Like millions of aspiring school and club cricketers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar wants to bowl faster. Sanjay Mankrekar thinks he shouldn't get ideas above his ability. So, is it true that in trying to improve your cricket, you can end up losing your strengths?

Should we all be afraid of doing the wrong thing?

Yes. And no.

It's important to know your limits. Not everyone has the ability to bowl 150kph yorkers and hit 50 in 13 balls.

But, wherever you are now you can also improve. It's vital to push yourself into new areas to find out your capabilities. You can't know your top speed unless you press the pedal to the metal. This is called a growth mindset, and it's essential if you want to be a cricketer.

Know your limits

If we go back to Kumar, we see his story is one to fear. He came to cricket bowling swing and taking international wickets. He tried to up his speed and succeeded in touching 135kph. Not bad but not express for International level. However, he also lost his swing and with it his wickets.

It's clear that he is better bowling a bit slower and getting more swing. That's his limit and he has learned a lesson.

Maybe you feel the same. Maybe you, or a guy in your team, has forsaken any desire for more speed in acceptance of hitting an accurate length and swinging the ball. It works for her and she gets wickets. What need is there to change apart from working on bowling with more accuracy?

Grow your game

Except, there is always a way to grow and learn.

Kumar's case seems clear cut. But let's think for a moment. Imagine if Kumar increased his speed and only lost his swing temporarily. As Ian Pont once told me, every pace bowler will be better if they increase pace. So if you get your speed up and then, in time, get your swing back you will be a better bowler.

Even better, at faster speeds it's possible to turn "swing from the hand" into "late swing", which is much harder to play and will get you wickets.

Plus. you can get wickets with bouncers and yorkers more easily.

More speed is better with the right context. So, perhaps Kumar's story is not over.

Growing pain

The problem with improving your game is that it's not a simple linear progression. Sometimes, like Kumar, it hurts. You go backwards and lose things. You go into a dip of form and find yourself blaming the changes you made. All you need to do to get back is to drop everything and return to your original plan.

There is no shame in dumping a plan if it's not working, but if the same plan with a small tweak will take you to greater heights you would be foolish to abandon it. Progress is like climbing a mountain; you feel the worst halfway. Getting to the peak is worth the pain.

As long as you are mindful and working towards something you feel could work you are on the right track, even when it feels like you are far from success.

Then when that breakthrough comes, you'll be on top of the world.

Going back

What if you do change your mind?

What if you decide that you are going to stick to what you know?

You can always just go back.

The beauty of making changes is it's easy to go back. You can decide that swing is really your think at slower speeds and you will continue with that route instead. Don't sweat it. You tried. You know you limits.

There is very little in cricket that is irreversible. If you could do something before, you can easily do it again. So just go back to the old way and get on with things.

I'll just give you one suggestion: try something else instead.

You know you can still go back, and if you keep trying new things too you will surprise yourself eventually. I have never met anyone at the limit of their cricketing potential so keep experimenting.

Remember, it's not trying to develop that hurts your game in the long run.