Practice

The Purpose of Practice

You go to practice to learn and improve your skills so they become automatic reflexes (via muscle memory). Muscle memory is the body’s ability to repeat an action over and over without conscious thought about the action. If you have developed early muscle memories that are faulty in a cricket skills sense, your coach will need to assist you in replacing the faulty muscle memory with the correct habit.

Your coach will have planned out the session for the overall benefit of all the team members, but will probably not have a specific plan for you in mind. It is your responsibility to make sure that you get the most benefit from each of your practice sessions.

Practice should have the atmosphere of a match. When you bat in the nets, concentrate hard on improving your batting. Don’t regard it as simply a chance to practise your slog shots against the hard-working bowlers. Treat every bowler as you would in a match, as an opponent trying to take your wicket.

Pay attention

You must want to hear what your coach has to say to you. You must focus on what is being said and being demonstrated, catching every word. Avoid the wandering mind, ignore what is going on around you. Remember that your coach, assuming he did play the game, will have a great wealth of knowledge to help you improve your game.

Be busy

Ensure that you take the opportunity to take part in a high number of repetitions of whatever specific skill you are practising. This could take the form of a specific fielding technique, a particular batting stroke or a certain bowling variation.

Have a personal practice plan

Have your own plan about what you want to achieve at each session. Ask your coach to monitor the particular aspect of your game you are working on. Your coach will be impressed with your motivation. Too many young cricketers attend cricket practice, particularly net practice, as an excuse for social interaction rather than skill improvement. The idle “chit chat” about what you are planning to do on the weekend can wait until a more suitable occasion. If you need to chat to the others, talk cricket!

Informal Practice

Don’t disregard the importance of informal practice. You will only get better by repetition. The more the better. Backyard and schoolyard practice is vital. A concrete wall, a tennis ball and a bat is all you need for an informal solo practice.