BANGLADESH cricket team not like before

BANGLADESH cricket team is consistently under performing these days not because they have suddenly forgotten how to play cricket at the highest level, but because the whole team has lost confidence in their abilities. The remedy lies beyond the expertise of their cricket coaches.  The team urgently needs the assistance of sports psychologists to fortify their beliefs in themselves.

Sports psychologists help professional and amateur athletes overcome mental impediments to their sports success.  Many top athletes have credited sports psychologists for enhancing their performance and helping them achieve their goals.  Entourage of elite athletes like tennis superstar Serena Williams always includes sports psychologists.Any top athlete knows that sports is not only physical; a lot of it is also mental.  Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest,” used to win boxing contests before the opening bell by psyching out his opponents with taunts.  Before his title fight against then World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston in 1964, Ali acted crazy and made Liston believe that he was really crazy!  No one likes to fight a crazy guy!  Of course Ali won the heavyweight title.

After South Africa won their away series against Australia 1-0 in Australia in 2012, Shane Warne made an astute observation.  He said that unlike some other nations, South Africa was not afraid to beat Australia.  One of the instances Warne was alluding to was the 2006 Fatullah test when Bangladesh had an excellent opportunity to beat Australia, but lost its nerve and the match.