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lamest/best advice

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
What is the best advice or lamest piece of advice you got from a coach growing up.

The lamest piece of advice I ever got - was that our coach told us to adjust the straps on our pads to make them more comfortable while we were waiting to go into bat. I mean how is that helpful to your inning.

He also had a thing about us taking guard at centre. Centre is for kids lads take leg or middle and leg. Probably better advice that one.
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
The lamest piece of advice I ever got - was that our coach told us to adjust the straps on our pads to make them more comfortable while we were waiting to go into bat. I mean how is that helpful to your inning.
You wouldn't want to be uncomfortable while you wait. Would also help your running between the wickets.
 

Polo23

International Debutant
You wouldn't want to be uncomfortable while you wait. Would also help your running between the wickets.
Unless your pad falls of because it is so comfortably loose. Want your pads as tight as possible without them cutting off circulation, I did anyway.

Best advice for me: "go out there, be positive and just hit the ball" very simple, but on the day it was enough to get me to my then highest score.

Worst advice for me: "be defensive, don't worry about runs just don't lose your wicket" had me out for a 60 ball 10 that day.
 

Isura

U19 Captain
Get your foot to the pitch of the ball. if you do that it's impossible to actually hit the ball!
 

Seanyjb10

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
worst advice: It doesn't matter how much you get just be positive.

how can u be positive getting a first ball duck?

best: defend at THE BEGINNING of the match not at the end when we need 4 runs 2 win!!

that was also the funniest!
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Re the OP - bollocks - take guard wherever you're comfortable tbh.

When Australia started doing all the fitness work in the 80s, AB was talking to a few of the younger blokes who were all gungho about it. He ended up saying "Look it doesn't matter how many push ups and sit ups you do, if it pitches leg and hits off it's still ****ing out".

Pretty good advice imo.
 

zaremba

Cricketer Of The Year
Who am I to doubt the wisdom of AB but, tbf, if you take a risky 3rd and you've done your fitness training it's not out, and when like me you are hopelessly out of condition and turn like a stricken supertanker you're run out by 11 yards.

Actually tbh "out of condition" gives a false impression that I was ever in "condition". Perhaps "hopelessly lard-arsed" would be more apt.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
The biggest thing about fitness in cricket is the mental side of the game. The fitter you are, the longer it allows you to concentrate. The first thing to go when you are tired is your head, not your body.
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
I gad a great coach and there were many gems in what he told me those long long years ago If I have to chose one each for batting bowling and fielding. . .

Best for Batting :
As the bowlers hand comes up for delivery look at it as if nothing else exists in the world and at the ball as it leaves the hand. If you watch the ball from the very beginning and do not take your eyes off it, the feet will move forward or back on their own.

This when I had already digested and was meticulously following the basic technique but was having trouble deciding on the length early enough.

Best for Bowling :
Keep your eyes completely focussed at the spot on which you want to pitch the ball and chances are you will hit it.

While Fielding (at cover/cover point) :
Walk in on light feet and watch the batsman intently and as he moves his hands and his feet your head will register it and tell you where the ball is going.

He was spot on. It worked.
 
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SJS

Hall of Fame Member
Get your foot to the pitch of the ball. if you do that it's impossible to actually hit the ball!
Of course he meant getting "to" the (spot where the ball will) pitch not "on" the (spot where the ball will) pitch so the advise is perfect and basic, of course for front foot play only.
 
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Dan

Hall of Fame Member
Best:
  • "Play your natural game"
  • "If the ball's loopy, just smash it!"

Worst:
  • "Make sure you just stay in!"
  • "Score the runs quickly"

Whenever someone tells me to stay in I end up with a 10 ball duck, and whenever they tell me to score quickly I end up with an 8 ball duck. IF THEY'D JUST LET ME PLAY MY NATURAL GAME EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE!!! [/rant]
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
I think the worst advise my coach gave me - not advise really - was to encourage me to play backfoot drives to almost all short pitched deliveries. With the result I developed great backfoot drives and they really stand out when played correctly(as I did so naturally) but I neglected the horizontal bat shots by and large. It was only when I started working and became captain of my corporations side, with playing serious cricket at a higher level no more even a dream, that I started cutting and hooking with gay abandon.

I not just started scoring runs at a faster clip than I had ever done before but I felt these shots changed my whole approach to the game. I became much more confident in my batting even though I actually batted better when I was playing cricket daily.

It may have had to do with my not being bothered about playing Ranji Trophy anymore but I still feel that a very orthodox coach can hamper the mental development of a youngster, particularly a very young reticent fellow that I was at fifteen. Everyone told me I batted like a dream but I never believed I did. And I think my coach's own mild manners and personality rubbed off on my young mind.

Thats the only thing I have against my coach who was otherwise one of the best in the country even though only people in Delhi and around knew of him.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Especially in Australia, the ability to cut is paramount. Without it, a bowler can starve you wide of off-stump for so long, with a huge margin for error.

If you can cut, you bring the bowler back closer to you, which you can defend or, even better, leave. Until he gets straight enough for you to work runs through the leg. I could name you heaps of guys who have had successful FC careers in Australia pretty much working off this premise.
 

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