When Travis Muller’s season ended after one match, he didn’t immediately realise the benefits that could arise from enforced time off…

Western Province and Cape Cobras pace bowler Travis Muller was looking forward to a breakthrough season, his second as a contracted player. Now the 23-year-old is spending it doing rehab for a stress fracture in his lower back.
Muller’s injury has brought a halt to his steady rise (and packed schedule) since he captained Wynberg Boys’ High School during his Matric year in 2011. In January 2012 he played Cubs Week and was selected for South Africa U19 in series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan before being drafted straight into the Western Province team for the remainder of the season. As it happened, that 2012 winter proved to be his last proper off-season.
Muller was a regular for the provincial amateur side in 2012/13 before going into a stint at Tavistock CC in England. He then had his most prolific season in 2013/14, cracking the Cape Cobras squad in the midst of playing 16 First Class matches. He then headed overseas again, this time to Horsham CC. Last season was almost as busy, spending time in both the provincial and franchise teams before earning selection to the National Academy for 2015 – which culminated in an Emerging Players tour of Sri Lanka last August.
“It was there that I first felt my back, though it’s probably been building for a while. When we returned I played a match in the Africa T20 Cup and haven’t played since… it hasn’t been fun. At the start we weren’t sure what the problem was – some doctors were saying one thing and others were saying another. Finally, in October, we got clarity from a surgeon and thankfully I didn’t need an operation.”
While Muller recognises that he was required to squeeze a lot of cricket into the past four years, he feels his enthusiasm didn’t help either.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve been a victim of my success; there are a number of things that could have played a part besides over-bowling. Apart from games and training I’ve always done lots of outside training too, so I haven’t always given myself enough time to rest.”
As he really loves being involved in the action, Muller initially found it ‘mentally and physically tough’ to be standing around at the nets with his to-do list reduced to rest and rehab. While he could take charge of the physical side of his rehab – which included swimming, cycling and light core work – the mental side needed external help.
“Brad Player [SACA Player Development Manager based in the Western Cape] has been great. He had a similar injury during his playing days so it’s been good to get his insight. He also sent me to Clinton Gahwiler, a psychologist at the Sports Science Institute, for further support. Brad told me to use this time for myself by concentrating on my future and my health, and then cricket will come after. He also suggested that I consider studying while I’m injured. We did aptitude tests which showed I’m strongly interested in a career in sport, so initially we considered Sports Management.”
As it turned out, they settled on another option that suits Muller even better… in surroundings he’s familiar with.
“I’ve always been interested in studying. I wanted to straight after school, but then I broke into SA U19s and it’s just been cricket since. My other passion is fitness, and we found a two-year diploma in sports conditioning at the Exercise Teachers Academy (ETA) College that will also help me manage my workload when I get back on the field.”
Conveniently, ETA College Cape Town is based at the Western Province Cricket Club – where you will find Muller’s name on the Honours board – and they’ve been flexible about fitting his rehab into his daily schedule there.
“ETA is a nice place to study. The hours aren’t long and it’s been easy to relate to the content. There’s usually an hour when the other members of the class perform physical tasks that I’m not allowed to do yet and that’s when I do my rehab. It’s very convenient.”
Another positive to Muller’s current situation is the quality time he’s been able to spend with his friends and parents.
“It’s actually been good to have weekends and be able to go out and see my friends. A couple of my mates are studying, so it’s been nice to chat to them about what their experiences are like. That said, I’ve been missing cricket and would rather be in bed early on a weekend night looking forward to a match the next day.”
At the time of writing Muller was awaiting the programme for his next phase of rehab, but with the cricket season ending shortly he realises his next match will only come next season.
“I was speaking to [Western Province] coach Faiek Davids recently and he was saying that when pre-season starts I must come in and do my rehab there, with my teammates. He told me not to rush back. It’s great that they’re being so understanding and accommodating.”
While Muller has chalked this season down to one where ‘everything happens for a reason’, with breakthroughs coming in other facets of his life, his on-field goals remain undiminished.
“My long-term goals are to have the longest cricket career I can possibly have, so for now I’ll focus on getting fit and healed. Then I want to get back in the Western Province amateur team, then the Cobras, and finally, if I can, the Proteas.”