The sweep and the reverse sweep are two batting shots which are not commonly used, especially the reverse sweep which is rarely used. However both shots can be used in certain batting situations and are an effective way to score runs and keep the score board ticking over.

There is a high element of risk with the sweep shot, so good judgement and excellent timing is essential. Avoid playing the sweep and reverse sweep early on in your innings especially to straight deliveries, as it is not a good idea to play it until you have your eye in and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing. As for example, if the ball stayed low it would be quite easy to misjudge and get out LBW or bowled which you definitely want to avoid, so be patient and play yourself in first.

The sweep and reverse sweep are both cross batted shots and should ideally be played to slow deliveries which are of a good length and not too full. To play the orthodox sweep shot, first wait for the ball to be released before making any movement...

DON'T PREMEDITATE THE SHOT

Once you have determined that the ball is there to play the sweep shot, move your front foot as far down the wicket towards the pitch of the ball as you can. As you are moving forward bend both knees simultaneously so that you whole body is low down, let your back knee touch the ground to act as an extra base of support. Try to stay balanced and relaxed. Bring the bat down from the off side and across the ball towards the leg side and aim to hit it either in front of or behind square leg. You can roll your wrists over the ball as you hit to help keep it on the ground. Aim to have your arms fully extended when you contact the ball.

To play the reverse sweep, get in to the same position as for the orthodox sweep, however this time, bring you bat down and across from leg side towards the off side, so you are aiming to hit the ball through the gully area. This shot requires very good coordination and timing as you have to twist the bat round so that the bat face faces the off side at the point of contact without altering your grip.

Common problems: Premeditating the shot- deciding to play the shot before the bowler has bowled the ball. Wait until the ball is released from the bowlers hand before deciding to play the shot.

Playing the sweep too early in the innings before getting your eye in. Wait until you are set and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing before attempting the shot.

Trying to hit the ball too hard. Good timing and technique is better and more effective as you need to reduce the risk as much as possible.

Playing the shot to deliveries which are either too full or too short, so good judgement of length is required.

Remember that the sweep and reverse sweep are quite hard shots to master and carry quite a lot of risk, so make sure that if you intend to use them, practice the shots in the nets and in training to get a feel for the shot and so you know when to play it; so that when you come to use them you are confident and skilled enough to do so.

When you watch cricket on television, it can appear to be quite an easy and simple sport, but under the helmet of the batter, there is a whole different game going on inside the batters mind in an attempt to banish any possible distractions, and focus every bit of mental energy on the ball as it is released from the bowlers hand, this is the psychological side to batting.

It is an aggressive/attacking shot played off the back foot to a ball which has been pitched short of a good length (a short delivery) and is passing wide of off stump. You should aim to hit the ball square of the wicket ideally between point and gully, always aim to hit the ball between the fielders and into the gaps.

As a batter, your aim is to score runs, stay in and help your team reach a certain particular target. To achieve this, you need to be in the correct mental state. To help reach this state of fierce concentration there are several things that you must do.

Firstly, you need to be clear your mind of any possible distractions, distractions can come in many forms; these may be concerns about the pitch, fielder’s comments, being scared of the ball, fear of getting out etc. These matters need to be cleared out of the head prior to the start of the bowlers run up to allow for the stages of concentration that will soon follow, this is vital, if there are distractions floating around your mind, you are sure not to be focusing to your optimum level and are more likely to make a mistake.

Every ball requires you to concentrate at your highest possible levels, and in so you should have a strategy to help you concentrate. I was taught by a prominent cricketing figure this following method that I find extremely useful in exploiting my maximum concentration levels. Firstly, after clearing all distractions from your mind, as the bowler starts to run up, you should enter a state of fine focus, in this state, your mind should have no negative thoughts and be concentrating on the top half of the bowler, you vision should be like a television, only focussed in on the top half of the bowler as her approaches, in this period you should have constructive positive thoughts, for example I say to myself over and over “Focus, watch the ball, focus, watch the ball” etc… By doing this and saying positive statements, it stops negative thoughts entering the mind and also stops any possible distractions drifting into your thoughts.

