The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a 4-week Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) protocol can manage psychological stress and improve performance in male cricket medium-fast bowlers aged 16-30 years. The main questions it aims to answer are:
1. Does a 4-week PMR protocol significantly reduce perceived stress scores compared to standard training?
2. Does a 4-week PMR protocol significantly improve ball release speed and bowling accuracy? Researchers will compare an experimental group receiving a structured PMR protocol prior to warm-ups to a control group following standard traditional training (generalized warm-ups, stretching, and shadow bowling) to see if the relaxation intervention leads to lower perceived stress, higher bowling speed, and improved bowling accuracy.
Participants will:
1. Complete the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) at baseline and after the 4-week period.
2. Deliver six balls at a designated target pitch and stump zone while being timed by a hand-held radar gun to measure baseline and post-intervention speed and accuracy.
3. Depending on group assignment, either attend 2 sessions per week of a structured, contract-relax progressive muscle relaxation protocol or attend 2 sessions per week of traditional warm-up and stretching drills.