Dialogue

[Zeeshan]

A Short Dialectical Discourse Concerning the Ineptitude of Top Order Batsman to Score Runs

Gopal: Why can't our top order batsmen stick around and score more than 30 runs like Mashrafe and Shahadat did against agaisnt the Caribbean side?

Socrates: What do you think?

Gopal: Well it's obvious that ultimately it's a mental thing. Mashrafe and Shahadat didn't have the mental pressure like the top order batsmen to stick around for a long time and reach any "quota." So, they could play freely and unhindered which led to their "natural game" and accumulation of better scores.

Socrates: Well, then what good is it to be the top order batsmen? Experience? Some of the Bangladeshi batsmen overshadowed the Caribbean second string players by miles.

Gopal: Yes, but they haven't had real time experience where they played against quality opposition. I suggest the coach simulate games where for instance their aim is to be ascetic like St.Simeon/David Blaine where the chief goal of opening pair is to play through 90 overs under a battery of attack titled Endurance Match or if they are preparing for ODI then try to score 20 off one over over and over until it becomes second nature. But still they will not have the luxury to face quality...

Socrates: Define 'quality'.

Gopal: It's difficult to come up with a set definition, but I will give you a vague description. Clearly there is a difference between Bangladeshi players and other "quality" oppositions and no amount of simulation can replicate that; also, I think it's a vicious Catch-22 cycle where the reason the "quality" opposition became superior players is because they have experienced enough matches against outstanding athletes and the reason they have done that is because they were already superior players to begin with.

Socrates: Wouldn't you also say competitiveness is also lacking?

Gopal: I sure do. For instance, when Tiger Woods was on Conan O'Brien he admitted that even when he plays something trivial like his video game golf he is extremely competitive. Michael Jordan translated his competitive keenness even when was playing golf. Since, we are lacking in mental feat we can put the level of competency under microscope by seeing if they can maintain the grit and nerve in whatever their natural talents are whether chess, billiards, HSC exams, and scrutinize how competitive are they in other aspects of life? In first world country, after 18 you are kicked out from your house and the entire ground shifts from under you. You have to cut a living by yourself. It's a cruel world where beds in homeless shelter are limited and you can only stay there for seven days with meager meals. In our country, one doesn't have to undergo that and one always has a Plan B of being buttressed by someone lest something awry happen to them. There is a reason why America produces such competitive athletes. Also, children start from an early age to do everything from themselves from tying shoe to cleaning dishes not to mention the severe amount of competitiveness they face even in Little League Baseball.

Socrates: What else would you say is your flaw?

Gopal: Well, another deficiency is our consistent inconsistent to rid of bad shots.

Socrates: You see, Gopal. Solution is easy. But question is if one is willing to implement it. What if I told you that they need to practice the form of their shots in tai chi like manner in super slow motion to rectify their bad habits of poking or fishing or to restraint their airy shots. Isn't it true when Chuck Norris met Bruce Lee, Lee's advice to him was to slow down? In fact, if i recall correctly he stated that "If I am getting better, it's because I've slowed down, and that's what I'm suggesting to you. Pace yourself, attend to everything in its own sweet time, and you'll accomplish more than if you go all out at every opportunity. Slow down and you'll go faster." He also added the Zen riddle: "Slow down to go faster." Same with handwriting or calligraphy. Remember how you learned to write? You were not scribbling but patiently practicing to write or draw slowly. People thinks Picasso is blessed with gift and talent and he didn't have to work hard. But his father made him laboriously draw a rabbit's foot over and over again till he could copy it like a Xerox machine. Point I am trying to drive at is that there is a problem of your players having bad habit of shot selection and they can be rectified if they try. There is no silver bullet to it. There is no hidden aura or mystery that shrouds the problem. Question isn't is there a solution to the problems, but rather if your players are willing to put that much of grueling practice under the sun doing the same boring chore over and over again?

Gopal: It's hard for me to believe that a national team funded by so much money is not doing perfect practice or working hard. And besides now that you have mentioned this brings to question tenacity and determination. This reminds me that you were a great soldier at one stage of your life. What was your secret in battlefield?

Socrates: Well, I have been blessed with a Spartan upbringing. No one gets a free ride, my friend.

Gopal: So how do you build character?

