Isn't it strange that naturally talented cricketers always talk about how hard they work?

We tend to assume that if you are naturally good at something, you don't need to work at it. The naturals don't do a jot of work and do brilliantly, while us "normals" have to work hard or we might as well give up.

It's one of my biggest frustrations when I hear someone say "I realised I just wasn't any good, so I gave up". In my mind, the response to realising you are "no good" is to work harder and smarter! That's what the really successful players do.

Success in cricket is not a straight road reserved for those with God-given talent. It's a maze to negotiate that takes grit and time. No matter how far back you start in that maze, there is a way through.

Talent and hard work are not exclusive things, they work together.

If you let them.