T20 vs Test Cricket - The Great Debate

Why can’t we have both? And any other form of cricket that comes along.

I/we (at ACI) seem to get an exceedingly large, compared to any other topic, number of messages & comments attacking T20 and white ball cricket.

There is very much a traditionalist debate that T20 is ‘ruining’ cricket and players should not be allowed to enjoy, be good at or practice short form cricket. Hmmmm 🤔.

In the space of 3 weeks during the BPL senior tournament and the launch of our T20 focused training program, I’ve received emails, comments on social media and direct messages along the lines of

“Not this crap, why don’t you teach kids real cricket”

“RIP Test cricket, should be teaching kids to defend and bat the day”

“Money is ruining the game. I’m a coach and I know the ridiculous shots they play in T20 aren’t good for the game”

I disagree with all of them and I’m going to explain why.

Don’t get me wrong, I love test cricket, it’s still my favourite format of cricket to watch but I also love and appreciate 50 over, T20 & 100 ball cricket for what they are and what they bring to the game.

SQUARE PEG INTO A ROUND HOLE

First of all, I think it’s absolutely absurd to say every player should endeavour and train to be a test match cricketer.

We have other formats, fans like to watch them, they are here to stay and they require different skill sets to an extent.

What’s the issue with that? 

Imagine telling Usain Bolt he couldn’t train for and compete in the 100m & 200m sprint, he had to be a 5000m runner because you thought sprinting was rubbish compared to the 5000m event?

Or imagine telling every kid when they get to school they have to be a mathematician, despite having the skill set and passion for science, they don’t have a choice because you think science is rubbish compared to maths.

Ridiculous when you think about it like that isn’t it?

No issue with you preferring test cricket over T20 cricket, crack on, but don’t tell someone they shouldn’t be good at, train for and enjoy T20 cricket.

This summer we'll be running 6 week T20 skills Academies designed to give player the opportunity to explore and develop their T20 cricket, for any parents interested for your child, click the banner below;

VARIETY & DIVERSITY 

The other thing I hear a lot of is - “You should be teaching kids to defend and bat the day”

We do?

Why can’t players develop an array of skills?

Whether a player sees themselves as a test cricketer, 50 over/combo player or a genuine T20 cricketer, it’s beneficial for their game to practice all skill sets.

A test cricketer should spend SOME time on boundary hitting and scoring quickly just as much as a T20 cricketer should spend SOME time on their defence, scoring 1s off good balls and ability to leave the ball to get through a spell of challenging bowling.

The best players in the world are often the best in all formats because they have practiced all skillsets and have the ability to adapt their skills to the format they’re playing.

Again referring it to other areas of life;

Imagine telling someone they had to each boiled chicken every day and that’s it.

Or they had to lift heavy weights every day and that’s it.

Variety and diversity in cricket training is good, just like it is in nutrition and fitness.

CAREER PATHWAYS

I’ll keep this one short and sweet.

T20 cricket has provided a lot more career pathways in the game than if it were one format only.

It’s opened doors for individuals that would never have been paid a cent to play the game if it was a one format sport.

Not only for players but coaches and staff too.

We’ve created a larger economy within cricket and there’s more money funnelling into the game to allow more people to do what they love?

Ultimately isn’t that a good thing?

Isn’t the world going to be a better place if more people are spending every day doing the things they love?

I think so.

This summer we'll be running 6 week T20 skills Academies designed to give player the opportunity to explore and develop their T20 cricket, for any parents interested for your child, click the banner below;

T20 BENEFITS THE TEST PRODUCT

Now, some people might debate me on this but hasn’t test cricket got a little more exciting?

Players are scoring quicker.

Chasing down bigger totals in less time. 

England have chased down totals over 300, three times in the last 12 months. They’re rolling their T20 and One-Day cricket mindset (which they’ve been so successful in) into Test cricket and it’s working.

Teams are playing aggressive cricket to set up wins and it’s good to watch.

Guys like David Warner and now Johnny Baristow, two players who were initially genuine white ball cricketers that went on to light up the test arena.

Yes we might have to put up with the odd batting collared with the shift of approach but is that so bad?

I don’t know about you but I’d much rather watch a 250 run chase on day 5 of a test match than two teams scoring 600 each in a benign draw.

The other benefit of white ball cricket, particularly franchise tournaments, is the mixing of players.

