Masterclass:  Control The Controllables
Masterclass:  Dealing With Nerves And Fear Of Failure
10 Tips From David Freedman
Masterclass: The Art Of Fast Bowling – Brendan Drew

Cheers

Mark

Elite Cricket is very pleased to present this exclusive Masterclass article by Tasmanian paceman Brendan Drew.

Enjoy.

Cheers

Mark

Developing an effective action

Developing an effective bowling action needs to combine three main components. Firstly our natural technique, this is what comes naturally to us, you can’t turn Glenn McGrath into a Brett Lee. Secondly and what has been a focus of many coaches in recent years is developing a ‘safe’ action. The action that comes naturally to us may put us at risk of injury, therefore adjustments need to be made to reduce that risk.  Combining these two components to develop a safe and effective action will allow us as bowlers to get more consistency, bounce, swing and seam.

The key components of an effective bowling action are:

• A smooth and efficient run up.
• A strong load up with the ball making sure the ball doesn’t go behind our head.
• The back foot land in a strong position on the same angle as the top half of the body. If you have a side on action your back foot should land almost parallel with the crease and if you have a front on action your feet should land facing down the wicket.
• A strong front arm getting our front shoulder up and pulling down hard to create momentum for the bowling arm to follow.
• Making sure the bowling hand comes down straight behind the ball with a strong wrist
• Follow through with the bowling arm coming the trough to the opposite hip and the back leg driving through the crease.

Fast Bowling Tactics

Fast Bowling is an art best kept simple. Glenn McGrath is the perfect example. He had the very simple game of bowling at the top of off stump or just outside as often as possible while hitting the seam which allowed the ball to move either way off the seam.

Different bowlers can have slightly different tactics, someone like Brett Lee or Shaun Tait has the ability to bowl fast and intimidate batsmen with pace allowing them to be more attacking. For those of us that don’t have the ability to bowl over 150km/hr we have to adopt the mentality of Glenn McGrath. Most bowlers have a stock ball, this is the ball that they bowl the best and most consistently, as a fast bowler we try to bowl that stock ball as often as possible in the area that is uncomfortable for batsmen, the top of off stump. The way a batsman is playing may suggest that a variation may be effective. Generally in domestic cricket fast bowlers tend to swing or seam the ball away from right hand batsman and bowl variations depending on what the bowler sees in the batsman’s technique.

Working a Batsmen Out

Most Batsmen have strengths and weaknesses it is our job as bowlers to identify these as early as possible in the batsman’s innings and develop a plan to either restrict the batsman by not allowing him to play to his strengths and develop a plan on the best way to bowl to the batsman’s weakness. Questions that we can ask as bowlers are:

• Does the batsman have a high back lift?
• Early in their innings batsman with a high back lift may be susceptible to a full quicker ball or Yorker
• Is the batsman strong or weak on one particular side of the wicket? This will determine what line is best to bowl for a player that is a strong off side player we may bowl straighter
• Does the batsman commit on the front foot too much or not enough? If a batsman commits too much to the front foot a bouncer may be effective and similarly if the batsman doesn’t move forward we can bowl a fuller length
• Does the batsman play with hard hand and in front of their body? Batsman with this technique may be susceptible to a slower ball, which can be bowled in a number of ways such as off or leg spinner, split finger or out of the back of the hand. These are all common methods used
• Does the batsman leave his stumps open staying leg side of the ball or does he walk across his stumps?  Batsmen that stay leg side of the ball may be susceptible to the ball that swings away from them where they may nick the ball to the waiting keeper and slips. Similarly batsmen that step across their stumps may be prone to get out LBW so bowling a few balls outside off stump to set up for a straighter ball on the stumps

In Closing

These are basic batting weaknesses that we as fast bowlers can identify pretty early in a Batsman’s innings. These tactics are all helpful things to look for to dismiss a batsman, generally if we as fast bowlers can bowl as many balls as possible in the “Corridor of uncertainty” or the top of off stump or just outside we are well on the way to a successful day with the ball.

Good luck.

