Coaching or mentoring
Always fight for your place....
I see my role as a cricket coach as much more than someone applying training sessions for players. I think real coaching offers a great deal of mentoring support too – maybe more…
Players will have so many crises of confidence over the course of a season and offering advice to maintain belief and help restore self-worth takes up far more of my time than looking at a players feet and hands.
My first port of call is always to encourage the player to do everything they can to take responsibility themselves. No finger pointing. No blame games. Always ask the question, “what can I do”?
I then need some background information. Are they scoring runs? If not, why not? Has their role changed within the team? Have they been dropped? Is there a sense that they may not be treated fairly anymore is generally where I want to go last.
During my career at Somerset, I had a decent 1985 season in the first X1 averaging just shy of 35, with two particularly stand out innings. Firstly in helping save a game v Hampshire where I scored 100 against an attack including Malcolm Marshall (the best I ever played against) and a partnership of 185 with Viv Richards against Derbyshire, with an attack including Michael Holding. I was finally our for 90 (only 54 of those in my partnership with Viv)!
Going into the 1986 season I felt confident that the previous year was something I could build on. The club had a new captain and I wasn’t selected for the start of the season with no explanation. Never mind, I set about scoring runs and forcing my way back into the side.
On May 11th I was re-selected for the Sunday League game against Middlesex. Batting second I shared an opening partnership of 100 with the captain, scoring 48 before retiring hurt after Wayne Daniel broke my arm as I ducked into a bouncer that… didn’t!. I later found out that the captain was going to bat me at six, but Viv who was Vice Captain advised him, “you don’t select openers and bat them at six”! Coaches, please note that simple statement.
Sadly, the injury severely impacted my confidence and when I did return to fitness, I struggled for form. The club was also in crisis and the ‘gory years’ had truly begun – for the club and me personally.
I fought year in year out to regain my once positive nature as a player, but there were demons and I never felt trusted by the captain. Our interactions were weak at best and once you feel in a position where nothing is good enough, continually bouncing back takes its toll. You need to sense a win somewhere.
I loved playing cricket for Somerset. It was more important to me than simply being a cricketer. However, where I wanted to fight year in year out for my place, what I realise now is the biggest mistake I made was not leaving when I may still have appeared a beneficial addition to another club.
So, my message to young players is always the same. Fight tooth and nail first. Do everything within your powers, but when you sense any indication that for whatever reason something illogical / inexplicable is happening in decision making, you must consider an environment that wants you. The current environment may work for some, but if it isn’t working for you, it’s time to think about other options.
If you are an opener batting at 7/8/9 etc… it’s not you! It would be better to be dropped to the team below and open there where you have a fair chance of proving your worth.
I am aware of a young lad who left a club recently where he played in their 3rd X1 with restricted opportunities. He now plays 1st X1 for another club seven divisions higher and is their leading run scorer. It wasn’t him!
It’s your life. It’s your game. You owe it to yourself to a) do all you can first, but b) if unusual reasons start cropping up, the current environment may not be the right one for you. A word of warning though. Players that move a lot? It probably is you…
For me personally, it took years to rediscover my self-worth as a person, never mind as a cricketer and that was a far greater problem. Coaching has been a blessing for me. I don’t like seeing young people struggling with these issues simply trying to get some cricket time on a weekend.
We all know about being kind and sometimes we forget to start with ourselves…
Cricket is to be enjoyed!
