If It Doesn’t Happen at the Top, Why Are We Teaching It at the Bottom?

Too many young players are being taught a version of cricket that doesn’t exist at an elite level.

“Take a big stride.” “You have to go forward to score.” “Your bat must swing in a straight line.” “Keep your hands tucked in.” “You can’t trigger back.”

To name a few…

These aren’t just unhelpful — they’re wrong.

However, for some reason, this type of coaching remains the norm in schools, academies, pathways, and systems that label themselves as “high-performance.”

It’s not coaching built on truth. It’s not a structure. It’s not safe.

It’s damaging to a cricketer’s future self. It’s lazy. And worst of all? It’s limiting players who are ready for more.

Coaching Isn't Copy + Paste

I’ve worked with many young players who’ve had to unlearn these beliefs — things they were told were “correct” or “the only way.”

And when they finally let go of those rigid ideas, something shifts:

• They move better.

• They think clearly.

• They stop trying to squeeze into someone else’s mould — and start playing their own game.
  

A game that works not just now, but under pressure, at higher levels, and for years to come.

Because that’s what the best players do:

They solve problems. They adapt. They find methods that suit them, not what looks tidy in a drill.

A coach provides strategic insights to a young cricketer during a practice session in the nets.

The Problem with Coaching by the Manual

Some coaches are still teaching what they were taught, not what the game requires.

They repeat methods without understanding them. They cling to routines because structure provides a sense of safety. But coaching isn’t about making it look tidy — it’s about making it work.

Let me be honest:

Coaching is hard. It’s hard to adapt. It’s hard to coach individuals. It takes passion, not ego, and not just a paycheck.

If you're coaching everyone the same, or giving out poor instructions that don’t reflect the modern game…It’s not just lazy — it’s harmful.

And if what you’re teaching doesn’t show up in elite-level cricket?

It’s probably not helping. That’s not an opinion. That’s a fact.

Just because it worked for you once, or came from a coaching book older than the Bible, doesn’t mean it applies to the player in front of you.

And if your voice is louder than the learning, you’ve missed the point.

This isn’t about you. It’s about them.

8 Truths That Build Cricketers

1. Titles don’t equal truth. Just because someone runs a program doesn’t make them right. Pathways often pick who’s available, not who’s best.

2. It’s your game. Own it. Lara didn’t copy Root. Smith didn’t copy anyone—the best trust how they move, not what a coach told them to copy.

3. Train for where you’re going, not where you are. Don’t train to dominate U14S. Train for pressure. Train for the moments that matter. Train for your future self.

4. Be curious. Be brave. Try. Explore. Fail. Growth doesn’t come from avoiding mistakes — it comes from owning them.

5. Don’t confuse structure with progress. A nice kit, a busy schedule — that’s not development. Authentic coaching challenges your thinking, not just your routine.

6. Progress isn’t always about selection. Not being picked doesn’t mean you’re not growing. If you’re evolving, you’re ahead.

7. Question what doesn’t exist at the top. If elite players don’t do it, why are you? And if they do do it, ask why it works, not just how it looks.

8. Never let anyone tell you your way won’t work. Imagine if someone told Smith, Lara, or Root their method was wrong. Maybe they did. Thankfully, those players trusted themselves — and found coaches who trusted them too.

Less Noise. Just Results.

We don’t need louder coaches. We need better ones.

The ones who build cricketers. Who coaches people, not patterns. Who listens more than they speak? Who prepares players for the game ahead, not the one behind?

So if you’re a young player, chase the truth. If you’re a parent, support the long game, not just the short-term shortcut. And if you’re a coach, unlearn what no longer serves.

Let’s stop boxing players in. Let’s build cricketers who think, adapt, and thrive under pressure.

Let’s move the game forward — together.

Less noise. Just results.