Brendan Drew

Please find a link below to an article about swing bowling  for your information.  Enjoy.

Mark

The Science Of Swing

Cheers

Mark

1. Why do you choose to do this?

Whatever your focus or motivation for this upcoming season, it is crucial that you not lose sight of why you chose to set yourself these goals, and why you choose to become the best player you can be. Is it to improve every aspect of your game? Is it to become fitter and stronger, and thus enabling you to play better? Whenever you feel as though you’re heading off the path, always go back to why.

2. You feel as though you’re failing at what you are trying to accomplish

Stop focusing on the negatives! Start thinking positives and be proud of yourself for all the accomplishment’s you have made. I have failed many times, and I welcome each time I fail at a task. Why? Because it enables me to learn from my mistakes, and to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Each failure brings me closer to succeeding as I can come back with the fortitude and knowledge.

Remember – “You fail, and that is why you eventually will succeed.”

3. Patience is a virtue

Accept the fact that there is going to be times, during your season where you will want to pack it all in and start with something else. Wether it be a terrible net session, or consistent bad nutrition, you’ll want to pack it all in. Also accept the fact that your mind will want to work against you; you’ll start to question why you are putting in all of this hard work and effort, and for what? Don’t let that be the catalyst for your downfall. As soon as you feel these thoughts coming on, take a second to sit back and ponder for a moment. Patience is a major key to accomplishing any goal and just because you’re enduring a tough period in your season or in your life, doesn’t mean you can’t soar through it. Evaluate, accept, adapt and change.

4. Feel comfortable and happy with what you are doing

Whilst the team at Elite Cricket are all trained professionals and genuinely will help you to improve your game, you should always feel comfortable with what you’re doing and feel happy, and never forcing yourself to train, as that defeats the purpose.

From a fitness perspective, as I mention to my clients – I will never force you to put in the hard slog, and by the same token, I don’t want my clients to feel as though they HAVE to put in the effort. I want you as cricketers to feel excited and happy, knowing that our training systems are guiding you to be the best cricketer you can be, and enjoy the fact knowing your mind and body is becoming stronger, faster, leaner and fitter.

5. Accept and Understand

Reiterating what I stated in point 3 – it is crucial that you must understand and accept the fact, that some times it won’t be easy. You will get tired. You will feel that all your work is in vain. Set your goals that are realistic and not ridiculous. We are always here to support you in any way we can, but it is you who must make the choice to take that step forward, knowing what awaits you.

6. You’re not alone

No matter who you are, you always have support around you. Our team is there for one purpose – to ensure you get the best out of your cricket, and be the best person you can be. There is nothing that would please us more than to see one of our students progress through the ranks of our junior programs and into Grade Cricket.

7. Avoid negative distractions

This isn’t always the easiest task, but where possible, avoid negative distractions and look for the positives in every situation. During your life, there will be people and environments that will hinder your growth as a cricketer and as a person. Never feel forced into doing anything you don’t want to do, and sometime’s it’s good to walk your own path, be your own person.

8. Be Proud

Be proud of who you are, and the steps you are taking to become a better cricketer and person. The attitude you reflect should be an indicator of the work you are putting in, both on and off the field. You will find that your work ethic and attitude will rub off on those around you and if you set your mind to something and achieve it, how good is that going to feel? Think about that for a moment.

Stand tall, and work with your team and clubmates to set the lead.

Phillip Caruso

Cheers

Mark

Nutrition and Performance go hand in hand. The better your nutritional intake, the better your performance on field. Each individual player should understand the basics of eating correctly. I would assume that by you reading this article,  that you all have significant ambition to play at a higher and more elite level of the game. Whilst training hard, bending the back and running several singles is important to success, the following aspects outline, which I believe the harder, mental battle of cricketing nutrition. Below I have listed some important points, as outlined by nutritional expert John Beradi (www.johnberardi.com).

• Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what.
• You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.
• Eat complete lean protein (ie. Chicken Breast, Lean Veal, Fish) with each meal.
• Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.
• Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables (Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals).
• Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).
• Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).

