How to have a disaster of a match (and still play the next day) | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

How to have a disaster of a match (and still play the next day)

You are not alone. We have all had cricketing days we want to forget.
 
It doesn't have to be as dramatic as a golden duck or being hit for 25 in an over either. The context of the failure is just as important.
 
Imagine you are batting in a run chase, you are going well and looking likely to win when you lose concentration, play a poor shot and give your wicket away when you are set. Your team collapses behind you and you end up losing.
 
That good looking twenty or thirty could have easily been a match-winning hundred, but you blew it and you can't look your team mates in the eye.
 
And the worst part is, for a lot of club players, they go back and do it the next day all over again in a Sunday game.
 
I don't know about you, but if I have had a bad game the last thing I want to think about for a while is cricket. I certainly don’t want a game.
 
But whether your next game is a week or a sleep away, how do you pick yourself up and focus?
 
Remember failure is inevitable
 
The key thing to remember when you fail is that everybody does.
 
Not even the great players had a unbroken line of success. Everyone goes through a hard time and fails.
 
In fact, failure is an essential part of overall success. Without failing, you cant make adjustments to improve yourself. Noone gets everthing right first time.
 
When you know that, it can change how you respond when failure comes. Instead of dreading the next performance, you can go into it with a slight adjustment knowing each failure is just one step closer to success rather than a reason to give up hope.
 
Learn to relax
 
One thing to watch out for when you adjust after failure is over-compensating; like the bowler who bowls short and wide outside off stump then follows up with a leg stump half volley.
 
It is possible to try too hard after failing and tense up even more, but the correct response is not to try harder when you get things wrong but to learn to relax and let things come naturally.
 
A simple trick to do this is to learn to play one ball at a time. You do this by:
  • Setting your plan for the ball while it is still dead
  • Clearing your mind with the stop technique
  • Watching the ball and responding or bowling the ball you planned
That way you stop thinking “oh no I have to get through 40 overs in the field” and just focus on the next ball. This keeps you in the moment and away from the cluttered mind that failure can bring.
 
Take a rest
 
Despite these mental tricks, there are still times when the negativity can't help but creep in. No matter what you do, you are just in the wrong frame of mind.
 
And if that's the case then the final option is take the day off.
 
If things are that bad then you probably need the rest anyway.
 
It's easy to get bogged down with lots of games, especially if you are talented and in demand by different teams. But if you are in a rut then cancel everything and take some time off.
 
After all, if you are not having fun it's time to recharge the batteries.
 
However you deal with failure, remember it's all to do with what's going on between the ears. You may not have time to make a big technical change, but you do have time to choose the attitude that is more likely to get you past the technical flaws you have.
 
And if you can do that you can bounce back every time.

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