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 I really hope a dragon slayer destroys these cricket myths soon.
They are dragons that stop perfectly decent players doing a good job. Instead of a focus on the powerful things we can do to improve our game, we cower, afraid of the excuse dragons. It's time to go out with swords of truth to hunt every one down.
If you have ever said - or thought - any of the following it's OK to admit it. We all have at some point. This is a place where we can start again and get to the slaying.
So let's slay these dragons:
1. "Conditions were not right today"
Conditions are never right. Good players are capable in any conditions for both practice and play.
If it rains and you are confined to indoor nets for weeks you are not training the same way as you are playing but you can still adapt. If the outfield at your home ground is poor you need to get better at fielding, not change teams; everyone plays on bad grounds sometimes.
Whatever your conditions, instead of thinking "this isn't right, I can't do it", think "this is not perfect, but how can I adapt to the situation?"
You know which one will give you better results in the long term.
2. "Great bowlers don't bowl bad balls"
This is a classic undercurrent of old players looking back on the good old days: Old Jim never bowled a half volley and the one time he did he was taken off and dropped.
We know that it's poppycock. If old Jim was that good why was he playing club cricket?
In modern times we have found out that great bowlers bowl a lot of bad balls. Even the best Test bowlers will give you something every 10 balls. You don't have to panic if you bowl a bad ball, a bad over or even a bad spell.
Instead, relax about accuracy and focus on your goal. If you are a bowler keep working hard on your wicket ball. If you are a batsman, remember you are rarely more than 5 balls from another one you can hit.
3. "We lost because our tactics were wrong"
It's very rare to see actually bad tactics. Even very inexperienced teams have a plan. It might be "pitch it up, hit the stumps, set a ring field". Perhaps it's "set a platform in the first 15, rotate the strike in the middle and hit out in the last 10". Those are good tactics.
Where all tactics go wrong are in the execution. If you don't do your job well, all tactics fail.
What that means is you need to review your tactics in the light of how well you put them into action, and not whether you won or lost.
4. "Cricketers don't need to be strong"
This myth so often comes from "touch" batsmen who are looking for reasons to bat more and not bother with the gym. However, it can also emerge as "I don't want to get bulky" from any player.
First, you won't get bulky. Not if you train for cricket-specific power rather than bodybuilding.
Second, everyone is better when they are stronger: Spinners, touch batsmen, power hitters, fast bowlers. Everyone. There is no evidence that timing is upset, but there is tons of evidence that you have more stamina, fewer injuries, better concentration, bigger hitting range with the bat and more speed or rip with the ball. It's a total no-brainer.
5. "You should never tinker with bowling technique"
"Tinkering" is a loaded word. Have you noticed it's only used when a technical change has a negative effect on a player?
In fact, to build skill, you need to experiment, adjust and experiment again. That is the exact definition of tinkering. Yes, this process is messy with lots of dead ends and mistakes. We like to think that we all have a natural action that just needs to be left alone. But if you never tried anything new, you would never improve.
Instead of fearing change, pick the right time to tinker, and tinker like crazy. Each mistake is one less towards getting it right for you.
6. "You need overs under your belt to bowl well"
Harbhajan Singh once took 4-32 in a cup final without doing a jot of practice. He had taken the previous four months off on holiday.
Are you sure you need overs under your belt?
Of course, Harbhajan is capable of picking up a cricket ball and putting it where he wants without thinking about it. It's all muscle memory and - like riding a bike - once it is ingrained you don't forget. Plus, he is all about self-confidence. He knows he is capable of doing his job even after a long break. He doesn't care about form.
If you are less sure of your action, or you feel a little low on confidence, you might need some more overs under your belt than others. BUt never think that just bowling extra overs will make you better. It won't on it's own. You need to practice with purpose.
Ad for you batsmen, the same applies: Balls faced in nets is an unreliable indicator of success in the middle.
7. "We did poorly because went quiet in the field"
How often, when things are going badly in the field, do you hear someone say "we are a bit flat" or "we have gone quiet"?
But wait.
You can't make a hollering when you are getting smashed about. You "go quiet". It doesn't mean that you have given up on winning. It means you are focusing on something more important than making pointless noise. You are trying to put your skills into action. Sometimes you need a bit of focus to do that.
A bowler might feel encouraged by hand clapping. She will feel even better if you take catches, throw yourself into dives and back up like crazys. In other words, it's far more important to be well drilled, calculating and efficient than it is to be loud.
The latter springs from the former.
So, yes; dragons are scary.
But armed with the truth, we can kill every one. We just need to work together to make it happen.
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