The nightmare has happened: Despite your boundless passion for cricket, you have been told you have no future in the game.

Most likely it is your parents who have put up the barrier.

They want the best for you and have decided cricket is not the future. Perhaps they think you are a misguided dreamer and want to set you back to reality. Maybe they don't see in you what you see in yourself; a cricketer. Perhaps one day an International.

Don't panic.

There is a way through.

It's not an argument

It's easy to think you are in a fight in moments like this. You're not.

Fighting has one winner. Someone is happy, someone is not happy. It's black and white. A discussion can end with everyone happy. There are shades. So, get yourself in that mindset by remembering that when you disagree, the other side still probably has your best interests at heart. You both want the same thing in the end, you just disagree on the road to get there.

So, open up the discussion by finding those things you agree on.

You want to be healthy, happy and not have to worry about money. You can all agree on that. Find everything you agree on first.

What happens next?

Find the issues

The next thing to work out is why cricket is not the answer.

If you know the reasons, you can counter them. Maybe they think you don't have the talent. Maybe they think the chances of success are low, even for the best, so they want you to do something more stable. Maybe they dislike the game and don't realise what it can do for a young person.

When you know the reasons, you can counter them with the facts as you see them.

Again, this is not about winning a fight. It's all about talking through things and working out the best answer.

Perhaps they have a point and, on reflection, you could rethink your grand plan. Or perhaps they are blind to your talents and all you need to do is show them what you can do and they will back you all the way. You don't know until you talk it thorough.

Work to an agreement

Chances are you will find that broadly you agree but there are several important details that need to be worked out. This is where you need an agreement.

For example, maybe you agree to give it two years of hard work and if you are not a cricketer by the end of those two years you will try some other work. Or maybe you go the other way and prioritise study while also playing, as so many cricketers do these days.

As long as you constantly see this process as a chance to work together to find an agreement, you will eventually have a way to move forward. If you look to fight maybe you win, maybe you lose but someone ends up unhappy. This way, there are winners all round and your parents will be proud when you make it as a cricketer.