It’s extremely important that you maintain good nutritional habits, if you are to play at a high level of cricket. Not doing so, will make you susceptible for injuries and your weight will suffer as a result, leading to poor performance and recovery times. Set an example for your club mates, by eating correctly 95% of the time.

Enjoy the process of knowing your body is changing for the better : it is getting leaner, stronger, faster and fitter. Below I have outlined a few tips on how to enjoy better nutrition:

• Don’t restrict yourself completely. Nobody expects you to be a mindless cyborg, eating nothing but Broccoli stems all day. Be creative with your foods, and find recipies that you enjoy and  that are healthy.
• Be responsible for what you eat/drink. If you plan to enjoy a late night out, or a big meal, adjust your intake accordingly. Example – If you plan to go out for a big carbohydrate dinner, ensure your intake during the day is low, so that you don’t go over your calorie intake for the day.
• If you feel like an unhealthy snack like a chocolate bar, then eat it. Why restrict yourself? Just ensure that A) You work hard to burn it off, and B) One chocolate bar doesn’t turn into 27. It will keep you level headed and enjoying the process.

Tips on Losing Weight

• Find out what your ‘’winning formula’’ is for losing weight. Every ‘body’ is different and each individual will respond differently to different foods etc.  Once you find your dietary ‘’winning formula’’ – it’s all downhill from there as you now know what process you need to put in place to lose weight.
• Breakfast: Majority of Carbohydrates for the day. Biggest Meal.
• Mid morning Snack: Again, made up of Low GI carbohydrates, but beginning to implement a protein source as well.
• Lunch: Will usually consist of a salad, or a chicken sandwich on Low GI bread. Here is when I will begin to eliminate and phase out my carbohydrates for the day.
• Mid afternoon Snack: Usually made up of protein, and/or some good fats such as almonds or walnuts.
• Dinner: Will only consist of a Lean Meat Source and Vegetables. No carbohydrates.

Why I phase carbohydrates out after lunch:

The body’s metabolism is like a furnace, the more smaller and more frequent meals you feed it, the faster and more efficient it is, thus improving the rate of fat being burned. As an athlete, you need carbohydrates to function on the field.

However, after lunch, studies have shown that the body’s metabolism tends to slow significantly, and keeps getting slower as the day and then evening goes on. By fueling your body early with the adequate, Low GI carbohydrates that it needs, you are allowing your body to use those carbohydrates when it really counts ie. Training.

However, by eating carbohydrates late in the day and/or night, what will you be really achieving? Nothing. Your training has been completed, and the excess energy that you take in will be stored as bodyfat as it will not be digested and utilised properly.

Why Low GI carbohydrates?

Studies have shown that the lower the GI of a food, the less likely it is to be stored as bodyfat, and is digested and utilised over longer periods of time, allowing you to A) Feel fuller, longer. B) Be able to sustain athletic function for longer periods, and C) Will keep your blood sugar low, keeping you level headed.

Why are white bread, pasta, rice not good?

The more starchy and simple a carbohydrate is, the more impact it has on your blood sugar levels. Have you ever eaten a high GI carbohydrate such as a bowl of pasta, or to a more damaging extent a candy bar? Have you noticed that you will gain a short amount of pleasure from eating it, however 30 minutes later feel hungry again?

This is because the rapid ‘’spike’’ of your blood sugar levels, due to the starchy, simple carbohydrate you have just eaten.

For more information on cricket nutrition and how to develop your own ‘winning formula’ for success, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team at Elite Cricket. Stay tuned for further articles on ‘How to eat for Strength and Weight Gains’, and ‘The Importance of Eating Organic’.

Phillip Caruso

Basically, this article talks about how Boony rarely, more so than any player I have played with, attempted to hit a good ball for runs. If you bowled him a good ball, he would respect it with a fortress like defensive stroke.   However, if you bowled to Boony in one of his key scoring areas, cut, drive and off his legs, he would pick off runs with machine like efficiency. This was part of the skill set that allowed him to play 106 tests in Australia’s top order against teams including the then formidable West Indies.

