When training for difficult operations, the US Navy SEAL commanders insist on "situations that are exponentially more stressful, chaotic, and dynamic than any combat operation".

They train hard so they can win easy.

This is a superb principle for cricket too.

If your training is tougher, more stressful and scarier than the games you play, you will find a few things happen,

• Game situations suddenly seem much easier.
• You know how to stay focused when under stress.
• You feel closer to your team mates and want to do well for them.
• You score more runs, take more wickets and win more games.

The key is to be challenged at every session. If you rock up, hit a few balls, turn your arm over and go home you won't get these benefits. If you walk away from a session feeling exhilarated, exhausted, stressed, frustrated and challenged, you will know much more about yourself.

So, challenge yourself to make every session about some kind of "overload", that is to say; more intense in some way than a match. It could be,

• Physical effort.
• Skill overload (for example, learning a new shot).
• Intense pressure. In my mind this is one of the most important elements to practice because it's so hard to recreate.
• Unfairness and standing about.

You don't need to do them all, but you do need to go into every session with an aim to use it to be ready to succeed in your next "mission".

My challenge to you is to arrive at every net session with this principle in mind. Can you maintain it? Even when the going is tough and you feel a little afraid to push yourself?

If you can you are on the road to becoming a cricketer.