Where do we go now?

[L Trumper]

Originally Posted by Daemon

The only reason you think Bopara had mental breakdowns is because he couldn't break out of his poor form. He could be a really resilient person for all we know, but just a **** cricketer. Same goes for Cook and Broad.

Sorry, but it always irks me when people analyse a player's character based simply on his cricket related performances.

Yeah! True for all sports really. I never understood the whole armchair psychology thing.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by L Trumper

Yeah! True for all sports really. I never understood the whole armchair psychology thing.

To an extent it is overplayed, however I think it seems so obvious sometimes one can definitely deduce it.

Like poor Jonny Bairstow, stuck in the 90s during a test at The Oval and got so bogged down he scored something like 1 run in 40 minutes before (IIRC) Morne castled him. Form can be a fickle mistress but for it to suddenly evaporate in such a clutch situation seems a heck of a coincidence. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to read a psychological element into his travails.

Ditto Mahela in the final, actually. Took a look at the DL par sheet between overs with drizzle in the air and promptly gets out to a spasticated reverse scoop.

[Pup Clarke]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Like poor Jonny Bairstow, stuck in the 90s during a test at The Oval and got so bogged down he scored something like 1 run in 40 minutes before (IIRC) Morne castled him. Form can be a fickle mistress but for it to suddenly evaporate in such a clutch situation seems a heck of a coincidence. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to read a psychological element into his travails.

Isn't that just a case of Bairstow not having been in such an intense enviroment i.e a higher level of cricket. It may just of been his skill that was missing, rather than his mental mindset?

[Daemon]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

To an extent it is overplayed, however I think it seems so obvious sometimes one can definitely deduce it.

Like poor Jonny Bairstow, stuck in the 90s during a test at The Oval and got so bogged down he scored something like 1 run in 40 minutes before (IIRC) Morne castled him. Form can be a fickle mistress but for it to suddenly evaporate in such a clutch situation seems a heck of a coincidence. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to read a psychological element into his travails.

Ditto Mahela in the final, actually. Took a look at the DL par sheet between overs with drizzle in the air and promptly gets out to a spasticated reverse scoop.

That's probably just nerves early in his career (but I agree with your point if a pattern emerges) or in Mahela's case, having a brainfart. What egyptian was saying he somehow deduced that the players were having mental breakdowns *because* they were in poor form, while on the other hand, the players that got out of a rough patch were deemed mentally resilient. All this without knowing anything about what runs through the respective cricketers' minds when they play.

Not really disagreeing with you ftr.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Pup Clarke

Isn't that just a case of Bairstow not having been in such an intense enviroment i.e a higher level of cricket. It may just of been his skill that was missing, rather than his mental mindset?

Well, if he hadn't scored 90-odd without any drama beforehand, I'd probably agree. It seemed to me as a clear case of a player relying on his natural ability and trusting the work he'd put in beforehand (SA peppered him with short stuff early doors to test out his perceived shortcomings that Roach had seemingly exposed during the Windies' tour) until he got in sight of a major milestone (first test ton, etc) and then the mental gremlins kicked in.

Doesn't mean the kid's mentally weak, obvz; just that he's human.