Socrates: Haha...my wife Xanthippe when not dousing water over my head will tell you I lack that too. A termagant evil person- but a necessary one! But yes, going back to topic, I think the whole structure needs to be revised. What is the entry fee to get into high school sports team in USA?

Gopal: Well, they have something called Hell Week whether if it be American football or tennis or badminton, when you are trying to get in, it has zero thing to do with the game. They make you sit against the wall in 90 degrees on 'invisible chair' and have to sustain that position for more than 2 minutes, you have to do lunges and bear walks between sprints. You have to skip ropes for certain minutes. You carry on this type of ordeal for three hours till you start puking. Only at the end of the week, after you have been baptized by fire, they let you in the club. In contrast, just riding on the magic carpet of "talent" our players make the cut which is a cakewalk. Hell Week teaches far more about discipline and mental toughness than a player can pick up by practicing sexy shots in the nets. Also reminds me how the marines make the soldiers do 3 digit mathematical multiplication in head while they are climbing hill to see how coolly they can literally calculate under pressure.

Socrates: You are getting the point. Can you see mental aspect of the game is highly under emphasized in your team?

Gopal: So what do you say? We should fire the coach?

Socarets: That's for you to ask yourself and find out. Coach is a guide and can only show you the way. But...but that doesn't necessarily excuse the coach's actions. A coach is not your peer; he is not there to make friends. He needs to have certain authoritarian grip over you and control the team with Iron Fist. Getting caught with alcohol bottles, flying in 6000 pound curry and more importantly a blatant disregard by ex-captain to coach's "advice" of not to bowl in T20 shows complete impotency of the coach. Coach's role is that of a general. If he tells you to move, you move. If he tells you to clean the trash, you do it.

However, if a player was motivated enough he should come up with his own routine and find faults in his game. It's a 21st century of information age where everyone is connected with everyone. Given Ashraful and Tamim's status, if they truly wanted to learn they could take at least take initiative to contact other international players sliding their ego aside and ask them for advice or ask what they are doing wrong and how can they rectify it. Didn't prophet Mohammad (pbuh) say to learn one should go to China, which was the farthest country at that time? The players should ask themselves everyday when they wake up on how to get better, what small mistake they can fix that day and how to make inch-by-inch progress on a daily basis. They should be driven from within.

If cricket is truly your playerss passion then you live, breathe, eat and even sh-- cricket. When you are not practicing in the nets you are practicing in your mind. You are mentally finding flaws in your shots. When you are not practicing you are doing research and reading books. When you not researching or watching cricket you are dreaming about your game at night. When Newton was asked how he could solve all those difficult problems, he simply replied, "By thinking over and over again."

Gopal: Are you saying our players are not motivated enough?

Socartes: Gopal, I had to endure about 2,400 years of Plato putting words into my mouth. So I'd insist...

Gopal [laughs]: Oh okay..Sorry. But what are the main problems and how can we rectify them?

Socrates: Well, if the test cricket has exposed anything then it's the character. Bangladeshi players are weak in the mental department. They lack in character, tenacity and determination. They have formed bad habits where they go poking and fishing. We discussed how they can set up virtual simulations game titled Endurance Game. Or they can play a purposeless purpose game- if I may borrow the term from Zen archery...

Gopal: Purposeless purpose?

Socrates: When Herrigel's sensei was giving him instruction- by the way, the master could shoot bull's eye blindfolded in a dark room- he emphasized that purposeless purpose nature where one should shoot without shooting. Now one doesn't need to go so extreme in cricket. So...

Gopal: Maybe one can set up virtual matches where sole purpose is to restraint airy shots. Every lofted shot will be severely punished by one hundred push ups for the entire team to override the negative Pavlovian conditioning they have acquired by creating new neural pathways. Something that they make you do in muay thai gym to discipline you. After all discipline and character is the main thing lacking in our team.

Socrates: Eureka?

Gopal: Touche.

Socrates: Well you are on a right track. Simulation games are very important. Mental toughness of your players is very brittle. They give up way to easily. Everything and anything must be done to develop mental fortitude. Starting from holding breath underwater to Marinesque training of rope climbing, moving rocks and the whole enchilada. Severe amount of discipline is needed which is lacking in your team. Let me end our discussion with the following story about discipline:

Sun Tzu Wu was a native of the Ch`i State. His Art Of War brought him to the notice of Ho Lu, King of Wu. Ho Lu said to him: "I have carefully perused your 13 chapters. May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test?"