As the bowler enters his final steps your focus level should increase to what is commonly known as a state of fierce focus, in this stage all mental powers should be focusing on the ball and the ball only, your mental screen should now just be the size of the ball. This allows your brain to compute and work out the line, length and flight of the ball and so gives you the maximum amount of time to help you get your feet and body into position as early as possible helping giving you the best possible chances of making a good decision and playing a good shot.

This should be applied to nets as well as matches as this will get you well trained and so it becomes second nature.

The square cut is another shot which you should try to add to your batting ‘armoury’, as it will allow you to play aggressively to balls delivered shot outside your off stump which you wouldn’t be able to drive.

It is an aggressive/attacking shot played off the back foot to a ball which has been pitched short of a good length (a short delivery) and is passing wide of off stump. You should aim to hit the ball square of the wicket ideally between point and gully, always aim to hit the ball between the fielders and into the gaps.

Main Points:

Common problems:

Advanced tips:

As a batsman and cricketer you primary aim is to score as many runs. A great cover drive is the hallmark of a refined cricketer...

The cover drive is an aggressive and attacking shot which is played to a delivery which is pitched up or just a bit full of a good length, you are aiming to hit the ball along the ground between mid off and cover. To play the shot, watch the ball out of the hand and correctly judge that the ball is going to be slightly full of a good length. From your stance, lead with your front shoulder in towards the line of the ball and into the shot. If you lead with your shoulder first and get it inline it will help the rest of your body come into line naturally and more fluently.

Step with your front foot out to the pitch of the delivery and bring your bat down and through the line of the delivery, ensuring that you keep your front elbow high and bat straight (not a crossed batted shot). Aim to place the ball between mid of and cover, maintaining a firm base and follow through the shot in a relaxed manner.

Key points:

A bowler who has the ability to bowl swing is an important asset in any cricket team as swing bowling is a great way to baffle a batman, add pressure and take wickets. The swing bowler has the ability to move the ball in the air either away from the batsman or in towards the batsmen. The swing is created by holding the cricket ball in a specific way so that when it is released from the hand the varying levels of air resistance combined with the position the seam is directed causes the ball to swing in the air. The swing is accentuated by polishing and shining one side of the ball so that is smooth relative to the other side, which should get roughened up through the natural course of play. Select a side to shine at the start of the match and ensure all the bowlers and fielders know which side to polish. You can polish it by rubbing sweat into it and then rubbing it on your cricket trousers.

There are three generally recognized swing delivery types, in swing, out swing and reverse swing.

Out Swing

The aim of the out swinger is to encourage the batsman into playing a drive and ideally the swing will increase the chance of getting an edge and getting the batsmen out caught behind. You want to pitch the ball quite full, aiming at or just outside off stump so that the batsman is forced to play at the ball.

The grip for the out swing delivery is quite simple and provided the seam is up right at the point of release it should swing. You need to hold the ball as normal for a medium paced delivery with the seam vertical, however for the out swinger the seam needs to be vertical and pointing towards first or second slip at about a 15° angle, so that your fingers will be running slight across the seam. The shiny side should face the leg side of the batsmen, thus the rough side faces the off side and the direction of swing. The increased air resistance on the rough side and seam position will cause it to swing through the air towards the offside. The run up should be slightly angled and bowled from close to the stumps.

In Swing

The in swing delivery is basically the reverse of the away swing in that when bowled from a bowler it swings in towards a batsmen. Have a straighter run up and deliver the ball slightly wider on the crease. In contrast to the away swing bowler, the in swing bowler aims to get the batsmen out LBW or bowled by pitching it up. Aim to bowl it so that it swings from outside off stump and pitches in line with middle and off stumps, be careful though because if you start it too straight it will swing down leg side and be easy for the batsman to hit away.

