But cricket is not like it used to be and, at some point, you have to be realistic about the situation. We seem to play more and more games each year, go on more tours, make more appearances and have ever-increasing obligations. Playing international cricket is a privileged and exciting way to experience life. But there is only so much you can pack into a day or a season and only so much your body and mind can take before your performance starts to suffer.
Top-level cricket is all about pressure and how people handle it. You’re there because you can cope with it better than anyone else.
I want to extend my career for as long as I can. I was 30 years old when I was first selected, quite a lot older than most debutants, and therefore I have a burning desire to play as many games as possible and make the most of every chance I get to wear the baggy green. To be at your best, however, requires careful planning and attention to detail. You have to be physically primed but also mentally sound and on top of everything that’s going on. But even for the best, most disciplined cricketers there comes a critical point at which the burden becomes too great and starts to weigh you down, impinging on your ability to do your job.
TREVOR HOHNS
Michael was always considered by the selectors to be a very good player. However, there were a couple of things he had to improve and, occasionally, while travelling around Australia watching domestic cricket, we would chat with him to let him know where he stood. We told Mike that we thought he was on the right track but he had to show more than sporadic good form. To break his way into what was a very strong Australian team, he had to be able to string good seasons together, improve the consistency of his Pura Cup form and keep in mind the underlying message that if an opportunity did present itself, he had to be scoring runs at that time.
When a chance came, it wasn’t going to be only Michael who was to be considered. There were a few batsmen in the running and we let him know that it could well come down to the person who was in the best form at that moment.
We were well aware that Michael had scored heavily in county cricket in England. In fact, his record in county cricket was exceptional and we often discussed those performances in our selection meetings. Our policy was to keep an eye on all Australians who were performing well in England, especially when the national team was playing there, as they did for the Ashes in 2005. However, in relation to the Australian summer and tours elsewhere, form and scores in England were not considered very deeply. Michael’s prolific form in England did catch our attention, but we didn’t place much emphasis on it and it was not the catalyst for us selecting him.
Our decision to pick Michael came after a period of deliberation in which we concluded that he would be a suitable replacement for Michael Bevan in the one-day team. He had scored many runs for Western Australia and Australia-A – if still a little inconsistently in Pura Cup – but working to his advantage was that he had batted in various positions and we believed he could slot well into the middle order. He lived up to that expectation and performed very well in the one-day team. So well, in fact, that he pushed very hard for selection during the 2005 Ashes.
We were faced with some tough choices as we came to the latter part of that series. By the fourth Test we weren’t going well and the openers hadn’t performed as we would have liked. We had to decide to either stick with what we had or bring in a replacement player, possibly Mike. Rightly or wrongly, we decided to stick with the 16 players we’d selected in the original squad. Matthew Hayden scored a hundred in the final Test, not that that proved very much in relation to the series. Nevertheless, it was just one of those situations where we had chosen a squad and, because it was all Test matches by that stage, the fringe players who weren’t playing in the Tests wouldn’t have had the chance to get into Test match form. Another reason we stuck with what we had was because we felt it was warranted to show a bit of loyalty and faith. Those senior players had built up plenty of credit points over the years and we thought it only fair to stick with them.
Mike accepted the situation very well and continued working on his game so he would be ready when an opening in the Test team arose. When that finally came, we considered the positive impact of Michael’s performances and contribution to the Australian one-day side and concluded that he had become the best candidate to make the transition. We knew he had great ability, but also a refreshing raw enthusiasm that we believed would add a lot to the balance of the side. Once selected for the Test team, he brought those qualities to the set-up and never looked back.
Many players wait a long time to get picked for the top level and, in the era we’ve just been through, vacancies in our side, particularly the Test side, were not a regular occurrence. I have little doubt that had Mike been around in a different era, he would have started his Test career much earlier. However, the team he was trying to break into was so successful and therefore stable. We had quite a few of the all-time great players in the one side and Michael, like others, had no choice but to be patient. What I really liked about him, however, is that when his chance finally arrived he embraced it with gusto and no hard feelings about how long it had taken.
