CCC – DIRECTOR OF MOVE4 PHYSIO – UNIVERSITY OF COVENTRY BSC (HONS), BA (HONS) MCSP)
6)
The past six months have been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest. I’ve just started as Head Physio at Northamptonshire, which feels like things have come full circle after finishing my playing days here. When I retired, I went straight into studying physiotherapy at Coventry University, and after that I spent almost a decade at Northampton Saints before setting up Move4 – a clinic with an elite-sport approach that now has two sites and 13 staff. It’s been an amazing journey.
Going from the high-performance environment of rugby back into cricket has been fascinating. The main difference from a physio point of view is the type of injuries. In rugby, you’re dealing with a lot of acute stuff from collisions and training load, whereas in cricket it’s more chronic – overload issues, repetitive strain, stress injuries, that kind of thing. But the principles are the same: prevention, communication, trust.
Prevention is the aim of the game, obviously. The goal is to understand what’s going on before it breaks down. That means looking at the bigger picture: sleep, nutrition, psychology, growth for younger players, and training loads. Cricket’s a unique sport in that there’s barely any off-season, so managing players’ bodies and minds becomes the real challenge.
I’ve been lucky to have mentors across both sports. We all share ideas and experiences because no one’s cracked it yet, especially things like fast bowling injuries – lower back stress fractures for example. That’s a big challenge, and one I’m really interested in. I’ve been speaking to people like Pipey (James Pipe), Alex Tysoe at Surrey, and Mozzy (Gerhard Mostert) at Warwickshire – trying to learn from those who’ve been in the game a long time. It’s that constant learning that keeps things interesting.
When I was studying, the PCA were brilliant – they supported me financially, but also just being there as a sounding board. They understand the ups and downs of that transition. You go from a team environment to suddenly being on your own, trying to figure out what’s next. Having that backing made a massive difference
