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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 

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The Importance of Wisdom in Cricket

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW"

 

This quote is the basis for this week's blog, written by ACI Coach Josh Matthews. One of his favourite quotes, it epitomises what he believes in as a person, cricket player & coach. 

 

It determines that to reach your potential as a player and person, you must first understand that you simply do NOT know everything, and your ability to take in information and process it will have a huge impact on how close you get to maximising this potential.

It is so easy to get caught in the trap of “I know what’s best and what works”, however through my personal experience, I can honestly tell you that this is very rarely the case. A personal example for me would be the way in which I coach a certain technique - let’s go with my most recent example, throwing at the stumps. I have always taught players that their throwing arm should be extended back almost as far as they could go, I was certain this was the best way. Why was I certain? Because I didn’t know what I didn’t know! It only occurred to me that there was a better way through the knowledge & wisdom of a coach more experienced than me physically showing me and taking me through the reasoning for this… Once I was shown a more effective way, it was an instant reminder that I must always continue to learn as there is so much information out there that I am unaware of. 

 

LISTENING TO VARYING OPINIONS

As a player your ability to execute a skill or read a certain situation comes down to your abilities & knowledge of the game. What is exciting for you, is that both of these skills can be developed through listening to others' wisdom. 

Wisdom definition: the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

If you are wanting to play your best cricket, then it is crucial you take advice from people who know more than you do. An example of this would be the way in which you are executing a certain drill, a cover drive for instance. There are 100’s of different theories on how you SHOULD play a cover drive, however, at the end of the day, there is no singular answer for what is the BEST technique. The best players in the world have the ability to LISTEN to varying opinions and is what separates them from the rest. Additionally, an effective listener will generally be more effective at determining what does and doesn’t work for them. 

 

DECIDE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU

The beauty of listening to varying opinions is you now have the ability to dissect each option and work out for yourself what works for you. As previously mentioned, different things work for different people, however, if you are willing to acknowledge and interpret varying opinions, you will be in the best position to make the correct one. 

Are you always going to get it right? NO! It’s not quite that easy, however as is the case with playing in the V, increasing your chance of succeeding is always attractive. 

Another important concept to remember is that you are always evolving and developing, and with these changes come different ways in which to do things. However, if you have listened well in the past, you just never know when someone's theories or thoughts might suddenly click for you. 

 

HINT: Always strive to have a GROWTH MINDSET. You can learn more about the differences in Fixed & Growth Mindsets here: https://fs.blog/2015/03/carol-dweck-mindset/

 

HOW TO IDENTIFY WISDOM

You might be asking yourself, well how do I know who to listen to? There are a number of varying factors that determine who may have some information useful to you. Some of these are, but are not limited to: 

  • Age of the person 
  • Experience of the person 
  • The expertise of the person 
  • Respect you have for that person 

These are some very generic qualities of people who you should listen to. My personal opinion and experience would suggest that you should listen to all opinions and thoughts, as you will take in different pieces of information which will help shape the way you think. 

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are always going to be people out there who know more than you do, and your ability to understand and use that to your advantage is what will separate you from other players. You do not know what you do not know - the faster you can begin to learn what you do not know, the faster you will begin to grow as a player and a person. 

Take this advice and use it in all parts of your life including school, friendships, sports & family… hopefully, it will serve you well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article Author: Josh Matthews

ACI Coach

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How To Identify Your Strengths

Below, guest blogger and ACI Coach, Josh Nevett gives us his top tips to identify your cricketing strengths.

In cricket, the difference between good and great players is often in the mental and strategic side of the game rather than raw skill-set or physicality. Players who have a small set of strengths that they actively utilise as often as possible generally succeed over players with a wide range of skills but no understanding of how best to use them. This article will recommend practices that can be used to identify strengths so that you are able to develop your own unique cricketing identity with complete confidence in your personal skills and strategies.

 

SEEK FEEDBACK FROM COACH / EXPERIENCED PLAYERS

Often we can look at our own cricketing skill-sets with a perspective that is biased and warped, preventing us from achieving honest and objective self-analysis. This can be due to a variety of reasons, but the main impact is that we either underestimate or overestimate our abilities in certain facets of cricket. You may think that you don't play the ball well off the back foot, but perhaps this is just due to a recent dismissal you’re lingering on, poor shot selection, or a lack of practice in training. So, the question remains, how do we solve this problem and gain an accurate understanding of our strengths?

One remedy is to seek the opinions of those who are less likely to be influenced by factors that may make our judgments unreliable; your coaches and the senior players around you. These individuals will be invested in making you a better cricketer and realise that honesty is the best policy in pursuit of this. As a result, they will assist you to quickly and accurately identify strength areas through observation of your performances and discussion with you. Experience is invaluable throughout this process, as coaches have likely identified your strengths in other players in the past. 

