Inside a bowler's mind

How does an international cricketer deal with the mental demands of 'bowling at the death' and five-day matches?

“Every bowler will have their own checklist of how to bowl a yorker and what allows them to have a very high probability of executing (that task). I think about those checklists before I get to my mark. Once I'm on the mark, I'm locked and loaded. Every time you're in that mental space, your probability of failure is significantly lower.”

Pre-performance routines are nothing new. I remember reading Tom Daley’s recollection of the prescribed number of centimeters he would inch forward prior to each dive. But it’s rare to find an athlete able and willing to talk - in detail - about the steps and value of a mental checklist.

Fortunately, towards the backend of the recent England-India series, I was able to talk to Harshal Patel, an Indian international bowler, as part of a podcast previewing the final Test match between the two teams.

Harshal spoke with unerring clarity about the psychological preparation required to perform under pressure, how he manages his emotions on the field of play and why risk management is such a key part of a fast bowler’s skillset.

His insight was disguised, to some degree, by the fact we had a game to discuss, so in this week’s newsletter I’ve focused purely on his explanation of how to ‘bowl at the death’, the type of mental checklist players might create to maximise their probability of success and how to manage physical and technical risk during a game.