Lockie Ferguson: 'You play sport to burn calories so you can eat fast food'
The New Zealand fast bowler dishes on his favourite things to eat, the importance of moderation, and the secret ingredient in his pre-workout smoothie – cake
Interview by Deivarayan Muthu25-Jan-2021Crunch TimeWhat’s your favourite meal?
I love Japanese, love sushi!What do you eat most often during a week?
Sushi ().Which cricketing venue has the best catering?
Surely Lord’s. It’s ridiculous – entree, main and dessert. It’s tempting for even a professional sportsman. When in Rome…What’s your favourite city to eat out in?
New York.
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Which of your team-mates is the best cook?
Cricketers are notoriously terrible cooks because we eat in hotels all the time. Let me think who has put on a good meal for us [in New Zealand]. Normally, Kiwis are good at barbecues.I have to say, my flat-mate Ben Horne, who plays for Auckland. He was cooking for us all winter, so it was great. During the lockdown, he was doing the pancakes, I was doing the baking, and Coops [Henry Cooper] is very good at making coffee – so it was a team effort.What sort of fast food is okay to eat as a professional cricketer?
All fast food. That’s why you play sport, so that you can burn calories so you can eat fast food.I’m joking! Everything in moderation – if you want to eat McDonalds or New York pizza, you can do it in moderation. If you have it every day, then it’s not good for your waistline. But there are times when you have to treat yourself.What’s a typical meal like for you during a Test or ODI match in New Zealand?
I’ve only lasted one day in Test cricket (), so in a limited-overs international normally I love breakfast, so I have avocado on toast in the morning with scrambled eggs, and New Zealand coffee is pretty hard to beat. I do love playing at home. Lunch, it’s often catered, so it tends to be whatever is presented on the day. I must say I’ve had some up-and-down days having curries for lunch – some good and some not so good. But no, we do love it when we come to India – they make some phenomenal curries. Everything in moderation is fine.What’s your favourite post-workout snack?
I can’t really eat post-workout. I tend to eat beforehand. Coffee would be the only thing I could get down.What goes into your pre-workout smoothie?
Berries – raspberries, ideally – banana, chocolate protein, black forest cake… it’s a protein smoothie.Is there something you really love to eat but have removed from your diet as part of a fitness regimen?
No, not really. Everything in moderation again. I probably started out my career thinking I can have a whole block of chocolate and a full pizza, but slowly over time I’ve reduced those serving sizes.Is there a snack you always carry in your kit bag when touring?
Not really. We get looked after so well at hotels. I guess the only thing is Kiwi Whittaker’s chocolate – when I take it or when it’s sent to me, it always reminds me of home.If you could eat just one food for the rest of your life, what would that be?
Sushi.If you could reward yourself with a cheat meal after a five-for, what would it be?
Pepperoni pizza, New York-style.