  • Exposure to new coaches
  • Learning from new teammates, great players from different environments
  • Developing new friendships from around the state, country or globe

There’s not a player I’ve spoken to, junior or senior, that doesn’t love that experience and the benefits of it.

I could go on for 5 pages but they’re the core reasons why I think test match traditionalists need to cut the crap about T20 cricket ruining the game.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Drop a comment on the Facebook post here > https://www.facebook.com/australiancricketinstitute

Or flick me an email if you’d prefer to keep it private.

 

Author: Nick Fitzpatrick

Australian Cricket Institute Co Founder

/1 Comment/by

5 Things I Have Learnt Playing Club Cricket in the UK

Some of you may have noticed that I have been slightly absent from the ACI scene these last few months, and that is because I have been over in the UK spending the northern hemisphere summer working on my game. Unsurprisingly, cricket over here is vastly different from that in Australia, and throughout this article, I am going to dissect some of the contrasts I have personally found most interesting.  

 

Let’s start off with my statistics:

 

It would be fair to say that I haven’t exactly set the world on fire… In 20 innings I have scored between 35 and 74 runs on 9 occasions. This failure to convert starts has largely affected my personal average and overall ability to win games for the team. So with that in mind, let’s have a look at some key takeaways from this experience.

 

1. Club Cricket in the UK is Dominated by Spin Bowling

As an Aussie playing his first season in the UK, this is certainly not what I expected! When I think of English conditions, I think of green seamers and low bouncing wickets, perfect for the quicks… How wrong I was. The majority of 1’st teams in the Hertfordshire Premier League (my league) are made up of similar line-ups that often look something like this:

 -   2 medium pacers to take the new ball (the odd medium/quick)

-   3 main spinners

-   2 part-time spinning/all-rounders

 

This is something that I found extremely difficult to adapt to, and found myself getting bogged down after a relatively fast start. The soft balls in conjunction with slow pitches made it difficult to hit spinners back over their heads, as I am accustomed to back home. This was often where I would lose my wicket, with a distinctive trend of being caught at mid-off and mid-on forming.

 While this continued to trouble me throughout my time here, It forced me to develop new ways of playing spin and I can honestly say I am beginning to feel much more comfortable at the crease (still without a big score to my name)

 

2. Training – What’s That?

 Now, I am not going to lie, this is one aspect of my time in the UK that I really haven’t adapted well to. I had always heard that club training in the UK wasn’t as big as it is back home, however, I did not expect there to be any training at all. Yes, I understand some clubs over here do train, however, the club that I am at (Potters Bar CC) did not.

 

As someone who is accustomed to hitting balls at least 3 times a week, this was a massive shift for me personally.  I found myself constantly searching for a training partner, however, I struggled greatly as my teammates either worked full time or lived light years away (slight exaggeration, however, it was a long way!). While I didn’t necessarily feel out of form over here, I am positive that the lack of training and effort to combat the new conditions I was faced with had a large impact on my ability to score big runs.

 

3. Premier Club Cricket in Australia Is Much More Intense

 This may sound ironic coming from a player who is averaging 27 over here, however it is quite well known that the overall standard of Premier Cricket in Australia is far superior. There are a number of things I put this down to;

 -   More first-class teams (18 in the UK compared to 6 in Australia) dilute talent throughout club cricket

-   More Premier Leagues around the UK

-   Less emphasis on training/fitness

-   Conditions allowing players to play for longer  

 

While my current team at Potters Bar is stacked with talent, the lack of preparation and emphasis on the little things has a rather large impact on the overall standard of cricket. Warm-ups are far less official, tactics in the field are not as emphasised and as I have already mentioned, not many players are actually working on their skills. In saying that, some of the batting that has been on display this season has been simply unbelievable… Highlighted by our number 3 breaking the all-time league runs record.

 

4. The Social Aspect of the Game is Far Superior in the UK

 Here is where UK club cricket gets one back on the Aussies! While we may put more emphasis on the actual game back home, we simply don’t even compete on a social front.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the many hours I have spent down at Potters Bar CC; it truly does feel like a massive family down there. On a hot summer's day, people flock down to the club to socialise and watch a day's cricket, and this is something that I have not witnessed as much in Australia. The games also seem to have a much more friendly vibe to them, with the lack of intensity allowing for a more friendly atmosphere on the pitch (most of the time).

