Ask the Readers | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

Ask the Readers: What is your role?

 

What is your role in your cricket team? Leave a comment in the comments section to discuss it.

Ask the readers: How do you encourage your bowlers?

What do you say in the field to keep the team focused and energised?

I have a bit of a reputation at my club for trying to come up with new things to say to gee up the bowlers.

After all it can be repetitive saying "Come on lads" every other ball.

Already this season I earned the new nickname. I decided to encourage a bowler to take a second wicket quickly by shouting:

"Come on then let's have another. Bang, bang"

Ask the Readers: What's your perfect batting order?

How do you pick your batting order?

Do you flout convention? Do you put giving everybody a go above winning the match? Or vice versa?

There are a number of things to consider:

Ask the Readers: What's more important for a coach?

Should players consider the playing experience of a coach or should they just go on how good a coach is and ignore their playing record?

It seems I stirred a little controversy this week. So I thought I would find out what you think too.

The whole thing started when miCricketCoach Show host Kevin and I were talking about the experience a coach needs to help a player make it to the professional game. I aired my views, it seem innocuous at the time.

Ask the readers: What would increase your mental toughness?

How often do we hear of top players with ability but without the mental strength to fight through?

To me, this demonstrates how cricket, at every level, can be a game of confidence. Technique, talent and fitness are important, but without the ability to ride success and shrug of failure it's all worthless.

With that in mind my question to you is:

How mentally tough are you and what would you like to learn about to improve it?

Ask the Readers: How do you play Twenty20

This year seems to be the year of Twenty20 cricket.

The IPL has been in the news headlines and the World Twenty20 in England is set to be the highlight of the ICC major tournaments program. For me, part of the reason the game has become so popular is that is started in England where cricketers play 20 over evening cricket. It was a format that was recognisable and short enough to be exciting.

Ask the Readers: Can technology improve coaching?

You may have noticed we have had a big focus this week on technology in cricket coaching. Now I want to know your opinions:

Can technology help cricketers become better?

Leave a comment at the bottom of this article and let us know your thoughts on all things technology.

Ask the Readers: What should Chris do?

Chris is a reader with a dilemma. He has emailed in to seek advice. What do you think he should do?

The back story

Chris is a 28 year old club cricketer playing in the UK. He has had some success but never made it to a high enough level to play professionally. He still has ambitions to play a good level of club cricket, perhaps even at representative level.

Ask the Readers: How is your season (or off season) going?

As you know, I'm looking for someone to be the Case Study for 2009. With that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to get some more informal views of how everyone is playing and preparing at the moment.

So how is your season (or off season if you are in the winter like me) going?