I was watching the 1st Ashes Test 2009 and noticed that at one stage Australia’s Mitchell Johnson bowled a 6 over spell where not one of the 36 balls bowled challenged the stumps, which allowed the batsmen to leave all of his deliveries.  Amazingly, Andrew Flintoff the England batsman decided to defend a ball that was missing the stumps by 70cm and nicked it straight to second slip!

Don’t make a Bad ball into a good one!  Flintoff made a bad ball into a good one in this case by defending a ball that could have been left alone.  In defending a ball he didn’t have to he was increasing his risk all for no reward!  Importantly, for a technical perspective when you defend ball wide of off-stump the bat face has to open up to reach the ball and you are playing away from your eye-line which further increase the risk associated with this already risky and pointless tactic!

As Marcus North demonstrated so well in his outstanding century in the same Test the only ball worthwhile hitting outside the line of off-stump is one you can score from.

Please find below an except from another article entitles The Art Of Leaving The Ball Outside Off-Stump and although leaving the ball may not sound like the most exciting part of cricket if you can master this skill it will make you harder to get out and give you more time at the crease which will make you more runs – which is exciting!

Here are the benefits of leaving balls outside off stump that you cannot score from:

• You are minimising the risk of caught behind the wicket by leaving ball wide of off stump and effectively making the slips fielders a wasted position.
• You can pressure the bowlers into changing their tactics and bowling straighter line, which will create leg side scoring opportunities.
• You are demonstrating to the bowlers that you will be selective in your choice of shots and therefore tough to get out.
• You are demonstrating that you value your wicket.
• You are giving yourself time to get comfortable at the crease.
• You can begin to develop a feel for what attacking opportunities will be available outside off-stump later in your innings by having a good look at the bowling while you adjust to the conditions.
• You can get your eye in and establish yourself at the crease at the most difficult part of your innings, the start.  If you bat for long enough you will make up the runs later as your confidence grows and the bowlers tire.

Cheers

Mark

So the stage is set, however the landscape has changed significantly for Australia since 2006-2007, no longer does Australia have it’s host of champions to turn to, gone from the last Ashes series are some of the greats of the game – Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, Hayden and Langer. Experienced performers like these not only control through the brilliance of their performances they also inspire their less experienced team mates with confidence and the self-belief that comes with knowing how to win.  They will be missed.

However despite the significant loss of such vast experience in a short time frame there is still plenty to like about this younger and aggressive Australian team including a strong if not settled batting line-up and a good pace bowling attack and team.

Although perhaps not producing the big scores that we have become accustomed to recently, my former Tasmanian teammate, Ricky Ponting is the premier batsman in the world and is to be underestimated at your peril. While I wouldn’t say that he needs runs, he will need to lead from the front with the bat and his contribution will be very significant for Australia. Simon Katich – Australia’s rock fought his way back into a baggy green through sheer weight of runs after losing his Cricket Australia contract for several seasons and can now be rightly ranked among the top batsmen in Test matches over the last 2 seasons. After starting Test cricket as a highly entertaining batsman Michael Clarke, through lots of hard work and careful thought now holds his wicket very dearly. With greater precision in his shot selection, a greater emphasis on meeting the ball with the full face of the bat and a more stable hitting and head position, he has transformed himself to a bankable test batsman of the highest quality.

Mike Hussey’s Bradman-like test batting average has come back to the field somewhat lately (now in the 50’s!). Complaining of staleness (an argument that doesn’t get much truck with most 9 to 5 ers) Hussey should be well rested and hopefully able to reach the standards of excellence we have come to expect from him. This is a big series for Hussey and he needs runs to avoid further questions about his place so he won’t lack for motivation. Philip Hughes has hit the ground running in international cricket and has youth and momentum on his side and it will be very interesting how the English respond to our newest batting star. Hughes aggression at the top of the order, in the Michael Slater style, is certainly not typical of an opener. His penchant for creating room on the back foot to slice his cut shot away behind point from the line of off-stump makes him hard to pin down as the South Africans found out. However this also provides a technical weakness that the English can exploit – whether they can or not is one of the big questions of the series. After a mixed start to test cricket Brad Haddin has grabbed his chance and is a fantastic, attacking option with the bat for Australia.

