CONFIDENCE IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF CRICKET BATTING
As a cricketer, there is nothing more disappointing than being cleaned ball for a golden duck (and the same goes for parents and coaches who have to try to console their kids) when your team needs you the most. The feeling of letting the team down is challenging to overcome.
You will be wasting hours of valuable practice time fine-tuning your cricket swing using mechanics-focused drills, without confidence.
You may have excellent batting skills from hours of dedicated practice. However, if you lack confidence, you will be outperformed by a less skilled yet supremely confident cricket player, demonstrating the influence of your subconscious mind.
When you lack in confidence, and you are not scoring runs, negative self-talk triggers a snowball effect – your thoughts spiral out of control; with irrational feelings of never getting runs again. You need a plan to deal with the “irrational thoughts” associated with batting slumps.
When you find yourself nervous (generally caused by a fear of failure) before a game, in the change rooms, you create debilitating nervousness as you walk up to the wicket.
Anxiousness then triggers mistakes such as: flying open, lunging/jumping out, stepping in the bucket, pulling the head off the cricket ball, and tension in the grip.
Causing physically and mentally exhaustion during a season if you lack a suitable strategy to control the wave of emotions that accompany success and failure.
SOLUTION: CLEAR YOUR MIND AND SHRUG OFF FAILURE (BE LIKE A GOLDFISH)