 

The hospitality off the field is another great attribute of cricket in the UK, with the English being famous for their lunch and teas. I was lucky enough at Potters Bar to be one of the only clubs in my league to do teas, and as a massive food junkie, I was very grateful - Thank you, Carole! The English certainly do a lot of things on this front that I believe we could learn from back home, and the social front is something I will miss greatly when I land back in Australia.

 

5. I Could Not Recommend the Experience Highly Enough

To all Aussie cricketers, of all capabilities, you must put a season in the UK on your bucket list. Throughout my (nearly) 4 months here, I have experienced the many highs, and many lows that come with playing cricket on the other side of the world. It has not always been easy to be away from loved ones, however, the ability to learn about yourself both on and off the field is unparalleled.

 

 

Author: Josh Matthews

 

/3 Comments/by
,

4 Activities Over Christmas To Keep Fresh

The Christmas period comes at a rather funny time for some cricketers. There can be a period of 3 – 4 weeks for players who may not have any games/structured cricket. For some, this is great timing! A bit of a break for those who feel overworked and an ideal time to recharge the batteries and rest up. From a physical sense, it’s important to keep some sort of maintenance if you are off for a longer period, but the rest can be good for some players. For others, this represents a perfect time to fine-tune and build up some confidence in their technique to be able to make a change/impact to their season and get it back on track scoring some more runs or taking more wickets when they return.

 

If you are the latter and feel you need to keep your body and mind ticking over, you are not alone! I’ve put together a list of 4 activities you can do over the Christmas period to make sure you hit the ground running and are in form come game 1 back after your break.

 

1. PHYSICAL FITNESS

A great opportunity for you to catch up on your running/strength to ensure your body is in tip-top shape heading back into the last part of the season. Use this time to de-load your body from bowling heavy workloads, ensuring you put your body through some stress so it maintains your level of fitness going back into club cricket. Most players have the 4 weeks off and then go straight back into it bowling for an hour straight and hitting these high workloads without much use in the Christmas period.

 

TIP – Interval training that simulates cricket conditions is a great way to stay in shape and it doesn’t take too long! You can get a good volume in over 20 – 30 mins.

 

2. WORK ON YOUR TECHNICAL AREAS WHEN BATTING

Back to basics! I think it’s a good thing to have a rest to recharge the batteries, but if you feel you want to keep moving and training, an emphasis on rehashing the basics through remedial drills will give you that tune-up you need. You may have fallen into bad habits with your training or found a technical flaw has crept into your game over the season and using this time to go back and simplify your training and technique can work wonders for your second half of the season.

 

TIP – work on areas such as balance, hands/head position, bat plane etc. Basics like hitting the back net, top hand/bottom hand isolation, playing the ball late, moving your feet all the way to the ball or all the way back, making solid decisions. These are all key fundamentals that you can emphasise and work on in a short period that can make massive inroads to your game when you get back to playing your club season.

 

3. MID-SEASON REVIEW

An underrated area for so many players. You are giving yourself a great opportunity to pause, assess and plan in the middle of your competition. Not many people can say they are able to do that in their chosen sport. If used effectively, this can be a catalyst to growth and increased performance. If neglected, you are well on your way to repeating your bad habits you may have had a chance to correct. Sit back with someone who knows your game well and you respect their opinion. Try and identify key areas of performance that you think you may need to spend time working on. Once you have a clear picture of this, map out a plan on how you are going to work on these individual aspects to ensure that you can make the best impact possible when you start your training back up!

 

4. IMPROVE NON-PHYSICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

You can make massive inroads in your development without hitting and bowling thousands of balls each week in your time off. Look at your knowledge of the game, go through any tactical or mental skills required to perform in the game of cricket, and start developing your own blueprint for these.

 

From our experience some key areas of the game that players lack clarity and understanding in are:

  • Understanding what stage of the game you are in and how to play in that situation
  • Developing clear batting and bowling plans depending on the type of bowler/batter you are coming up against
  • How to set fields effectively
  • Using your time between balls effectively

 

If you are the type of player who doesn’t want to switch off fully during the holiday period I challenge you to look at these 4 options and spend some time on them over this holiday period.

 

Players need to rest, but they also need to continue to tick over slightly during this time if you are having an extended break. The aim is not to burn you out but ensure that when you do come back to your club training and games, you are adequately prepared physically, mentally, and technically to hit the ground running, avoid injury, and perform at your best!

