Summer is here and while this can mean getaways, afternoon siestas and cool drinks for others, for cricketers it has a completely different meaning. Cricketers are often subject to even more hardcore training than usual during summers, especially with training camps, tournaments and such going on.
This summer, I have a proposition for you. Apart from merely going through the motions, why don’t you use these months to do something out-of-this-world amazing for yourself. By the end of summer, you will be a transformed person.
In this article, I have listed out just seven things you can do this summer which will make you a better cricketer. These seven things are simple to follow, effective with consistent practice and cover all niches of your sport.
7 Things You Can Do This Summer To Make You A Better Cricketer
- Analyze Your Game Film
Set up your camera when you’re training or practicing your drills and watch the video when you get home. I know many coaches and analysts charge a million bucks to analyze your videos for you. But if you learn the basic know-hows, you can do this on your own. Plus, you will also learn plenty about yourself, your playing style, and habits that need to be killed or tweaked.
There are plenty of guides out there on analyzing your training and game footage. But a few questions to help you get started are:
- Are your head, hands and feet in the right positions at the right time?
- Are you choosing the right shot for the right ball?
- Is your footwork efficient? For both pace and spin
- How’s your body language, especially when you make a mistake?
- Keep On Experimenting!
This is the best time to start experimenting with your game. I’m sure there are several types of shots that you have been apprehensive about trying before. Or perhaps you have continuously banked on shots or balls which you have only excelled at, and ignored other skills. Whether you are a batter or bowler, start experimenting away and add more skills to your cricket game.
- Fuel The Right Way
If you have not paid much attention to your intake everyday as a cricketer, there is no better time to do so than the summer. Summers get you sweaty, thirsty, tired and craving for all types of food and drink, even if you are not a foodie. As a first step, become more aware of the food you normally would eat and also the amount of water you are drinking, especially before and after training.
Most cricketers I know eat way less protein than they are supposed to do, and also drinking way less water than their bodies need. Include more protein in your diet, while also eating the right amount of carbs and fats. Another simple tip I lean on to is to ensure that every plate you eat holds as many colorful foods as it can. Try consulting a dietitian for this.
- Read, Watch, Learn
If you are going to invest in a habit that will keep on giving back, I would advise you to start reading. It is not only going to help you in your cricket, but also in every area of your life. You can also watch documentaries and listen to podcasts of players and sports professionals. Continuously adding to your knowledge base will help you more than you think!
Keep reading and learning from more of my blogposts here.
- Set Some Goals
There is nothing better than achieving a goal that you have set for yourself. Set a cricket goal for yourself and achieve it, and then set another goal and repeat. Let’s start with short-term goals. These take shorter to achieve and also help you stay motivated.
Let me guide you better with a few examples:
- Hit 100 balls with intent this week. This means having purposeful shot selection and footwork
- Practice five minutes of visualization before every net session for 10 days
- Practice 20 high catches, each day for the next 7 days
- Start A Cricket Journal
If you haven’t already, start a cricket journal this summer. By the end of this mango season, your mind will have already imbibed this amazing habit fully. Reflect on your training and matches at the end of every day. You can include both positives and negatives each day. As you keep at it, your cricket journal will eventually become your best friend and personal guide, not to mention the improved focus and increased confidence that comes with this habit.
- Stay Calm And Meditate
Cricket requires you to have short bursts of energy, and then be ready to pause every now and then. If you need to conserve your physical and mental energy, you need to know how to reset and rest whenever you can. This summer practice being still and meditating.
Meditating is a pretty simple concept. But, many people find it hard to meditate, especially in today’s world where our minds have become used to constant stimulation. Start by simply focusing on your breathing. Slow down your breathing and bring all your focus to your inhalation and exhalation. Whenever your thoughts drift away to something else, bring them back to your breathing. See how long you can do this for. Just five minutes of meditation can do wonders for your mental health and mental functioning.
If you like this article, and have any comments or questions, shoot them away at mindyourwicket@gmail.com.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17933197/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eat-the-rainbow
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9268388/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2116723
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550830721000409
https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-024-00863-z
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