Tip - If you find yourself swinging the ball uncontrollably, hold the ball across the seam so that the seam runs horizontally, this will help negate and reduce the amount of swing.
You need to make sure that your bowlers and fielders are aware of which side of the ball in polished and that is constantly shined between deliveries. Most bowlers will shine the ball themselves, but it is always useful to nominate one or two fielders to shine the ball as well while the bowler is walking back to his mark.

Changing weather conditions have an often noticeable effect on the amount that the cricket ball will swing. Dry hot sunny days don't favour swing bowling, whereas overcast, cloudy conditions are found to be most influential at generating more swing. So take this into consideration when deciding who to bowl if you are captain.

Drills:

Practice in pairs just throwing the ball to each other ensuring that the seam remains in upright in a vertical position in flight to induce the swing. Keep your wrist upright and behind the ball and flick your fingers at the point of release. Watch the ball through the air so you can see if the seam stays upright. Vary the grip to practice the different types of swing. Another drill which can be used for most bowling activities is bowling at a target zone, which should be marked out on a good line and length. Aim to bowl the ball so that it swings through the air and then pitches in the target zone.

The straight drive is normally played when the ball is slightly over pitched on middle and off. The straight drive is on the most classical shots in a batsman's repertoire. The straight drive is usually played to an over pitched delivery on middle and off stump.

Technique:

The follow through after the short should be straight.

Wicket keeping is one of the most important positions in cricket, so much so that a specialist is usually enlisted. The only fielder allowed to wear gloves, a wicketkeeper must have superior stamina and concentration.

Following are the steps.

Since we have one hour of concentration per day, it's very important to ration the concentration throughout the entire game. This is so that your catching at the end of the day is as good as it was at the start of the game. After you've caught the ball switch off your concentration and try engaging in conversation with your fellow fielders, once the bowler is on his again, switch your concentration on again and face the next ball.

Since wicket keeping is the most important job on the field, you should not let anything get you down even a dropped catch, fielders mostly take after the wicket keeper it's very important to always keep up your energy levels and always cheer the guys on.

Good swing bowling can literally be unplayable. Yet somehow great players manage to build epic innings when the ball swings.
How do they do it?

1. Watch the ball
A reaction time limitation means that it's impossible to watch the ball right onto the bat. What distinguishes the good players from the average ones is their ability to correctly predict where the ball will be and move into the correct position. It's all about watching the point of release from the bowler. If you see the ball released late it will be short, if you see it released early it will be full. Additionally, the bowler can give you subtle clues in their grip, run up and delivery stride that can help you. If you see an angles seam you know the bowler is at least trying to swing the ball. Those blessed without a great talent for this can improve their ability by practice. This is one reason why facing a bowling machine is less beneficial than facing real bowling: You don't get the clues from the bowler.

2. Get to the pitch of the ball
Swing bowlers are usually going to pitch the ball up to you. Without doing that they will not get the swing they need. This means you will usually be playing forward to them. If the ball swings later than you ability to react you will be more likely to miss it or edge it. To reduce this risk, it's important to get as close to the pitch of the ball as possible. This will reduce the amount of time the ball has to deviate. It might be enough to stop you catching the edge. The idea is not to over step. You still need to lead with your head and shoulder while having your weight over your front foot. You should be trying to get in as big a stride as possible though. The closer you are to the pitch, the safer you are.

3. Play with soft hands
If you are facing a good swing bowler there will be times you will be beaten. You can reduce the chances of getting out either nicking off to the slips or bowled through the gate by playing defensively with soft hands. In modern limited over cricket it is often beneficial to push the hands and bat towards the ball so you can hit the ball into a gap and steal a single. While this is an excellent tactic, against a late swinging ball edges will carry comfortably to the slips or gulley. Instead of trying to 'punch' the ball, play the defensive shot as intended: A way of killing the pace of the ball. If you do this correctly it is much harder for an edge to carry to the slips.

Step 1: Get in position
Anticipate where the ball is going and then stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart. You should also have your knees bent.

