Atif Ashraf Qureshi

I am sure like me, most cricketers around the world are desperate to come out of lockdown and play the game they are passionate about. If you are a die-hard fan like me, this period has been incredibly frustrating. For those who share my passion for the game and wish to rise to the elite status and compete professionally, my questions are – why do we suffer such high levels of stress? What have I learnt as a sports psychology consultant that could have helped me when I played professionally? What have I since learnt that would have transformed my mindset and brought out my best during stressful times?

I am sure you must be missing the excitement of playing the match. That excitement which builds the day before, or soon after the training session. All the planning and tactics begin the moment the match details are announced. It is usual to imagine a heroic innings while daydreaming. The excitement continues to build on match day with the morning pre-match fielding session and discussions with players that include assuring each teammate by recalling their great performances. But then without warning the anxiety is activated as you prepare to bat or bowl. Fortunately, this usually settles slightly after playing a few balls or bowling some deliveries. The best scenario is always experiencing the satisfaction after middling the new swinging cherry for a four – there is nothing better than listening to that sweet sound! – or taking your first wicket.

I remember this is the kind of life I had growing up when I would only think of cricket all day long. It was always my top priority throughout the day and even in school. I never used to miss any opportunity to have a game of cricket with my classmates or any other kids I could have a bat with. It was the first thing I thought about coming home from school. I would go out to play without any thought of eating, drinking, or having a rest. First it was street cricket and eventually I joined a reputable cricket club in my city.

It was my obsession for the game which made me stand out in my age group and I started playing for the school team, then the college team and later I was asked to play for one of the local clubs. This fueled my enthusiasm and I started playing for the under 19’s, which made me a local celebrity. I started to get special treatment in my house, in my school, among my friends and even in my locality. It felt great to have that special protocol every day. Then after a couple of years I started to play first class cricket which was incredible – I was now getting paid and accepting a sponsorship.

Being a professional cricketer meant I traveled the world to see the most beautiful places on earth and I made some amazing friends. I was now a paid professional and everywhere I went my voice was heard as a cricketer and as an authority in my field. I went to some amazing places to deliver lectures and to coach youngsters and it felt amazing that I was given special treatment wherever I went. I met some famous people, shared dinner tables with them and listened to their success stories which helped me a lot during my career.

But with professional cricket came pressure. It was now all about winning at all costs and to perform consistently without failure. As an elite player, you set your performance bar extremely high and there is an expectation to keep performing at the same level. There was a struggle to consistently perform at the first-class level and retain my contracts – every team I was playing for around the world expected me to perform for them. I had to play all year long for different teams in different tournaments and was expected to execute a high-quality performance in every single game.

Cricket is psychologically demanding, for long periods of time you must remain focused. Cricket is both a team and an individual sport where you are always in the state of competition. It is a game which requires significant mental skills which are evident in team and individual sports. For example, team games like football and rugby, you are part of the team and play together but cricket is also a game where you are playing as an individual, for example golf where your individual performance is under observation and scrutiny.

Playing professionally brought the demands and constant pressure but rather than just focusing on enjoying the game which I loved, I began creating a negative frame of mind. My thoughts changed and I began focusing on the possibility of failure, particularly when playing in front of those who only treated and saw me as a cricketer. The game which I used to love playing was now just a source of income and I only played when I had to. The teammates with whom I used to hang around with were now people I would hide from. I only felt comfortable with them when I produced a good performance, anything less and I could not even face them.

I remember so well the constant pressure of performance – I prayed before most games that it would rain so I did not have to play but still get paid. I knew I was not doing justice to the game I loved but I couldn’t think of anything but to hide away. I was sick and tired of explaining to everyone about my recent performances. If I had performed well then it was appreciated but if I did not, I used to receive coaching from virtually anyone and everyone. Cricket had become my identity and I was only known as a cricketer; people would only talk to me about cricket.  I wanted to have discussions outside of cricket because I was at a stage where all my energy was sucked out of me. The constant pressure was the main factor I was too tired to be even known as a cricketer.

Because of everything around me, I lost interest in the game and I thought of leaving it several times. But then I needed something to fall back on because as a cricketer you never get to design your escape route because of the high demands of the game.  I started to gain qualifications which would make my transition easier. I would make the move into the corporate world where no one would know me and I’d have a normal life. I worked very hard to get my business degree while I was playing first class cricket. The moment I received it my only thought was to leave and never to get back in the cricket ground again.