The real worry for Australia is the number 6 position and it appears that 3 candidates McDonald, Watson and North will contest this position. My firm belief is that no 6 is a specialist batting position and requires century making capability from the incumbent. On this count I would rule out Andrew McDonald for Test match cricket, although clearly he is a very a handy and competitive cricketer. Shane Watson has an excellent batting record at 1st class level but he is dogged by injuries and is yet to post a commanding performance in Test cricket with the bat and he must be running out of opportunities. My preference for no 6 would be Marcus North, he grabbed his chance in South Africa and is a highly competent and experienced player.

Australia’s pace bowling stocks are strong and the inclusion of Brett Lee and Stuart Clark will increase the depth of the squad and competition for places in the starting XI. Mitchell Johnson is perhaps the form pace bowler in the world at the moment and is at the peak of his game, with the worry for England being that he is starting to swing the ball. Peter Siddle is fast, aggressive and has grabbed his chance with both hands and must start. The third and fourth pace bowling spots in the test XII will be contested by Clark, Lee and Hilfenhaus and the selectors will have to think long and hard about this. I’d opt for Clark’s metronomic accuracy and steepling bounce and the swing and pace of Hilfenhaus. So, that leaves Lee out of the XII for the first test and this selection dilemma is a good problem to have. Champions like Lee cannot be written offer and it’s possible he will influence the series at some point.

Like the No 6 batting spot, the spinning spot is a worry for Australia with the significant difference being there are 3 candidates for the batting position and only Nathan Hauritz for the spinning spot. Like McDonald, Hauritz is a very good competitive player who has posted some strong one-day performances recently but is not an option for Test match cricket. Hauritz’s bowling is more effective in one-day matches where the batsmen are compelled to go after him, in Test and 1st class cricket where the onus is an the bowler to prize the batsman out, he is not effective unless conditions are favouring spin. Hauritz will be in the first Test XII as the only specialist spinner in the party but will have little impact on the series unless the wickets are raging turners.

The lack of a genuine Test match spinner is brought about by generational change that led to the retirement of Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill and the extremely poor handling of Australia’s next generation of spin bowlers. I believe that you can’t get into too much trouble if you stick to the basics, for example what’s wrong with the idea of identifying Australia’s best spinner and providing opportunities and support at the selection table? The revolving door antics of the Australian selection panel reflect that they are yet to even identify whom the best spinner is, let alone provide them with any support. Following in the footsteps of Shane Warne – one of the greatest players to ever play the game – was always going to be a hard act to follow and perhaps it is an impossible task, however by discarding spin bowlers (Casson, Krejza and McGain) after one or two opportunities is never going to develop a spin bowler and sends the message to the players that if you don’t perform – you’re out! What is perplexing about this is Jason Krejza took 12 wickets on debut, played one more Test and then was dropped. If Shane Warne was treated the same way after his first test, the history of Australian cricket 1991-2007 might look a lot different! Furthermore, now that the selectors seem to be sticking with a spinner in Hauritz, they seem to have backed the wrong horse as to my mind bowling spin or otherwise is about taking wickets, not containment and nothing contains like taking wickets anyway! It seems the selectors have chosen the bowler least likely to do this in comparison with the other candidates in Krejza and McGain.

Australia aren’t the cricketing superpower they once were but they are still a very, very good cricket team – perhaps the best Test match team in the world – they aren’t perfect but these imperfections possibly make them a more watchable team. Whatever your thoughts, it’s great to have the 5 day game back and should be a great series. Enjoy!

Cheers

Mark

The first thing to realise is that there is nowhere to hide, so you need to accept the challenge for what it is – to get the other team out!

It is of critical importance that you keep this in mind throughout your performance. This risk of forgetting that you are there to get the batsmen out is settling for containment and, although tight bowling can be associated with wicket taking, you must never accept that you cannot get the batsman out. If you are aiming to contain and you succeed you will slow down the runs, whereas if you are aiming to take wickets and you succeed you’ll get players out and stop the runs – so be careful what you wish for!