Step 2: Hands ready
Your hands should be together, palms out and fingers pointing upwards with your thumbs close together. You shouldn't have your hands down by your side or in your pockets!
You should be expecting the ball every time Arms and hands should be in front of the body with the head still and the eyes level.

Step 3: Make the catch
Watch the ball into the softest part of relaxed hands and wrap fingers around the ball catching the ball at chest height. Draw the hands towards the body. You should move in as the ball being bowled so that you are not starting to move from a static position.

As we have discussed before, players need to know their role in the team.
Without a doubt the number one role of spinners is to take wickets.

While some spinners will be more stock bowlers and some wicket buyers, all are the key to bowling sides out in most conditions. The quality of batsman is also a factor, with better players needing less flight and tail-enders unable to resist loopier bowling.

Although all spinners are wicket takers, almost all spinners are different too. Each spinner will have a unique style which will make a difference to the way they get wickets. These include:

Batters preferences need to be taken into account too. Batsman, who use their feet to drive will need more in the covers than sweepers for example.

While all these are vital factors to take into account, the key difference is whether they are off spin, slow left arm or leg spin.

Off Spin
Off spinners, have two classic ways of taking wickets. Firstly through bowling the right hander through the 'gate' of bat and pad, and secondly caught on the leg side (ideally short leg). The ball will tend to be with the spin onto the leg side or driven quite straight. Very little tends to go through the area of backward point to cover. This means that the key positions for off spin are

The field will usually have a leg side bias, especially when bowling at tail enders. Beyond this, each off spinner will get his wickets differently. For example, big turners of the ball could expect to get more 'classic' dismissals, off spinners with less rip may get more caught at slip.

Slow Left Arm
With left arm finger spinners the ball will be played far more onto the off side as right handers play with the spin.

The aim is to beat the outside edge to hit the stumps or be caught in the slips. Thick edges to short extra cover are also a classic left arm dismissal. Assuming the bowler is pitching the ball up on off stump, this normally dictates six or seven off side fielders. If the bowling is too straight the left armer could be swept or played off the legs which can mean expensive overs to this field, but as having four on the leg side leaves a gap against the stock ball, it's better to get more accurate bowling than more leg side fielders.

Leg Spin
Leg spin is generally less accurate but sees more turn than finger spin makes large differences to the field. The aims for a leg spinner will be similar to the left armer with the added complexities of googlies. For this reason the important fielders are

The latter two with the option of going deep. If the leg spinner has a googly a fielder behind square leg is vital. Four fielders on the leg side is more sensible with leg spin because of the lesser accuracy.

The final key to getting more wickets with spin

If you remember these core elements you can use your own cricket sense to vary things and do what works for you. Remember that whatever your variety of spin, the key to getting wickets is a combination of intelligent captaincy and good bowling.

Food and cricket performance goes hand in hand. Studies have shown that eating and drinking right can make a significant difference to how well you train and how much endurance you have on the pitch. These aren't the newest techniques from the latest cutting-edge plan. Rather, they are simple, time-tested; no nonsense habits that you need to get into when designing a good eating program.

Exercise.

If you aren't already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the time (i.e., no more than 4 meals out of an average 42 meals per week violate any of those rules), everything else is pretty pointless.

Combined with a well planned fitness and skills based programme, these 7 rules are vital to follow if you want to be stronger, have more endurance and play better cricket. The last thing you want to do is waste all that great training by not eating right.

Runs are scored by batsmen. Batting requires coordination between eyes, hand, legs and the rest of the body. This how-to manual will hopefully help you to improve that coordination, especially the eye, hand and leg combination.

Exercise.

To help get your feet moving at the crease, when the bowler is at the height of his action, take a small step forward (at a right angle to the line of the ball) with your back foot - all the exercise in the world won't help if you remain standing still - This should act as a trigger movement; from which, dependent on your personal style and preference, you are given good base to press forward to the bowler or step back into your crease.

Watch the ball from the hand of the bowler and get your feet into position as quickly as you can.