Incredibly I set up my business during that period and started earning a handsome income on the side and cricket just became a secondary option. I only used to play halfhearted and never look forward to attending the first-class games. I think my brain had a lot of influence on my body and my body took me away from the misery by giving me an injury which would take at least 5-6 months to heal only if I wanted to make a comeback. Even though this was extremely serious I was happy that I wouldn’t have to play cricket and sat home comfortably for several weeks.

The question is – did I lose the love of the game and really want to leave everything to do something that seemed more attractive at that time or was there any other reason? To find the real reason I lost my love for the game, I pursued a passion and began to study the mental side of cricket. I discovered that it was the mental aspect which affected me more than anything else. My study of the cricketer’s mindset became even more interesting – it was as if I was reading my own life’s story and I could relate to it all. It was so real and it all made perfect sense as everything I was studying was so close to my life as a professional cricketer and it was so easily adaptable. Studying psychology solved all of the problems I assumed I had no solutions for and I realized that the issues I was facing were just temporary and could be easily solved if I had the knowledge of a sports psychologist or if I had someone who would help me during those difficult times.

I was elated to discover I still had the love for cricket and it was still the most important thing in my life. I had, however, experienced a temporary burn out stage – I was also very surprised to see how many athletes have to go through this throughout their careers. If they didn’t get the appropriate help they simply stopped competing and began participating in other activities for which they had no interest. It’s simply a way to earn money and survive. Their career change is based on the fear which comes with the high demands of playing professional sports, which in turn forces them to make the career move which seems the best option at that time. Unfortunately, after several years this predictably lacks excitement and becomes a slow poison.

After settling in the UK, I continued my research to discover if it was solely cricketers in Asia who didn’t have psychological support or did the same apply for cricketers from the UK. I knew that sports psychology was not new here and there was a lot of professional cricketers who were already working with sports psychologists even within specific age groups. I was amazed to learn that a lot of professional cricketers here felt the same pressure as I had when playing in front of big crowds and experiencing the importance to perform a high level in order to retain contracts. But what kept them going during all those demanding times was the help and support they were constantly receiving from their support staff.

Most of the county team in the UK started working with sports psychologists, including the academy sides and this gives them the required mental skills to survive and excel at the top level. Whenever they suffer a lapse in form, they can discuss their fears and anxieties to someone who listens without judgments and helps them make difficult times much easier without feeling like they have another coach in these already difficult periods. This is vital because players only need someone who would address their anxieties, stress and fears and teach them mental techniques to regain a relaxed mode. This is essential and enables them to perform to their full potential.

I wish I had the knowledge I possess now when I was playing professionally. I would tell myself during those difficult times to merely enjoy every bit of my game and play it the way I used to when I wasn’t playing professionally without any fear of failure – to play with complete freedom without the negative thoughts of the players I had to play against, and without all the technical deficiencies I had as a cricketer. I would tell myself to be in the present moment and avoid thinking too far ahead so I could be happy and concentrate to the fullest. I would say to myself that at the end of the day it was only a game which I loved and any failure I may experience whilst batting wasn’t because I wasn’t good enough but rather the ultimate learning that would lead to performances on the world’s biggest stage.

I certainly haven’t lost the love of the game, these previous three months under lockdown has highlighted that. I have been reflecting on my professional cricket career and contemplated how I could of achieve so much more at the top level. It would have been so different if I had this kind of support back then. Cricket is a lengthy game and requires long periods of concentration which also comes with emotional disruption.  When you counter your negative emotions and keep going, I’m convinced anyone can be successful and play at the top level. That’s what the great players do and that’s why even after achieving so much in their career, they don’t lose the love of the game and play every moment with passion and enthusiasm.

Mental skills training is essential to counter the negativities which come with pressure that cricketers have to face day in day out. With a greater understanding, players can accept this and permit the change of attitude to learn and respond differently to all the hurdles that stand in their way. This has now become a necessity in the fast-paced and ever-changing environment of high level cricket.  It will certainly make things much easier for cricketers when making the transitions to the playing field – I think we should all take time and invest in the mental side of the game so that we are equipped to deal with all the psychological issues which come our way during our careers. This will ensure that players feel positive and happy to play the game – which is their passion – and to achieve their goals to play at the very highest level.

There will be a lot of players who are either top club players, on a pathway to playing professional cricket or perhaps are already playing at a first or second-class level and are going through difficult times in their career where they have issues related to performance anxiety, fear of failure and emotional problems. If you are experiencing this or going through a bad patch, it’s a good time to work on these issues with someone who knows from vast experience how challenging it is. It’s crucial to have such a person to assist you in taking action which will get you out of that negative mindset and equip you with mental skills which will be with you for the rest of your life.

If you’d like to discuss how I can help you, get in contact here.