Being successful as an international cricketer transcends the ability to play an elegant cover drive, brutal pull shot or belligerent forward defence.
Justin Langer Blog: Mental Toughness
Being successful as an international cricketer transcends the ability to play an elegant cover drive, brutal pull shot or belligerent forward defence. The best players are not only physically fit and technically sound, they are also extremely mentally strong.
Mental toughness is often talked about, but exactly what does it mean when people talk about a player who is mentally tough? There have been many descriptions of mental toughness over the years, but in essence it is about the ability to perform consistently under pressure. When it all boils down, the game of cricket is about eliminating all distractions and giving 100% attention to the next ball. Simple as this may sound, concentration is often the hardest part of the game. There are so many distractions which can take a player away from pure concentration on the next ball delivered or faced.
During this first Test match in Wellington we have witnessed two examples of mental toughness. Michael Clarke’s departure from the one-day team has been so well documented that you would have had to have been living in a cave in the Himalayas not to have noticed the commotion. While Michael’s private life is no-one’s business, he has had to deal with a very public ordeal.
On two counts, he has shown class and courage under pressure. Firstly, he faced the media with dignity and style, and then he came out and let his bat do the talking with a brilliantly executed Test-match century. With his feet gliding like a ballroom dancer and his concentration as steely as a fighter pilot, Michael showed why he is evolving into one of the great players of this era.
No-one can judge what ‘Pup’ has been through but what we can conclude is that he is not only a very talented cricketer but an incredibly tough one at that.
During Australia’s first innings, one of the vice-captain’s partners in the middle was another man who has endured a different form of media scrutiny over the last few weeks. After a lean run of form, Marcus North’s future as a Test cricketer was under the microscope. As you would expect, he pleaded his case and to the selector’s credit, was picked for this Test series.
In the Australian cricket team there is always one player who is under the pump for their position in the team; it’s just how the industry works. When you are ‘that’ player being scrutinised the glare leaves you in a lonely place and sleep deprivation becomes a reality. Softer minds wilt under such distraction; tougher ones rise above the pressure and use it to inspire career-changing performances.
In this case, Northy’s courageous resurrection in form could prove to be a career-changing performance. From the first ball he faced, he converted his preparation into practice. He was alert and his balance was back to its best. Inside the camp, these traits of sharpness and balance were no coincidence or surprise because the moment he touched down in New Zealand he was visually determined and focussed to find the batting touch that had eluded him in the latter half of the domestic season.
To his credit he didn’t sit back and hope for the best but instead hit hundreds of balls in the practice nets, made a few minor adjustments to his stance, and then conquered the demons of insecurity to post his fourth Test century. Runs under pressure say a lot about the character of the person and both Marcus and Michael Clarke have proven that they are as mentally tough as they are technically correct.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Cricket Australia.
Please note that comments that are derogatory, defamatory, or discriminatory will not be published. The decision to publish is solely at the discretion of CA
Mental toughness is often talked about, but exactly what does it mean when people talk about a player who is mentally tough? There have been many descriptions of mental toughness over the years, but in essence it is about the ability to perform consistently under pressure. When it all boils down, the game of cricket is about eliminating all distractions and giving 100% attention to the next ball. Simple as this may sound, concentration is often the hardest part of the game. There are so many distractions which can take a player away from pure concentration on the next ball delivered or faced.
During this first Test match in Wellington we have witnessed two examples of mental toughness. Michael Clarke’s departure from the one-day team has been so well documented that you would have had to have been living in a cave in the Himalayas not to have noticed the commotion. While Michael’s private life is no-one’s business, he has had to deal with a very public ordeal.
On two counts, he has shown class and courage under pressure. Firstly, he faced the media with dignity and style, and then he came out and let his bat do the talking with a brilliantly executed Test-match century. With his feet gliding like a ballroom dancer and his concentration as steely as a fighter pilot, Michael showed why he is evolving into one of the great players of this era.
No-one can judge what ‘Pup’ has been through but what we can conclude is that he is not only a very talented cricketer but an incredibly tough one at that.
During Australia’s first innings, one of the vice-captain’s partners in the middle was another man who has endured a different form of media scrutiny over the last few weeks. After a lean run of form, Marcus North’s future as a Test cricketer was under the microscope. As you would expect, he pleaded his case and to the selector’s credit, was picked for this Test series.
In the Australian cricket team there is always one player who is under the pump for their position in the team; it’s just how the industry works. When you are ‘that’ player being scrutinised the glare leaves you in a lonely place and sleep deprivation becomes a reality. Softer minds wilt under such distraction; tougher ones rise above the pressure and use it to inspire career-changing performances.
In this case, Northy’s courageous resurrection in form could prove to be a career-changing performance. From the first ball he faced, he converted his preparation into practice. He was alert and his balance was back to its best. Inside the camp, these traits of sharpness and balance were no coincidence or surprise because the moment he touched down in New Zealand he was visually determined and focussed to find the batting touch that had eluded him in the latter half of the domestic season.
To his credit he didn’t sit back and hope for the best but instead hit hundreds of balls in the practice nets, made a few minor adjustments to his stance, and then conquered the demons of insecurity to post his fourth Test century. Runs under pressure say a lot about the character of the person and both Marcus and Michael Clarke have proven that they are as mentally tough as they are technically correct.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Cricket Australia.
Please note that comments that are derogatory, defamatory, or discriminatory will not be published. The decision to publish is solely at the discretion of CA