Spend time thinking about how you should ideally be moving your feet to play certain shots. Don't premeditate your shots at the crease just know that to play a beefy cut shot you will need to:

For a full pitched leg glance:

A. Batting is a matter of 'timing' rather than brute force. Timing a ball isn't a mystery, but a skill anyone can improve

Point your elbow at the bowler as he runs into bowl. This encourages you to play straight. You should aim to 'rock the baby' with your elbows as you drive the ball, rather than slogging across the line.

Pick your bat up high as the bowler prepares to bowl. A high, straight back lift allows you to generate bat speed as you hit the ball.

Begin the downswing of the bat much slower than you think you should. This stops you playing at the ball too early, makes you watch the ball longer and means that you're accelerating the bat through the ball as you hit it. Sloggers swing hard and early, meaning they hit the ball too early and too slowly, spooning catches in the air.

Lean into the ball as you hit it, so the whole weight of your body is transferred into the ball. Bend your front knee as you play the ball and point your toe in the direction that you want to hit it. Pointing your toe at the bowler, as 'golden age' batsmen did is still a good idea.

As the ball hits the bat, and not before, uncoil your wrists to add punch to the ball. This does not mean hitting everything to leg, you can throw your wrists to the off side as if you're playing a hockey shot.

When cutting or hooking the ball, make sure your arms are fully extended. A cramped shot creates a catch.

Hit every ball along the ground, except an attempted hook or straight drive for six.

A. Start the session with a discussion between players on best practice when running. This is up to the players to decide but could include:

A. Throwing for distance is a combination of technique, timing, strength and power. It's something you need to practice a lot to make significant improvements.

Make sure you are throwing in practice as well as in games. You don't need to wait for formal sessions. Just take a ball and throw it around a field, or throw other things. The more you throw the better you will get. Generally speaking you need to coordinate your whole body so more power goes into the ball. Make sure you are transferring your weight forward and following through fully. The timing will come with practice. Power does not just come from timing though. If you have stronger muscles you will be able to propel the ball further. 2-3 times a week do some fitness training.

Focus on multi-joint movements that combine coordination with power. Simple options include clap press ups, squat jumps and inverted rows. If you have access to weights you could add in high pulls, cleans or medicine ball throws. It's also important to do mobility drills before training and to stretch every day. This will increase the range of motion around your joints which increase the distance you can throw.

If you are throwing a lot of balls, I would also strongly suggest you do some protective exercise to reduce the risk of injury. Put rotator cuff work in your warm up and make sure you are doing a variety of pulling exercises in your fitness training such as rows and chin ups.

Stay flexible, do plenty of strength and coordination work and most importantly, don't wait until match day to try out your distance.

The bat:
When choosing a bat, don't pick the one with the pretty stickers on it. Pick the one that feels right in your hands (bats come in different handle lengths and thickness), is not too heavy (bats have different weights), and the best is from young wood.

The grip:
Grip the bat with both hands but don't squeeze it. The right grip pressure is the pressure that does not allow the bat to slip out of your hands. Both hands should be together so they work together through the swing.

DO NOT SEPARATE YOUR HANDS ON THE GRIP AS THIS WILL FORCE YOUR HANDS TO WORK AGAINST EACH OTHER.

At set up, always grip your bat with the bottom hand first. Notice the "V" shape between the thumb and first finger. The "V" sits on the bat handle just forward of an imaginary line that runs along the handle that follows the back of the bat from the top of the handle to the splice (that's where the handle fits into the bat blade). The bottom hand is the KEY TO THE GRIP as it dictates the direction of the top hand.

Now place your top hand on the bat handle making sure the "TOP" hand "V" now lines up with the bottom hand "V". Fingers should be together and not spread apart

Both feet should be parallel to each other and lined up along the batting crease. Weight should be evenly distributed on both feet. DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR BAT.

Knees should be slightly bent, bat resting behind your back foot. Shoulders should be lined up and pointing to the bowlers end. Chin up and your eyes should be level (not on an angle).

