The captain is the all powerful dictator of a cricket team. At first glance it’s his tactical nous that makes a group of individuals into a team and wins matches.
Despite this appearance, good teams operate with a collective consciousness that is greater than even the captain. It’s almost like the Borg. Just like the science-fiction hive mind race, when you are all working together, resistance is futile.
This type of cooperative cricket intelligence requires effective communication.
The information relayed by your wicketkeeper and first slip, to the bowler, captain and rest of the team is crucial.
The more planning, preparation and thought that you put into selecting this combination, the greater success you will have developing key channels of on-field communication.
Both the ‘keeper and the slip should consider it their duty to be the hub of the fielding side. Not in the traditional ‘throw every ball back to the wicketkeeper’ mantra of modern cricket teams. This hub is all about information: It flows through them to everyone else.
Encourage your keeper and first slip to focus on:
• Is the ball moving in the air or off the wicket?
• How much is the ball bouncing or spinning?
• What are the flaws in the batsman’s technique?
• Encourage good bowling and fielding.
• Watch out for fielders who are not ‘walking in’ or wandering out of position.
• Judge the state of mind of the batsman.
• Make sure they appeal loudly, together and not as an afterthought.
Once you select this partnership, give it time to flourish and be a success. Don’t rush into changing on the back of one or two dropped catches, fielding errors or difference of opinion. Honest, clear and confident communication channels will contribute to your team’s hive mind and make you a formidable unit in the field.
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