 

Enjoy your holiday period, take some time away from cricket and try and avoid burnout. If you are looking to get a bat or ball in hand, make sure you have some structure and add value to the sessions you do. Your time with bat or ball in hand doesn’t have to be at the same level of time as normal training may be but use the time you do have wisely and you will reap the rewards at the back end of the season!

 

Take care and happy holidays! 🎅🏻🎄

Joel Hamilton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article Author: Joel Hamilton

 

/1 Comment/by
,

Good vs Great Fast Bowlers

Below, guest blogger and ACI Coach, Josh Nevett gives us his top 4 tips on the difference between a good and a great fast bowler.

As a player climbs the ranks of fast bowling, it becomes clear that the margin between a good and great fast bowler can be very small. This blog will look to help young fast bowlers bridge that gap and achieve their fast bowling goals.

 

1. YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE

The harsh reality for any cricketer, but more specifically fast bowlers, is that progression is directly limited by the lack of a strong, healthy, and fit body. Skill with the ball is definitely vital, but the lack of a strong physical base to complement this will eventually result in a lesser ability to bowl long spells, more difficulty focusing over the course of a bowling day, longer required recovery periods for future training/matches and the more regular occurrence of injury. These inhibiting factors don’t even include the limits that poor physical condition places on increasing bowling speed, which is what most fast bowlers desperately pursue!

Some of the physical requirements of great fast bowlers are as follows:

  • Cardiovascular endurance
  • Muscular endurance
  • Muscular power and flexibility

Gains in these areas are made through consistent cardiovascular training (running, cycling, swimming), gym-based strength programs (weights), and flexibility training (yoga, stretching). In addition to such training, a balanced diet and healthy sleeping habits will maximise the results gained from sessions. 

2. BOWLING TO PLANS - MATCHING THE BRAIN WITH THE BRAWN

Having the ability to bowl 140km/h and swing the ball both ways is enviable, but without carefully formulated bowling plans often the most highly regarded bowling skills go to waste. All of the great fast bowlers have multiple specific plans that they can call upon to focus their bowling in a variety of different situations. 

For example, an express quick may seek to utilise their pace by integrating short balls into their overs with both close and deep catching fielders on the legside to support this. A swing bowler may look to construct an over so that they swing the ball away from the batter for the first few balls before delivering a ball that swings into the stumps to target a bowled or LBW dismissal. 

Bowling plans require an understanding of the balls you want to bowl, the shots you want a batter to play, the dismissals you are aiming for, and then matching up field placements to complement this. As previously mentioned, it is best to have multiple plans available in order to combat different styles of batting. These plans should play to your individual strengths.

When you ‘just run in and bowl’, you are more prone to emotions and external factors impacting your performance negatively, so plans are essential to narrowing your focus and creating a blueprint that you have full confidence in on matchday. 

3. EMBRACING CHALLENGES - WANT THE BALL

Bowlers will face the full spectrum of bowling conditions over the course of their playing days. There will be days where the pitch is green and skies are overcast, and others where the opposition are 0/200 on a flat pitch under the boiling sun. Regardless of this, truly great bowlers will consistently show the passion, confidence, and resilience to want the ball in all game situations, embracing challenges as a growth opportunity.

By shying away from tough scenarios where taking wickets or limiting runs is less than likely, bowlers cost themselves the learnings that are required to tackle the same situation when it inevitably reoccurs in the future. Hopefully, after reading this you put some consideration into developing bowling plans.  Tough, pressure-laden match situations are the perfect time to use these plans. 

Furthermore, many of the best bowlers are picked on their ability to execute in tough situations alone e.g. specialist death bowlers and specialist middle overs bowlers. Most of the time, these players don't receive much assistance from the conditions or opposition, but they play a vital role in the team sport that is cricket. 

In conclusion, approaching all bowling situations with a positive attitude and clear focus will ensure that you get the most out of yourself as a fast bowler. 

4. PREPARING TO PERFORM - TRAIN WITH PURPOSE

Training habits are a key area that contributes to the 5-10% difference between good and great fast bowlers. Let’s paint a picture of the key differences.

A good fast bowler will go to training on time, bowl a large load of overs, perhaps take some wickets in the nets, and bowl in good areas. But, they also may be bowling 2ft no-balls without considering proper routines. Perhaps they are going against the principle of avoiding ‘just run in and bowl’. If you were to sum it up, they train without purpose. The consequence of this is that training becomes a practice of maintaining rhythm and fitness rather than pursuing genuine improvement. 