Sun Tzu replied: "You may."

Ho Lu asked: "May the test be applied to women?"

The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and placed one of the King's favorite concubines at the head of each. He then bade them all take spears in their hands, and addressed them thus: "I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand and left hand?"

The girls replied: Yes.

Sun Tzu went on: "When I say "Eyes front," you must look straight ahead. When I say "Left turn," you must face towards your left hand. When I say "Right turn," you must face towards your right hand. When I say "About turn," you must face right round towards your back."

Again the girls assented. The words of command having been thus explained, he set up the halberds and battle-axes in order to begin the drill. Then, to the sound of drums, he gave the order "Right turn." But the girls only burst out laughing. Sun Tzu said: "If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame."

So he started drilling them again, and this time gave the order "Left turn," whereupon the girls once more burst into fits of laughter. Sun Tzu: "If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers."

So saying, he ordered the leaders of the two companies to be beheaded. Now the king of Wu was watching the scene from the top of a raised pavilion; and when he saw that his favorite concubines were about to be executed, he was greatly alarmed and hurriedly sent down the following message: "We are now quite satisfied as to our general's ability to handle troops. If We are bereft of these two concubines, our meat and drink will lose their savor. It is our wish that they shall not be beheaded."

Sun Tzu replied: "Having once received His Majesty's commission to be the general of his forces, there are certain commands of His Majesty which, acting in that capacity, I am unable to accept."

Accordingly, he had the two leaders beheaded, and straightway installed the pair next in order as leaders in their place. When this had been done, the drum was sounded for the drill once more; and the girls went through all the evolutions, turning to the right or to the left, marching ahead or wheeling back, kneeling or standing, with perfect accuracy and precision, not venturing to utter a sound. Then Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the King saying: "Your soldiers, Sire, are now properly drilled and disciplined, and ready for your majesty's inspection. They can be put to any use that their sovereign may desire; bid them go through fire and water, and they will not disobey."

But the King replied: "Let our general cease drilling and return to camp. As for us, We have no wish to come down and inspect the troops."

Thereupon Sun Tzu said: "The King is only fond of words, and cannot translate them into deeds."

After that, Ho Lu saw that Sun Tzu was one who knew how to handle an army, and finally appointed him general. In the west, he defeated the Ch`u State and forced his way into Ying, the capital; to the north he put fear into the States of Ch`i and Chin, and spread his fame abroad amongst the feudal princes. And Sun Tzu shared in the might of the King.

[Zunaid]

Well done. FP material. Check PM.

[Sohel]

Great job G! W-O-R-D!!! ... :stackin:

[One World]

GB you dug it man.
I was studying Sun Tzu for last few days and was exactly thinking how can this can be incorporated in our cricket. May be a combination of County expert coach with a Chinese sports psychologist would be the key.

[AsifTheManRahman]

Good stuff indeed.

[One World]

Also thanks for not suggesting Hemlok .

[Nadim]

hahah

good work Potol da!

[Zeeshan]

Thanks you all. Please don't forget to visit my page; I desperately need to overtake bujhee_kom vai in terms of Page Visits.

[Nadim]

Originally Posted by Gopal Bhar
Thanks you all. Please don't forget to visit my page; I desperately need to overtake bujhee_kom vai in terms of Page Visits.

btw i'm leading against u atm

[One World]

Eita ki FP te chole gache?

[BD-Shardul]

Hail to great GB. No visit to your page though.

[Nafi]

A good read

[BANFAN]

Originally Posted by Gopal Bhar
Thanks you all. Please don't forget to visit my page; I desperately need to overtake bujhee_kom vai in terms of Page Visits.

Good article; Who is the general for a cricket team?? The coach?

Visit others; they will receprocate

I visited earlier I guess..

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by One World
Also thanks for not suggesting Hemlok .

Or water from WASA.

[Imteaz]

Nice One.

[Purbasha T]

Not bad, not saying I could've done better though.

[Peace]

good work, gopal da.

[auntu]

Great words Gople.