Practice: the secret of success

Cricket West Indies has quite a number of cricket commitments on its plate at the moment.

While it is a good idea to have cricket being played for a wide range of its cricketers, one wonders whether it is stretching its resources too thinly for the betterment of the region’s cricketers.

Then again, although it is a good idea to have a wide range of cricket tournaments to benefit its players, it could have a negative impact on their development if they overlap one another. It could cause the opposite effect of the goal that one is attempting to achieve.

At the moment there is a One-Day International plus T20 series between the WI and England that has just started. The Englishmen look like an “A” team selection.

Meanwhile, on the African continent, there’s a series of three four-day games between South Africa “A” and WI “A,” which is at present tied at one each after two games. WI won the first one by one wicket and South Africa claimed the second by 232 runs. In both games, WI batting was of low quality.

And there’s a third team from the WI Academy engaging Ireland’s Emerging players at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and doing very well.

However, the number of players involved is over 45 in total, quite a handful for a small region, when compared to other international cricket countries.

WI will be competing against Australia shortly, in a two-Test series down under.

CWI has to shuffle their teams around with the purpose of integrating them, which cannot be done if they’re participating in three tournaments simultaneously. And to compete, they need quality cricketers.

This won’t happen unless they are cultivated in first-class cricket. However, not enough of that format is played in the WI; and that is where classical cricket was developed by our past masters of the game.

The basic elements of batsmanship seem to be lacking in the WI, which is noticeable throughout its competitions. Therefore, something has to be done drastically, to save our game. It’s that serious!

The reason for the tremendous inconsistency in their cricket skills is the constant cricket of the limited-overs variety being played, plus the several money-spinning franchises on offer on a monthly basis worldwide.

Basic orthodox movements are missing in most batsmen, and if not corrected, this will mean they will never achieve consistency. WI batsmen will continue to suffer because the coaches should be tougher.

It’s not a matter of talent. With all the ambition in the world, if constant, repeated practice is not forthcoming, during which the batsman is called upon to do the right thing over and over again, then there’ll be no real progress.

Also, the quality of good batting is gained by having to play lengthy innings in first-class and Test cricket.

I wonder if the practices are lengthy enough and repetitive enough for the player to make the right movements automatically, without even having to think.

That’s how the great cricketers of the world blossomed and continued their top-class performances year after year. Naturally, some have more natural ability than others and they may score consistently higher – but actually, even the batsman not that blessed will, with determination and long practice sessions, become better and enjoy more success.

The most important element for a batsman is to have ability, after which he must improve his technique, plus the development of his strokeplay. After these are accomplished, he needs to build his temperament. Hence, one must express the right attitude, the willingness to do well. Self-confidence is necessary.

In the bowling department, one has to practise just as hard, until every single ball the bowler delivers can be bowled exactly where he wants it to be: length and line, speed, depth of turn, the swing, swerve – all the ability needed to bowl consistently well. When every delivery or at least 90 percent can be done right, then, as a bowler, he’s in command.

Again, this doesn’t come to pass without adequate and proper practice.

The enjoyment of bowling is to trick the batsman and make him do what you, the bowler, would like to entice him into doing. It comes from hours and hours of bowling in the nets, either at batsmen, which is better, or at a set of stumps. And it’s better to bowl at stumps alone than not to bowl at all.

Thus success lies in practice.