REVIEW YOUR PERFORMANCE AFTER GAMES & TRAINING TO FIND PATTERNS

As alluded to above, one well-played shot or perfect delivery may not signal an overall strength, but a pattern of successful skill execution over time is definitely a strong indicator of a personal strength. The best way to distinguish between these two things is to engage in an ongoing process of performance review, noting what skills you performed well and didn’t perform well after both matches and training matches. As a bowler, did you have success swinging the ball one way or another? Which balls did the batter struggle most to play? With the bat, where did you score the majority of your runs? Which bowlers did you feel most comfortable facing?

By addressing these questions on a regular basis and physically logging down your reflections, over time patterns will hopefully emerge that reveal to you your most strong areas. Similar to the recommendation above, feel free to engage others you trust in this process. 

FILM YOUR SESSIONS TO FIND AREAS THAT YOU DO WELL

The process of reflection and analysis is made a whole lot easier by access to video footage. Filming your sessions will allow you to support some assumptions about your strengths whilst also challenging others, providing a useful resource for future comparison and ongoing feedback. 

You may know that you flick the ball well through the legside on the front foot, but watching back video of a training session may reveal that you take balls from the off stump and wider through the legside, enhancing your knowledge of your strength. Or, on the bowling side, analysis of footage might show that you get your wrist in an excellent position to bowl inswing, but until now you hadn't considered that as a regular strategy. 

Video footage goes a long way towards accounting for the 5-10% of uncertainty you have about the conclusions that you and your coaches have come to, it provides clear evidence of the highlights and shortcomings of your game. 

MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE THINGS YOU DO WELL TO CREATE YOUR STRENGTHS

Sometimes, even after persistent analysis and reflection, the areas you perform well in may seem disjointed and not form cohesive strengths. In this situation, it is best to write down all of the individual skills that you execute well and then try to link them together into strength areas. 

For example, you might decide that you use your feet well and have strong shot selection against spin. These two skills can be joined to create the strength ‘getting to the pitch of spin bowling’. As a bowler, if you bowl both slower balls and yorkers very well, then you are likely to excel at bowling in the death overs of limited-overs matches. In the field, if you have a strong distance throwing arm and are comfortable under high catches then outfielding is likely to be a strength area.

As you can see from the examples above, it becomes a much easier process to identify strengths when all of your skills are set out in front of you. 

 

Article Author: Josh Nevett

ACI Academy Coach

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Struggling with motivation in lockdown? Ask yourself these 5 questions

Are you struggling with motivation in lockdown? These 5 underlying questions will help transform the way you see the world around you and construct a positive environment for success.

At high school, I had the opportunity to listen to the late Tommy Hafey speak, former AFL/VFL coach - a remarkable individual who inspired a generation of footballers and Australian’s to do better. His life lessons have stuck with me to this day. To be driven to succeed and never stop learning every single day was the essence of his methodology for success. It inspired this piece and sparked some ideas in my head this week of how I can remain on top of things even when the situation might not be completely ideal or exactly how I would prefer it. Resilience will never do you wrong.

 

"Desire plus dedication plus discipline plus determination equals your destination"

You can read more about Tom Hafey’s philosophy here.

 

The perfect place to start is by reading and soaking in information, to find what’s applicable for you. Whether that be on the internet, a podcast, audiobook, youtube, a book, or newspaper. So, what are you waiting for?

Choose one thing you can read this weekend and make it the first thing you do each day. The old adage that "readers are leaders" could not be more true! It will certainly give you a greater insight into other people's stories and world events that will exact a greater perspective of our very fortunate reality here at home.

Taking lessons from those around you and people who have gone before you is a key component to having a growth mindset so you can constantly progress. It may be from your parents, teammate, or yes… even your cricket coach! Basically, anyone that genuinely cares and wants to help and has provided constructive & thoughtful feedback.

There is always an opportunity to learn, a stance that another esteemed AFL coach Kevin Sheedy took with him throughout his coaching career. (Yes, different sports can learn from each other). The Olympics is yet another example of self-sacrifice and dedication on display from some of the world’s and Australia's finest athletes. 

Overcoming adversity isn’t just a part of sport, but life and our greater purpose. Sport can provide unlimited lessons we can draw from team success, individual persistence, failure, and advancing yourself even when you feel stuck. I encourage you to find your limits and push them to get the absolute most out of yourself.

 

Now take a pen and paper, find a quiet space and ask yourself the following questions. Take your time.

  1. What is my purpose?
  2. What am I doing well?
  3. What areas can I improve on?
  4. How can I help impact others around me in a positive way?
  5. What are some aspects that I find challenging / confronting and how can I begin to overcome them? 

 

The key to this is to be as specific as possible with your approach. Do not be blasè, general, or ambivalent. Dig deep and be honest with yourself. Even if it’s simple - if it’s making a change for the better you will reap the benefits, I guarantee you.

