Masterclass: What Is Your Job?
Below I have provided some guidelines on developing a clear and simple plan to succeed which may provide you with some ideas to compliment your current planning process.
Point #1: Identify your job in as much detail as you can, so you know clearly what it is.
A good starting point is to ask yourself the question ‘What does my team need me to do in this situation’. When you have worked out what you need to do you then need to work out how you will do it, which is where you plan comes in.
Ponit #2: Develop a simple, realistic plan that will allow you to do your job.
Keep it simple, my personal plan, simply stated is defend on the stumps, score or leave width. My key technical points are to be as stable as possible and hit as straight as I can for each shot.
Ponit #3: Knowing your job will help you to make better decisions in the middle.
If an openers plan was to open the batting and bat through the innings to score a big hundred for his team, he may identify that in order to do this he will leave all the balls he faces on a good length outside off-stump and that all balls on this line that are full he will drive and all the balls short on this line will be cut. Weather you have the same plan yourself doesn’t matter, the point is that in order to achieve a larger goal the player has identified a plan that will guide his action. It will be up to the player to execute his plan but at least he will have a sense of purpose to guide him through the decisions he must make in his innings.
Ponit #4: Thinking is hard but the effort to plan is worth it. Use your mind to get the best out of your skills.
Being in control of your thoughts, in my view is the critical factor in being successful as it determines how well you will apply your mind to the job you need to do (your plan). Having a plan will guide you in the process of understanding your game and getting the most from your skills.
Point #5: Take responsibility for yourself; work out your job on your own.
I don’t think it is up to the captain to work out your job for you, if the job is against the team interests your captain will soon tell you and if your job is to help the team to win by scoring lots of runs and taking lots of wickets the captain will love it. It doesn’t make sense to ask someone else for help until you have had a go at fixing your problem yourself, it’s your Saturday, it’s your time, work how you want to play and do it, anyway your know your game better than anyone else. Your captain and other senior players can help you but it should not be up to someone else to work out your job for you. The best way to learn is to work it out for yourself; they are your runs, your wickets, your figures and your average, take responsibility for them.
Point #6: Work out what your job in the team is and go out and enjoy the challenge of putting your plan into place.
We all get nervous and worried about failing at times, enjoying the great challenge that playing cricket provides will increase your chances of success, if you enjoy something you do it well!
Good luck
Mark
Below I have provided some guidelines on developing a clear and simple plan to succeed which may provide you with some ideas to compliment your current planning process.
Point #1: Identify your job in as much detail as you can, so you know clearly what it is.
A good starting point is to ask yourself the question ‘What does my team need me to do in this situation’. When you have worked out what you need to do you then need to work out how you will do it, which is where you plan comes in.
Ponit #2: Develop a simple, realistic plan that will allow you to do your job.
Keep it simple, my personal plan, simply stated is defend on the stumps, score or leave width. My key technical points are to be as stable as possible and hit as straight as I can for each shot.
Ponit #3: Knowing your job will help you to make better decisions in the middle.
If an openers plan was to open the batting and bat through the innings to score a big hundred for his team, he may identify that in order to do this he will leave all the balls he faces on a good length outside off-stump and that all balls on this line that are full he will drive and all the balls short on this line will be cut. Weather you have the same plan yourself doesn’t matter, the point is that in order to achieve a larger goal the player has identified a plan that will guide his action. It will be up to the player to execute his plan but at least he will have a sense of purpose to guide him through the decisions he must make in his innings.
Ponit #4: Thinking is hard but the effort to plan is worth it. Use your mind to get the best out of your skills.
Being in control of your thoughts, in my view is the critical factor in being successful as it determines how well you will apply your mind to the job you need to do (your plan). Having a plan will guide you in the process of understanding your game and getting the most from your skills.
Point #5: Take responsibility for yourself; work out your job on your own.
I don’t think it is up to the captain to work out your job for you, if the job is against the team interests your captain will soon tell you and if your job is to help the team to win by scoring lots of runs and taking lots of wickets the captain will love it. It doesn’t make sense to ask someone else for help until you have had a go at fixing your problem yourself, it’s your Saturday, it’s your time, work how you want to play and do it, anyway your know your game better than anyone else. Your captain and other senior players can help you but it should not be up to someone else to work out your job for you. The best way to learn is to work it out for yourself; they are your runs, your wickets, your figures and your average, take responsibility for them.
Point #6: Work out what your job in the team is and go out and enjoy the challenge of putting your plan into place.
We all get nervous and worried about failing at times, enjoying the great challenge that playing cricket provides will increase your chances of success, if you enjoy something you do it well!
Good luck
Mark
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