The Teesra

Category: mental skills

cricket-specific mental skills

  • WITTW vs. WIN — is winning the most important outcome, even for “high performance”?

    The ECB’s 2022 High Performance Review, led by Andrew Strauss, has attracted extensive scrutiny for the suggested new playing schedule for First Class and List A, but remarkably little for those elements of the Review that relate to creating a high performance culture away from match days i.e. coaching, pathway, player development.

    In amongst the less-discussed sections of the Review is a proposal to “embed…[What It Takes To Win] WITTW into the ECB coaching curriculum.”

    It certainly makes sense for coaches to help players to develop and deploy skillsets that contribute to winning.

    But I have concerns, ideological and practical, on the choice of WITTW as an appropriate model within cricket.

    Might we be better concentrating on What’s Important Now?

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  • Building mental skills for cricket…without playing cricket

    Ever thought of bird watching?

    No, really.

    Scan an area, ideally a tree where birds congregate or visit; even better if it is around 20m away. Relax, try not to focus too closely on any one point, but be aware of what is going on in the space you are scanning.

    When you spot movement, focus in on it. First on the movement, then perhaps on the branch or leaf, then down to the bird (or cat, or squirrel, or plastic bag…). Work towards an ever finer focus.

    Now really look. Can you see any more detail? What colour is the bird? It’s wings? Beak? No binoculars.

    Watch for a few seconds. Pick out as much detail as you can. Hold that fierce focus, visual and mental.

    Then relax, and return to scanning.

    And repeat.

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