What you’ll learn from the episode

• Cricket’s true physical demands: why a Test bowler can cover ~50 km across a match and repeatedly absorb ~8× bodyweight through the front leg, and what that means for fuelling and recovery.
• Tour prep, six months out: coordinating stadium caterers, training-day menus, and freighted, batch-tested supplements, plus how strategies are trialled at home before heading overseas.
• Match-day fuelling made usable: the role of lunch, tea and all-day snack stations; when to use liquids vs solids; and why simple, high-carb options (wraps, bagels, flapjacks, banana bread) win.
• Carbohydrate periodisation in practice: using colour-coded days to align intake with bowling/fielding workloads, then ramping to a high-carb taper before the first ball.
• Refuel like a pro: stacking recovery windows, shakes on the final whistle, high-carb changeroom options, team-room snacks, and evening meals, to reduce soreness and restore glycogen for day two (and three).
• Day–night Test adjustments: how pink-ball timings shift pre-match, “lunch”, “tea” and sleep hygiene, and the tweaks Charlie makes to keep players alert without compromising recovery.
• Communication that sticks: nudging over lecturing, tailoring to individual preferences, and equipping S&C staff to deliver on-ground during play.

About Charlie Binns
Charlie Binns (BSc, MSc, SENr, UKAD, ISAK) is the Lead Nutritionist for the England & Wales Cricket Board’s men’s team. He joined the ECB setup after roles across elite rugby and football, including First-Team / Senior Men’s Nutritionist at Tottenham Hotspur and consultancy with Birmingham City FC. He also founded CMB Performance & Nutrition, serving athletes and organisations from academy to international level.
Charlie’s academic route began with a First-Class BSc in Sport & Exercise Nutrition at Leeds Trinity University, followed by an MSc in Applied Sports Nutrition at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. He is SENr-registered, UKAD-accredited, and ISAK L1 certified.
Before moving into cricket full-time, Charlie built experience in multiple environments to broaden his practice, from Richmond Rugby during his Master’s to league and academy football, a deliberate multi-sport grounding he still credits for his applied approach in cricket.
Within England Cricket’s performance team, Charlie’s remit spans:
Tour logistics & catering coordination across venues (training, lunch, tea, post-match menus).
Carb periodisation frameworks aligned to bowling/fielding loads and match phases.
Recovery protocols (e.g., immediate shakes, tart cherry, staged refuelling) to hit repeat high-output days.
He’s been part of touring groups across the subcontinent, South Africa and Australia, and has supported senior and Lions squads in major series and tournaments. Media reporting has highlighted his role in individualising fuelling targets for players during high-demand campaigns.
Outside the ECB, Charlie has hosted CPD for nutritionists across the county game and continues to contribute to practitioner development within cricket.

Specifically Pete will be looking at:

• Physical demands
• How to plan around 5 day events
• What gym sessions look like
• Recovery in cricket

About Pete:

"Current Physical Preparation coach for England Men’s Test Cricket team. Worked in cricket since 2017, prior to Test role I was at Yorkshire CCC and then on to Worcestershire CCC. Started my S&C career in Rugby Union at Newcastle Falcons in 2013."

Instagram: @petersim13

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