On the other hand, great fast bowlers approach every session with a clear focus. Whether it's trialing a new bowling plan, honing in the accuracy of a new variation ball, or addressing a delivery stride technical flaw, there is always a goal that is geared towards improvement. In order to achieve this, great fast bowlers also aren’t afraid of asking their coaches and teammates questions, a habit that reaps the benefits of multiple experienced opinions. 

 

Article Author: Josh Nevett

ACI Academy Coach

/0 Comments/by
, ,

5 Powerful Traits of Professional Cricketers That You Can Adopt

I’ve always been fascinated by the way people are so quick to discourage their abilities and automatically neglect the important elements of their game outside the technical side of cricket.

I see and hear so many cricketers talk the talk, “I want to play at this level” or “I’m going to have a big pre-season”, but when it comes to the crunch with another year completed and no changes made, the player wonders why they’re not getting what they want out of their game.

 

I’ve been lucky enough to surround myself with many professional cricketers, either in work, play or friendships, and have seen the amount of time, blood, sweat, and tears that goes into their development to ensure that they give themselves every possible chance they can to make it at the top level.

I’m sure you’ve read all the quotes and memes plastered all over the internet that relate to excellence, performance, etc. They’re great but get kind of old when you see or hear them repeatedly and no real action gets taken from them.

Below, I’ve plucked out what I see as the '5 most powerful traits of professional cricketers' and how anyone can adopt them. If you do, I can tell you right now, your game is going to improve and funnily enough, it’s nothing to do with the skills of cricket!

Players need to realise that just because you aren’t at that elite level doesn’t mean you can’t adopt these traits and hold yourself accountable to them. This alone is a major reason why elite players have gotten to the level they have, and very likely that if you adopt these traits, you too will start to see a massive improvement in your game.

 

1. COMMITMENT

An easy one to start off with but very hard for many to follow through on. The best cricketers aren’t flaking on a session, they are getting up when their alarm goes off to had to their early morning gym session/run/pilates. The better players are forgoing that burger and soft drink or going out to a party the night before their game/training. They do this because they have made a commitment to get better and perform to their best and this is one of the very easiest and earliest traits to control. It’s a matter of choice!

 

2. ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Elite cricketers have great attention to detail.  Whether it be in their training, their preparation, reviewing with their coaches, or general routine. Just simply showing up and doing it to tick the box isn’t going to change a thing. As a cricketer striving to get better, really try to pay attention to how you do things and the level at which you do them.

 

3. SELF BELIEF

The best players have a belief that their best is good enough. Don’t get me wrong, they still suffer from performance anxiety or negative self-talk from time to time, but an overarching belief in their own game and confidence to perform is a very important factor in producing a high level of performance consistently. Some of this comes down to preparation. The more prepared players are before the big day, the more confident they'll be at achieving their goals on game day.

 

4. BE ANALYTICAL

Not all players are great when it comes to analysing their own game. I guarantee you that every player who at least tries to see what has gone well and what hasn’t will improve going forward. No player of quality who performs at a high level on a consistent basis packs their gear up, gets in the car, and doesn’t think about what they’ve done ever again. Having a structured review process provides players the ability to identify areas of strength, where they may have gone wrong, and what needs to happen to prepare for next week. It also helps their mental state if they have had a bad day and gives them a chance to close that chapter quickly without stewing over it for the week. Instead, they move on quickly, ready for that next chance to progress.

 

5. OWNERSHIP & MATURITY

Probably one of the toughest ones I see players being able to grasp. This is a genuine, look yourself in the mirror component and stop blaming others for non-selection / lack of success, etc. It's important to own your actions, be accountable, and mature about how you react to certain situations that don’t go your way.  Use it as a learning curve. The best players in the world are honest with themselves and don’t point fingers. You can easily do this too and once you do, don’t be surprised to see some serious growth and who knows, maybe some line calls going your way as well!

 

All in all, I think the biggest advice that I would give to players (and I have numerous times) is just because you aren’t a professional/elite cricketer doesn’t mean you can’t think, train and prepare like one. If you are improving your standards, then the only way is up!

 

 

Joel Hamilton

 

 

 

 

 

Article Author: Joel Hamilton

ACI Owner & Managing Director 

/2 Comments/by