GET THE BATTING BASICS RIGHT AND TAKE YOUR TIME TO CHECK YOUR GRIP AND STANCE BEFORE EVERY DELIVERY…. REMEMBER THE BOWLER CANNOT BOWL UNTILL YOU THE BATSMAN IS READY.

While these tips may be simple and basic, they are the backbone of what's required to play great cricket.

The wicket keeper is an essential and key part of the cricket team. Every team needs a reliable wicket keeper. As well as taking catches, stumping the batsmen and taking run outs, the wicket keeper is one of the team's most important players: motivating and inspiring the bowlers and fielders to raise their game and WIN. To be a wicket keeper you need fast reactions and precise judgment as you have very little time to react to such things as fast deliveries especially if there are changes and deviations in the balls line due to variations in swing, movement off the pitch and edges.

You need to be alert and have high levels of concentration. Like a top batsmen you want to be able to 'switch on and off' your concentration between deliveries and over's to avoid getting mentally tired, as it's impossible to fully concentrate non-stop for hours at a time. High levels of fitness and flexibility are also very important for a wicket keeper as it can be very tiring because you are effectively doing hundreds of squats and diving around the field. So stay fit, warm up and down and stretch thoroughly to remain in peak condition and avoid injury.

Basic technique: Wicket keeping stance
You can stand up to spin bowlers and slower paced bowlers. The wicket keepers stance is quite straight forward, you need to stand about one step behind the stumps, making sure no part of your body or equipment is in front of the line of the stumps. Crouch down with your left foot (reverse for left hand batsmen) in line with middle stump, therefore on you are crouched a little on off side. Try to keep your head still and eyes level during the delivery to help you judge the pace and line. You should be balanced and relaxed with your weight slightly forward on the balls of your feet. Be alert and ready to react to the delivery.

Catching the ball
When you are catching the ball, aim to get your head/eyes above the line of the ball and your body behind the line of the ball. As the ball rises from the pitch, rise from the crouching position with the ball, so you mirror the height of the ball. Watch the ball into your hands and catch it with your fingers pointing downwards. You'll need to cushion the impact of the ball hitting your gloves when catching by 'giving' with your hands. If the ball continues to rise as it reaches you, step with your outside foot backwards and across, rotating your body outwards, taking the ball on one side of the body. To catch a ball delivered on the off side or leg side, move your feet and body across immediately to get your head back into line with the delivery. (Move the outside foot first and follow with the inside.) Rise with the ball as discussed above and 'give' with hands to reduce the impact. If you are standing back which you should be to medium and fast bowlers take your stance as discussed above, however stand in a position so that the ball is taken once it begins to drop. Sometimes you may have to dive to take wide deliveries or thick edges, always try to take the ball in two hands if possible, roll after the dive if you can to reduce the impact of landing and changes of injury.

When fielding during cricket there are many things to think about and consider depending on where you are fielding. Where ever you are fielding you should always be on the balls of your feet so you can react and change direction quickly. If you are caught flat footed you'll be slower off the mark and potentially give away more runs. Try to anticipate where ball will go; you can do this by carefully watching the batters shape and movements. This may be a little difficult at first but after a bit of practice will become second nature and you'll react much quicker to any shots coming your way and field better as a result.

When you are fielding close to the boundary and have to throw from the deep, try to aim your throw just above the keepers head and the ball should drop nicely in to his gloves, provided you have a relatively strong throwing arm. When catching close to the wicket, such as in the slips, gulley or short leg, make sure you stance is correct with your feet shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Spread your weight evenly across both feet, resting lightly on the balls of your feet, with your knees flexed. Keep your hands together, close to the ground with your fingers pointing down. Keep your head up with your eyes level and stay alert.

When catching the ball in close, watch the ball all the way into your hands, allowing the ball to come to you; don't try to snatch at it. 'Give' with the ball as you catch, cushioning the impact. When catching in the deep, try and catch the ball at eye level and cushion the ball into your chest. The ball can come to you at any time so it is really important you stay alert and awake so you can stop that vital run or take a match winning catch.