It must have been challenging for Michael to stay focused on his goal of playing for Australia when there seemed so few openings. I know that earlier on in his career he had gone through a stage of wondering whether he had to alter his natural batting style to attract more attention from us. However, we never told him to change his style. In fact, even though he felt he had to be more aggressive, it was his one-day form that eventually got him his start in international cricket, not his efforts in the four-day game. I believe that, playing at the top level, it’s imperative to just be yourself. Everyone playing at first-class level can play the game. But you’ve got to know your own game well and know what your limitations are. Michael came to understand that and keep that concept effectively under control. By the time we picked him, we believed that Michael knew his game very well.
His drive, work ethic and will to succeed – and the fact that he had to wait so long – have ensured that he’s made the most of every day that he’s been part of the Australian team. You can see that he enjoys and cherishes every moment. I would even go so far as to say that the exuberance he has displayed has rubbed off on others in the Australian side.
Despite his obvious joy at becoming part of both teams Mike has kept his feet on the ground at all times. He had some tough experiences early on as a state player, yet kept his focus. It appears that he has been able to maintain that attitude since entering the Test scene and has not allowed himself to be swept up in the success he’s had. It hasn’t fazed or changed him at all, which I believe is a wonderful example for young people to follow.
Towards the end of my time as a selector, we showed a little of our feelings about where we believed Michael was headed by picking him as vice-captain of the one-day side for a team tour. He’d captained Australia-A a couple of times and we wanted to see how he would translate those experiences to the next level. Leadership qualities are definitely there and he is someone who knows how to set a good example for those around him. Whether there will be time in his career to take the step to Test captain, given that he’s not that much younger than Ricky Ponting, is uncertain. But we know now that Michael is someone who is a leader, has a great work ethic and sets about achieving his goals in a very impressive way.
Of course, I could just play and play and play, never miss a game and do my best to maintain a consistent level of high performance. However, it is virtually inevitable that mental and physical fatigue would eventually take a toll, which could jeopardise my spot. You only have to be a millimetre off at this level and you will be found out. Scheduled breaks, however, pretty much ensure that each time I play, I’m refreshed and ready. That is why I am starting to become more open-minded to the idea of players being rotated in and out of the team.
The physical side of the game is pretty straightforward. Stay fit, practise hard and recover well and you should be able
to get the best out of yourself physically. But there is a mental aspect to the game that is probably even more important, which brings to mind a story I heard about one Queensland batsman who complained to Phil Jauncey that he wasn’t hitting the ball as well as he normally did. The batsman said he would usually time the ball well and score freely but something had gone wrong and he wasn’t able to do that any more. Phil asked him, ‘What did you do when you were hitting the ball well?’ The batsman responded that he would just watch the ball closely and hit it. Phil’s answered: ‘Well, there you go. Just watch the ball and hit it! That’s the secret.’ The batsman was satisfied with that and went off and put Phil’s advice into practice.
Now that might not sound very groundbreaking. But often sport comes down to simplicity and Phil can get that across in a way that elite sportspeople can appreciate. We so often have a lot going through our heads because there is so much going on around us. But Phil advises us to take out all our thoughts and concentrate on nothing more than the immediate task at hand.
Mental skills can refer to lots of different things and there are a multitude of different strategies available. You can do all the talking in the world, get into people’s heads, give them vast amounts of information about how, when, where and why but, ultimately, the game of cricket is all about watching the ball come out of the bowler’s hand and playing it as well as you can. The people who struggle are those who have all these other thoughts, doubts and fears, clouding their ability to do that simple task as well as possible. Simplicity is attractive to me. But, as much as I’ve tried to keep things simple, the fact is that when you’re playing the sheer amount of cricket we do – and contending with everything else that goes with it – ‘just hit the ball’ is trickier than it sounds.
