Negatives to Positives
HOW POSITIVES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SUCCESS: ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU...
Being negative is a state of mind, which can be changed to a positive one and can result in more consistent success whatever the circumstances.
BATSMAN'S EXAMPLE:
You are going to open the batting on a green uneven pitch with variable bounce, the weather is cold and miserable , the opposition is strong and have not lost a game for weeks and they have two very fast opening bowlers.
THOUGHT PROCESS FOR FAILURE:
It is too cold to play cricket. The opposition are too strong, they are going to beat us. The wicket is poor, nobody will get any runs on this pitch. I will probably get bogged down, get frustrated and throw my wicket away. This wicket is suited to the fast bowlers who are so fast they will be unplayable.
The above are all negative thoughts which will not motivate the players or the team. They will cloud over their thought processes such as the will to win, game plan for this particular match, powers of concentration, personal and team goals and their staying powers if things do not go their way during the match.
There is no mileage in thinking in the above way, so why bother thinking in this negative fashion, unless you want to have a bad day.
THOUGHT PROCESS FOR SUCCESS:
It is a cold miserable day but I love playing cricket. This could be the day I put in a brilliant performance which helps the team beat the best side in the league. I am going to channel all my thoughts in to doing just that.
The opposition are strong but what a exciting challenge for the team. Just think what it would do for team spirit and the teams' confidence if we win. Let us apply ourselves and show them just how strong a team we are. If a few of us put in some good performances we could beat them.
The wicket is poor but this will be a good test of my ability. I am going to channel all my thoughts into how I am going to adapt my method of play to give me the best chance of success on this wicket. I can still score runs but I will have to adopt a plan for surviving and picking up as many singles as possible. I will not expect to score as freely as if I were playing on a flat pitch. I must be very cautious with my shot selection. I know the pitch is in the bowler's favour and I expect to play and miss and also mistime some of my shots. I will be more patient than normal. I will not get frustrated and play a rational shot which might get me out.
The wicket is suited to the fast bowlers and they will be unplayable. I will enjoy the challenge against the fast bowlers especially as I will be the underdog. This will take the pressure of me and it will be more on the bowlers. I will focus on getting behind the ball and surviving against the fast bowlers. By the time they have finished their spells I am still in and any new incoming batsmen will not have to face them early on in their innings. My thoughts are channeled into watching the ball, getting behind it, occupying the crease, wearing down the fast bowlers, and picking up as many quick singles as possible. If I can scratch around and score 30, then I can score 50. If I can get 50 the opposition will get frustrated and panic. I will gain the upper hand and get more confident. The runs will start to come more freely and the moral of the opposition will get lower. At this point the tables will begin to turn and my team will gain the upper hand and we are in a winning position. With the same methods as a team we will now have to maintain this position.
By this time we have forgotten about all the negatives and are totally focused on winning the match and turning a miserable day in to a happy productive one.
Conclusion:
The circumstances were the same for both sides but the side in a winning position were better mentally prepared and focused on the positives and the job in hand.
The positive thought process of turning negatives into positives make the overall difference to being in a winning position even as underdogs. Remember there is nothing you can do about the weather the pitch the speed of the opposition bowlers. So why worry about them. All you need to worry about is what you have control over. That is something you can do by applying technique, appropriate game plans, and a positive confident frame of mind. So get on with the job in hand and be totally focused. Your job as a batsman is to score runs, whatever the circumstances.
BOWLERS EXAMPLE:
A fast bowler looks at a pitch on the morning of a game and sees that it is a flat pitch which will benefit the batsman.
Before the game starts he thinks, "it's a flat pitch", I will not get wickets on it and I could get hit for a lot of runs.
The fact that the wicket is so flat upsets the balance of his thought process. He is thinking negatively and will not think clearly enough about where he is trying to pitch the ball, how he is going to bowl, the batsmans' weakness, the fine tuning of the field placing, the goal of how many wickets he wants to get and how many runs per over. He will try to keep the batsman down to his technical cues.
The quality bowler will think, "yes the wicket is flat and suits the batsman therefore I am going to concentrate on what I do best and what I have to do to bowl well and get wickets". He will replace the thoughts about how flat the wicket is with thoughts such as, I will be patient and bowl a consistent tight length and line and frustrate the batsman, I will bowl the odd bouncer to keep him guessing on whether to come forward or go back to play me, I will analyses his technique and place the fielders accordingly and I will set my wickets and runs target for my bowling realistically to suit the wicket I am bowling on.
I will think I am a quality bowler who always gets wickets and this occasion will be no exception it will just be more of a challenge which I will thrive on and enjoy.
I will bowl well and get wickets, I will just have to work harder and be more patient on this occasion.
REMEMBER, REPLACE ALL NEGATIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THE WICKET TO POSITIVE THOUGHTS ON HOW YOU ARE GOING TO BOWL SUCCESSFULLY ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY.