After reading Michael Holding’s book, ‘Why We Kneel, How We Rise’, it shook me into taking on board these inspiring events. It humbled me to the gravity of history and how learning from those gone before can help you remain focused and clear on what’s important in life. 

Disclaimer! If you do not practice a skill daily, you’ll never be able to master it. If you don’t progress and challenge yourself - you won’t improve. It’s all well and good to have a go at something and see a positive change. If you are serious, dedicated, and can find enjoyment in it - this is what brings long-term reward for effort. 

However, if you aren’t willing to stick with something, develop it, improve, learn, fail and constantly chip away at your goals - you will stall and end up right back where you started. 

Helpful hint: it’s not about doing one-off remarkable activities or achievements. Consistent and deliberate effort each and every day & ‘controlling the controllables’ will land you in the right place. You’ve just got to get stuck in and never let the desire halt. 

 

If you’re looking for some activities to do at home, check out our ACI Wellbeing program on YouTube we ran for kids right around the world last year: 

 

Seb Contos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article Author: Seb Contos

National Programs Manager

Australian Cricket Institute

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5 Tips To Help Your Child Learn From Missing Rep Selection

Representative cricket is considered to be the pinnacle for young players beginning their cricketing journey. It introduces many of them to ability-based selection for the first time, and those who are picked are exposed to high calibre players, coaches and facilities. 

However, the strong competition for places in rep squads means that inevitably most children who trial will miss out. Whilst this is undoubtedly disappointing for the individuals impacted, like any setback in life it should remain just that, a setback. Disappointment provides opportunities for reflection, perspective and growth, and improved outcomes in the long-term. 

So, how can parents assist their children to maintain a positive outlook after missing rep selection? 

1. ENCOURAGE & SUPPORT THEIR EXISTING COMMITMENTS

The great thing about sport is there is always another chance just around the corner! 

If your child is on the cusp of playing rep cricket then they are already likely to be playing club cricket and performing quite well, so it is crucial that parents encourage their children in this environment. Obviously, missing out on a rep team shouldn’t directly impact upon other passions and commitments, so it is up to parents to provide their child with the encouragement they need to continue their other activities.

2. IDENTIFY THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS & HOW FAR THEY'VE COME ALREADY

The road to representative consideration shouldn’t be forgotten. Your child has clearly excelled in their club or school cricket and by prompting them to reflect upon this a sense of achievement can be born, where it was perhaps lacking after missing selection. 

Identification of achievement and progression is also crucial to your child regaining trust in the efforts and processes they have undertaken to reach this point. A quick return to a growth and opportunity focused mindset through resilience will prepare a young player for future setbacks and can only be positive for long-term development. 

3. 'DON'T GET BITTER, GET BETTER'

It is a saying that is so simple, and yet so powerful. When a young player misses out on representative selection an instinct may be to direct anger towards the coaches, or the overall process. However, this cannot change the situation. 

On the other hand, we all have the ability to influence the future and by encouraging your child to focus their energy on improving skills and training smarter, your child will put themself in the best possible position to improve their selection outcome next time. 

Through practice, this can become part of a healthy growth mindset and will be an automatic response to seemingly negative events. At the end of the day, this is the best path towards goal achievement and self-betterment. 

4. OUTLINE THE BIG PICTURE & OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

Thankfully, in the present day, there are many developed and accessible pathways in the Australian cricket system. So, after missing out on selection it is important that you ensure your child is given this perspective. 

There will always be another opportunity, whether it's through future representative competitions, school cricket, junior club cricket or senior cricket, and young players should never feel constrained by a lack of opportunity. In fact, without an understanding of possible pathways players will often place much more pressure on themselves to perform, resulting in reduced performance. 

As mentioned previously, if your child has had the opportunity to challenge for a rep squad then they are definitely in the conversation to play at a higher level; as long as they maintain their belief and passion there will be a next chance sooner rather than later. 

5. HELP THEM ESTABLISH A PLAN OR GOALS TO GET TO WHERE THEY WANT TO BE

It’s easy to feel lost or anxious when events don’t go the way we planned, however much of this stress can be relieved if there is clarity about the future and a clear path ahead. 

Young players are far more likely to be optimistic for the future after missing a rep team if they can establish goals and methods of achieving these that are specific, realistic and achievable. It is important that these goals don't necessarily just focus on making future teams, but aim more specifically at holistic improvement. This kind of roadmap will instil confidence and reiterate to your child that there are many different ways of measuring success. 

Parents have a vital role to play in supporting their children throughout their journey in cricket, whether it be celebrating their achievements or encouraging them through more difficult periods. 

Representative cricket may be a great experience, but missing out is not the end of the world and the experience of not making a squad can ultimately have a hugely beneficial impact in the long run.

Guest Author: Josh Nevett

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