ONE-DAY BATTING PLAN (2005)
0 to 15 overs: Play straight, be patient, run hard
15 to 20 overs: Be busy, work the ball, run hard, keep cool and calm, get to 40 overs
40 to 45 overs: Positive risks, use feet, run hard, keep cool and calm
45 to 50 overs: Think straight, pick areas and bowlers, watch the ball, keep shapes. If it’s not there, get bat on ball and run.
It’s only recently that I’ve begun to understand how mental fatigue affects me. I always thought I was somehow immune to it when others around me suffered. Take county cricket as an example. There is a widespread perception that the standard of county cricket is lower than the standard of Australian domestic cricket. But what I found was that it was not so much that the players are not as good in England as they are in Australia. Rather, they play so much cricket that, instead of being able to perform at near 100 per cent of their ability in each match, the overwhelming majority of players are only be able to perform at about 80 per cent. The English season is long. You seem to be forever training, playing games or travelling between counties. It is almost impossible to be at your best for each game as the season drags on. Nevertheless, I always felt I was able to maintain my hunger in county cricket better than most. I wouldn’t drop to 80 per cent of my capacity, more like 90 per cent. Because of that, I was always a little bit ahead of the game.
NORTHANTS BATTING REVIEW (2002)
v Glamorgan, 159, 68
Played really well. Flat pitch. My concentration was excellent. Very relaxed, calm attitude. Clear in my mind, my job. Looked to score runs and broke it down to one ball at a time. My stance felt really good. Feet in good position and head in great position in stance. Never rushed. Calm and relaxed.
v Yorkshire, 64, 122
Again played really well, in particular in the second innings. I only got myself into trouble when I was getting worried about not scoring. Just accept that there will be times of slow and quick scoring. Second innings I was never rushed and just played one ball at a time. Stance is very good.
v Yorkshire, 5
Drove at one, probably a little early. Felt supremely confident and was watching the ball well. Just went away off seam with new ball. I played a pretty technically correct shot.
v Kent, 8
Batted four, wickets tumbling, ball swinging a bit. Mentally felt okay, perhaps a little rushed. Get into that frame of mind where I’m relaxed, calm and never rushed. Stance felt pretty good.
v Lancashire, 70, 82
Batted really well. Got off to a flyer in each innings. Flat pitch, felt really positive, not much movement for opening bowlers. Enjoyed battle with Murali Muralitharan. Closed my feet well and picked his other one easily. I got bogged down when he decided not to try to get me out and just bowl maidens. Started to try to sweep. From a team point of view, the time was as important as scoring runs.
v Surrey, 80
Was watching the ball well from start. Didn’t score as quickly through the middle. Maybe need to back myself and trust my game a little more.
v Scotland, 82
Assessed situation well. Couldn’t afford to lose another wicket, played well at death.
v Australia, 73
Slow start, but played really well. Clear mind, watching ball well, looking to score.
v Warwickshire, 27
Played really poorly. 81 balls. Pre-meditated shots, wasn’t watching the ball well. Needed to take some calculated risks to put pressure back on bowlers. Forgettable day!
v Essex, 329 not out, 70 not out
First innings, struggled a little bit in the first session. Mentally I went through a couple of stages. I was premeditating a little and wanted to hit everything for four. Was guessing a little. After lunch and beyond I felt good. I was just batting and looking to score, I felt relaxed, calm, clear mind. Just watching the ball and looking to score. Second innings, we needed 95 off 15 overs. I gave myself 5 to 10 balls to get in. Then I picked my areas and backed myself to hit those areas. If I saw it in the slot I went for it. If not, I hit a single. Got 70 off 33 balls.
v Gloucester, 4
I felt a little rushed and not totally focused on the next ball. I subconsciously was thinking about the situation – chasing 344 in 45 overs – and wanting to hit fours.
v Kent, 35
Run out. Was playing really well.
v Warwickshire, 7
Opening. Didn’t feel as though I was watching the ball that well early on. Was slightly premeditating early. After a while I started to just look to hit the ball. Looked to score and felt a lot better. Hit a full toss to mid-on.
