Introduction: Why Mental Toughness Matters for Cricketers
You will often hear cricket described as a “mental game”. Batters face long periods of concentration, bowlers deal with pressure after every delivery, and fielders need to focus for hours on end. For junior cricketers, learning how to stay calm, resilient, and confident is just as important as learning how to hit the perfect cover drive.
At CricketLAB, we are often asked by parents of our athletes, “How can we help our kids build mental toughness?”
The good news is that feeling confident under pressure is a skill that can be developed with the right approach.
1. Focus on the CONTROLLABLES
The single biggest cause of pressure in cricket is worrying about things outside of a player's control. For example:
- Umpires’ Decisions
- Opposition Players
- Parent/Coach Expectations
The best players in the world can centre their focus on the ‘controllables’, that is, the things in a situation that THEY can control. For example:
- How they prepare the morning of game day.
- The focus they have as the bowler runs in.
- The energy they have in the field.
Encouraging young players to focus on aspects such as effort, attitude, and preparation, rather than what another player is doing or how they felt during their last game, is crucial to developing a strong mindset as they progress through the sport.
2. Use Routines to Remain Focused
Whether you’re playing local cricket in Hornsby or facing Jasprit Bumrah on the world stage, routines are far and away one of the most effective ways for cricketers to reset and remain calm every ball. Take Steve Smith, for example – he is often noted and sometimes critiqued for his unique intricacies during an innings; however, these make up a crucial part of his routine to ensure he feels prepared for each and every ball.
Whilst Smith's routine may come across as extravagant, routines can be as simple as:
- Taking a deep breath before facing each ball.
- Tapping the bat twice before looking up at the bowler.
- Using a quick phrase like “watch the ball” as the bowler runs in to stay focused.
Routines are ultimately completely personal in design; what works for one player may not work for another, which makes it important to experiment to find out what keeps you focused and confident throughout a game.
*NOTE: Whilst examples focused on batting routines, bowling and fielding routines are just as important
3. Encourage Positive Self-Talk
It’s natural for all cricketers, especially juniors, to have negative thoughts during a match. For example:
- “What if I get out early today?”
- “I feel like I’m letting my team down”
Learning to reframe thoughts positively is critical to establishing and maintaining confidence and focus on the heat of gameday. For example:
- “I’ve trained for this — I’m ready”
- “I have the chance to win the game for my team”
Positive self-talk can be reinforced by focusing on the controllables, ensuring strong preparations, and practising positively reframing everyday thoughts.
4. Train Under Pressure
The best way to develop mental toughness in high-pressure situations is to simulate playing in high-pressure situations.
You can include pressure situation activities in your daily or weekly trainings at your local nets or oval, whether you’re in Normanhurst, Berowra or anywhere else. These activities can include:
- Setting a field and run chase during a usual net session
- On-Field Game Sense Mini-Games
- Targeted Skill Challenges
Activities like these give young cricketers the confidence to compete in high-pressure situations come game day and put them in the strongest mindset to perform.
5. Normalise Mistakes and Failures
One of the assurances in life is that you will make countless mistakes and fail multiple times throughout, regardless of your mindset and skillset.
The most successful people in the world are those who take their mistakes and failures and turn them into learning opportunities. As world-renowned actor Denzel Washington says, “If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying”.
Cricket is no exception; if you take any player in the world and look at their career statistics, it’s almost a certainty that they have ‘failed’ more than they have ‘succeeded’. The best players accept these mistakes and learn from them, ensuring they are well prepared the next time they face a similar challenge.
Young cricketers can normalise this mindset by:
- Recognising All Players Make Mistakes (Ricky Ponting got 17 ducks in test cricket)
- Framing Mistakes as Learning Opportunities
- Bounce Back Mindset (e.g. getting hit for 6 and still running in confidence next ball)
This mindset helps players bounce back faster and keeps confidence high even through the tough times.
Final Thoughts: Confidence is a Trainable Skill
Mental toughness isn’t about being fearless or never making mistakes — it’s about staying composed, learning from setbacks, and believing in yourself under pressure.
Building these skills as junior cricketers is important for long-term development, however doing so is much easier said than done. At CricketLAB, athletes get access to numerous experienced and high-level coaches who can assist in building confidence and training mindset. Come and work with us to fasttrack development and learn to enjoy the game week in week out.