The next step is to identify the best way to get the batsman out. In this situation the same principles of good bowling apply as in all conditions and you will need to be aggressive and relentlessly accurate in attacking the ‘top of off stump’.

Bowling to this plan gives you the maximum chance of taking wickets, as this strategy allows wickets to fall bowled, lbw and caught behind the wicket which are the most frequent ways batsmen are dismissed. Playing the percentages and persisting with this approach will give you a good chance of success. Additionally, bowling this line and length makes it difficult for the batsman to score freely as it does not give the batsman room to work with in terms of line and length.

However, there is another important dynamic that you will need to be mindful of when bowling on unhelpful pitches. If you are bowling all of your balls full and at the stumps (which is essentially the right idea), you may find that the batsman is settling into a routine of prodding forward. If you identify that this is the case you need to change the game. Batsmen love to settle into an easy routine of getting onto the front foot. If this is happening, you need to take the batsman out of his comfort zone and you can do this with use of your variation.

Here are some ideas:

• Make use of a few selectively used bouncers – Aggressive, short-pitched bowling with a surprise element is a great way to unsettle a batsman and force him onto the back foot. When you have pushed him back then you can look to attack at a fuller length again but the key idea is not to let the batsman settle and get comfortable. The bouncer is a great ball on a flat wicket as it may keep low and surprise the batsman, but most importantly it demonstrates your aggression and lets the batsman know that he can’t have it all his own way. You should aim to get your bouncer head high at the least!
• Vary your release points on the crease – Slight and subtle changes of the angle of release of the ball will, if nothing else, put the batsman on notice that he can’t get too comfortable against you and may lead to an error in judgment, particularly if the batsman is getting tired and lazy in terms of propping onto the front foot.
• Use your slower balls, cutters and Yorkers – Again, make the batsman work for his runs, don’t let him settle and the Yorker is a great ball anyway if bowled well, as if the batsman misses and you hit, you have a wicket. Cutters and slower balls help create errors in terms of catches to mid-on, mid-off, mid- wicket and cover and will break up a batsman’s rhythm.
• Attack new batsmen – The hardest part of a batsman’s inning is the start and no matter how flat the wicket you need to grab the opportunity to attack while it’s there by challenging the stumps, attacking fielders and channeled aggression.
• Set straight fields – If you are bowling the majority of your balls at the stumps you will need a straight field, including the key positions of mid-on and mid-off (these positions can be set a bit deeper than usual to let the batsman know he will have to hit the ball hard to score straight, which may cause him to make a mistake trying to overhit the ball), mid wicket, cover, first slip (no mater how flat the wicket is and how unlikely a nick may seem you never know your luck and don’t want to miss the opportunity should it arise) and fine leg.
• Bowl around the wicket – A change of angle will again make the batsman adjust to the different line and angle of release and going around the wicket is a very good variation for left arm bowlers to right hand batsmen and right arm bowlers to left hand batsmen when there is no swing.
• Be aggressive – Your job is to get the batsman out and you will need to be aggressive in your intent to dismiss the batsman, otherwise he will walk all over you. Show him with your body language and actions that you are after him and let him know he will have to bat very well to score runs against you.
• Be open to ideas form your teammates – Seek out the advice of you teammates in particular your captain and wicketkeeper, they may have some ideas or a different view of the game that may help you get a wicket.
• Enjoy the challenge – Although it will be hard work, knowing that you are able to compete with and dismiss batsmen when the conditions don’t suit you will be tremendously satisfying and great for your confidence.

Good Luck

Mark

Cheers

Mark

The true allrounder is capable of doing all major facets of the game, batting, bowling and fielding to it’s optimum level. A true allrounder is a player that could hold his/her spot in the team by doing at least two of these facets to a satisfactory level to warrant selection in the team.