These are just a few cricket fielding tips that you can incorporate into you game; there are many more cricket fielding tips for specific aspects of fielding. However these are the general cricket fielding tips I've found to be the most useful when fielding myself.

Stamina' in bowling terms is really your ability to repeat your bowling action many times without loss of technique, speed or accuracy. In short the more stamina you have the longer it takes to get tired and the less effect that tiredness has on your bowling speed and accuracy. Here are 8 ways you can develop this.

A smooth rhythmic approach towards the stumps gaining momentum all the time. A 20 step run up is advisable and around 6 to 7 steps for a spinner. Ideal position to start the run up is shown here. Start the left foot with weight forward and eyes focused on the target. As you get into the last jump, transform your open chested approach into a side on action. The run up of all bowlers vary, but remember one thing the RHYTHM should be the goal. A good rhythmic run-up increases the pace of a fast bowler, and enhances slow bowler's ability to spin the ball. A well-balanced & good approach to the stumps helps the bowler to gain consistency in line & length for a longer period of time without getting tired. Balance and rhythm are the two important things to concentrate on.

A good cricket bat is made of willow. When you strike a ball on its sweet spot, it springs off the wood like a tennis ball that comes of a racket. However to maintain such a performance, you must look after the bat from the moment of the purchase. Even before you use it for the first time, it needs oiling and knocking in.

For oiling your cricket bat you have to use a cloth to wipe the film of oil across the face of the bat. Do not over oil and avoid oiling the splice. Stand the bat up and incase the oil runs off the face, it means that you have put on too much of oil. Always use your cloth to wipe away any excess oil. Once this is done you will have to lie the bat down and leave it overnight. Apply an even thinner layer of oil to the bat and allow 6 hours for it to soak in. You have to this routinely.

Once this is done you have to give a Knock in the cricket bat.

While giving a knock in the cricket bat you have to lay the bat across your lap. You can either bounce a ball of the face or hit it gently with a mallet. From the start you have to soften the impact of the mallet with a sock. After doing this hit the blade and the edges of the bat for 2 hours and then let the bat recover overnight. The next day begin the hitting process again. This time gradually increase the power and the blows. Occasionally test the bat's hardness by pressing your fingernail into the willow. When your nail stops leaving a mark then the bat is ready. Ultimately go outside and have a gentle hit around. Then go to the nets for the final phase of the knock in process. Make sure you face some good bowlers.

The main factors that go into the selection of the right cricket bat for a batsman are the quality of wood or willow, weight of the bat, size and the 'sweet' spot. In the Indian market, one can avail cricket bats made out of Kashmir or English willow, both of which should serve the purpose depending on the properties any particular batsman is looking for… as a ground rule, a measure of the quality of willow is the grains ('grain' of a cricket bat are the natural wood lines running up and down a bat that represent years of growth for that particular willow) on the face of the bat. On an average 8-12 grains bat is considered to be good.

Weight of the cricket bat is again subject to comfort level of the batsman in question for some batsmen prefer a heavier bat. However, it is advisable for top order batsman to use a lighter bat giving them ample time to adjust to new ball and a heavier bat for lower order batsman giving them full value for even the miss hits…

Size of the bat is subject to the batsman's physical height. It completely depends on his comfort level. As for the 'sweet' spot on the bat, it depends on two factors primarily: the natural game of the batsman and the pitch. On a bouncier pitch it's advisable to have a 'high sweet spot' bat as the batsman invariably ends up playing more square off the wicket. For batsman who's game is primarily drives and attuned to play on low bounce pitches, it's advisable to have a 'low sweet' spot bat.