v Surrey, 15, 41
On a difficult pitch I felt I played pretty well. My driving was particularly strong. My stance felt good and I was watching the ball well. Picked swinging ball as bowler was running in. Nicked two pretty good balls through to the keeper. Even on a pitch doing a bit you have to be confident and look to score. This way, your feet will move into better positions to play each ball. If it does something extraordinary, so be it.
v Surrey, 96 not out
Batted at four. Came in at 2–6. Felt good from ball one. My stance was good and I was watching the ball really well. They bowled some rubbish and I was in a good frame of mind, looking to score. My pulls were good, although need to watch them closer onto the bat.
Recently, however, as I started to find out more about mental fatigue, I looked back on my seasons in England and realised that there was a clear reason I was able to stay ahead. Every now and then we’d get a 10-day rest and, instead of hanging around where we lived, Amy and I would always make the most of the free time, get right away from cricket and travel to Paris or Rome or another interesting place in Europe. Having a decent stretch of time without having to consider my form or anything to do with my team or the game allowed me to recharge and come back ready to play. I probably didn’t realise at the time how important those breaks were.
Even at Wanneroo I remember that I would play really well for eight-tenths of the season but then drop away. It bothered me because I wanted to play well the whole season. At that level, missing out in the last game or three wasn’t the end of the world. But playing for Australia is different because if you string
a few bad performances together it could result in you getting dropped. And, I know more than most how hard it can be to get a chance in the first place.
In 2006–07 there was a lot of public debate about the effect fatigue was having on the national team. It was an enormously long period of cricket that seemed to never end. After the Champions Trophy in September 2006, we played the five-Test Ashes series and then had the one-day international series around Australia. After that we had a tour across the Tasman for a few games against New Zealand. Almost immediately after that we went to the West Indies for the ICC World Cup, which was played over two months. The toll became evident.
In the lead-up to the World Cup some of the guys, including Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting, had a bit of time off to get refreshed for the World Cup. I wanted to go to New Zealand, however, even though I wasn’t in peak form and the summer had taken a lot out of me.
But I got a new lease of life when I was named captain. What better way could there be to lift your spirits? Also with a few new players in the team the playing group’s energy levels were up and there was a good feeling among the guys.
Despite next to no preparation, I was still confident we could do well because we had a great grounding of good hard cricket over the summer and, with the final World Cup squad yet to be set in stone, there was a lot for the guys in the team to prove to the selectors. I was confident we’d get good results. But it didn’t work out that way.
In the first game we were sent in to bat first on a sticky pitch. It was a drop-in wicket and the officials were worried about it deteriorating, so they put a glue on it to hold it together. But, being quite wet and cold and with the covers on the square for a long time, the glue didn’t have a chance to dry. That meant the ball was going virtually sideways off the pitch making it extremely hard to bat. After 45 overs I think we were only about 7–130. We just couldn’t score runs. I batted for quite a lot of the time and scored 40-odd. But, around the 35- to 40-over mark I could tell the pitch was drying out. Sure enough, we proceeded to get belted. I was disappointed but not overly concerned with the result because it came down to something that was beyond our control. Before we could take a breath we were off from Wellington to Eden Park in Auckland for game two, where we batted magnificently, making well over 300. But in their innings the Kiwis kept finding the boundary and there was little I could do about it. It was a hard ground to defend on because it was so small and the pitch was outstanding. We just couldn’t get a wicket at the right time or stem the flow of boundaries, no matter what we tried. I bounced a lot of my ideas off the other senior players, such as Matt Hayden and Brad Haddin, who had captained NSW, but we couldn’t devise a way to get back on top. It was just one of those days. Ross Taylor made a brilliant hundred but we could have had him out three or four times. An inside edge would brush the stumps and go for four. A top edge would just sail over third man’s head for six. We put down a couple of crucial catches as well, which probably cost us the match in the end and the series.
Mr Cricket Page 8