Becoming an allrounder is an extremely difficult skill, and to be very good at it is even harder. As it is trying to master any position, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become successful in all 3 skill sets. It’s very rare that an allrounder will be just as a good a bowler as they are a batter and vice versa, but the best part of being an allrounder is the enjoyment you get from being able to do both and knowing that if you fail in a game at one facet you get a good chance to do well in the other.

One of the harder parts to being an allrounder is managing your time working on each of the skills at training. How much time do you need to commit to each of the skills? How long do I need to bat for at training? Do I bowl for longer periods of time than I bat for etc? These are all questions that can be answered as you develop into the role. You will soon get a guage which facet you enjoy more and will tend to lead towards working harder on that one. It’s a priverlige to be a good allrounder as most teams will only have 2 or 3 maximum and good one’s are hard to come by.

Cricket is a game where you tend to spend approx 80% of your time in the field. This is what excites me about being an allrounder. If you’re a good fielder and a good bowler, you’ll always enjoy the majority of the game, as it’s in the field you get to show more of your skills. Batting will always be there because 11 players have to bat and you’ll always get a chance to do that, but if you can bowl well and field well, you have a real chance to have an impact on the game for long periods of time.

Cricket is also a game of doing the basics better for the longest period of time. If you do this more often than not, you’ll be more successful during your time as cricketer.

Good luck and most of all enjoy what is a great game!

Jon Moss

Enjoy.

Cheers

Mark

As a kid playing cricket I was given a lot of advice from a lot of people. If I can recall even 10% of it now I’d be amazed. However, one piece of advice I will never forget is, “you must always respect the umpire’s decision.”

You might not always agree with it but you must respect it.

The referral process in place at the moment actually is showing young cricketers that the umpire’s decision is not always right. Just take a moment to think about the impact this could have on future generations of cricketers.

I have a few major issues with it. This article outlines them and then suggests a better alternative.

Why the referral process is wrong

Umpires confidence

Umpires are only human and like anyone will not respond well to being informed in front of a huge audience that they are making incorrect decisions. Yes, they may well say that it doesn’t bother them, but I struggle to see how having your decisions overturned could be good for your ego and mental state. More than anything I would have thought that it would bring in to question your own decision making skills and increase the likelihood of poor decisions being made after each over ruled referral. There is enough time after a game for umpires to review their performances and learn from the decisions they made.

Attitude of players

If we now show young cricketers that you can question the umpire’s decision are we not encouraging them to go ahead and do so? This changes one of key principles of the of the gentleman’s game of cricket. Players will become precocious little sh__s, constantly disagreeing with the umpire’s decision. This goes against the grain of the game of cricket. I struggle to see how this can be an improvement. Umpires must be respected for the game to be run smoothly.

Inconclusive proof

When I used to practice sometimes I would bowl at the stumps without a batsman there. There were many times when I was certain a ball was about to hit the stumps, when at the last minute it would deviate and miss. Watch how often a ball swerves and dips just before a keeper takes it.

No matter how many times you view a replay for an lbw or a questionable catch behind or bat pad there will always be an element of the doubt. The laws clearly state that the batsman gets the element of doubt and that’s where it should rest. Spending minutes watching replays is of little benefit to anyone.

Time

Cricket is a slow enough game as it is. Just ask Richie Benaud about over rates. Anything that slows the game down must be questioned. The referral system can never be rapid due to its nature and what is ultimately at stake.

What is the alternative?

Firstly, is there really a problem? I can’t see the need for it at all. Umpires will always make questionable decisions. That is part of the game. Cricket is not a game of perfect. Never has been, never will be. If you want perfect outcomes in a sport try something like darts, bridge or chess (Are these really sports? How would you warm up?)

Invest more resources in to improving the skills of umpires and in particular how they deal with high pressure situations. Accept they will make errors. Players make a lot of errors. It’s part of the game and why it’s so fascinating. There is no one formula for success.

Just because the technology is there doesn’t mean we need to use it. I’m not suggesting we go back and live in caves, just highlighting in some instances it doesn’t improve anything, it actually makes things worse.

Steve Herzberg