There's no set pattern for a captain to follow while setting up a field for a particular batsman as every batsman's playing style is quite different… However, as a general guideline one can follow the following pointers:

A right-hand batsman normally faces a bit of a trouble with a left arm fast bowler bowling over-the-wicket and angling the ball away from the off-stump, especially if the bowler has the ability to bend the ball back into the batsman. This normally happens because as a batsman, more often than not, a player is used to face a right-arm bowler or a bowling machine throwing the ball along the same angle. Thus, the common errors that spring out when a right-hand batsman is facing a left-arm bowler are as follows:

A cricketer should ideally include the following 7 food products for holistic nutrition: Cottage Cheese (great source of protein), Mixed Nuts (good source of healthy fat), Spinach (strengthens immune system), Tuna (rich in protein and good omega3 fats), Broccoli (rich in antioxidants), Bananas (instant source of energy and potassium on match day) and Green Tea (boosts metabolism).

One who's constantly aiming at improving one's batting skills should keep his guard for the following tens glitches in batting technique:

It is always advisable to consume proteins obtained from appropriate natural food sources consumed in your diet. Supplements should only be used if you are not getting enough proteins from your diet. Most experts recommend 1 g protein/kg body weight to meet general needs of an active person. The current protein recommendation for optimal muscle building in a strength athlete is 1.6 - 1.7 gm protein per kg of body weight. Soya bean is an excellent vegetarian source of protein besides black gram, red gram, nuts and other pulses. Consuming more protein than the body requires and can use is not appropriate and should be avoided.

Eat a larger meal 2-4 hours prior to when you are likely to play, to allow time for your stomach to empty. Top up on small, high carbohydrate snacks and fluids between sessions and whilst waiting to play. Eat enough food to feel comfortable - not overfull Keep fat intake low - fat slows food emptying from the stomach Make meals & snacks high in carbohydrate Include nutritious carbohydrate rich foods - some players may find it useful to include low glycaemic index foods for prolonged energy levels (e.g. baked beans, multigrain bread, pasta, porridge, oranges) Include plenty of fluids. (Water, sports drinks, juice)

One should watch one's head while standing in the stance, making sure that it's not falling over as it is the primary reason for the front leg going across increasing the chances of a fast bowler catching the batsman in front of the wicket

The trick is to learn to use the pace of the ball. The ideal way is to watch the ball right till the end and then working it around using the bowler's pace be it a fast bowler or a spinner

A simple trick and a lot of practice is the key to this. Putting half a rubber grip on the top half of the bat handle makes sure that the top hand grip is tighter and the bottom hand just plays the role of supporting the bat, ensuring there is a better bat control and lesser chances of airing the ball

Breaking the process of batting into smaller pieces helps the process of concentrating better. Every ball is to be taken as it comes, starting concentrating only when the bowler starts his run-up and then focusing on the ball at the time of the delivery

There is nothing called the 'Ideal Guard' for batsmen as it changes from the preference of the batsmen to batsmen. If the batsman has a strong off-side playing then he is always looking for more room on the off-side and hence it is advisable for him to take a leg stump guard. However, in this case, one has to be really sure of his off-stump

The ideal way of doing this is to break up the innings in smaller sets. Scoring in sets of 10 rather helps a lot. Keep moving from 10 to 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40, 40 to 50 and so on. Also postponing one's thoughts of hitting a big shot by 10-15 minutes helps preserving his wicket.

The best way is to get a fitness testing done and drawing up a schedule with one's fitness trainer for increasing one's stamina. The problem of low stamina can be dealt with through proper fitness program and yoga. Aerobic fitness programs will help one develop one's stamina and yoga helps one in breathing technique.

Being a metropolitan and renowned for the 'Cricket Fanaticism', Kolkata houses ample number of Cricket Coaching Centers across the length and breadth of the city. You have many renowned cricketer's academies like Sourav Ganguly's Cricket Coaching Camp, Salt Lake and Arun Lal's Cricket Academy. Apart from these academies, you have well known coaches such as Mr. Manabendra Ghosh, Manoj Tiwary being one of his illustrious pupil. He's presently coaching at a make shift arrangement at Shyam Bazar, Kolkata and would be shifting at a permanent location shortly. You can get in touch with him on +91 9830052727