How to become a cricketer and when to become a cricketer are questions with no appropriate answers. You need to find out yourself, can you put in all the hard work and passion required for this career. Technicalities can be worked upon, but you need a base to build upon these techniques at the starting of your cricket career. But then how to make a base? And find out at what’s the right time to take it as a full-time career. Well, this article will help you make a road map on how to become a successful cricketer.
Is there any specific Age Limit for Starting a Cricket Career?
There is no specific age limit for playing this sport professionally. If you make it big, you can play till your early forties. But, it is preferred you start playing the sport early in your teens, so that you can have ample time to go ahead and make it big. There are a lot of stages that you need to cross to make it to the top.
One more advantage that you have if you start playing early you have different teams under 16/ under 19 to play for. It helps you gain experience and showcase your talent and passion at a younger age, and this increases your chance of selection into different clubs or maybe even in the national team.
How to Start Career in Cricket
Just like any other sport, cricket also needs you to be fit like an athlete. So, always when starting any sports career make sure you are ready to put in all your efforts into your fitness also, rather than just focussing on the sport. Don’t ignore your body’s nutrient needs if you want to become a sports player.
The next big job is to buy a cricket kit. No need of going for an expensive one, choose one that justifies its job in the first phase of being a cricketer. Now, look for a basic cricket academy near your home. This will help you understand the basics of cricket. Also, will lay a base for your cricket career. No need of jumping directly to a highly professional big academy in the first go itself. Take these steps slowly and gradually. Remember, these small academies will only help you out in finding if you are passionate and interested in cricket. So, your first step becomes to understand do you want to become a cricketer or not.
Now, that you are clear move to the next step.
Choosing an Academy
Once you are sure enough to pursue a cricket career, take admission in a professional academy. These academies play a major role in guiding you in the right direction of how to become a successful cricketer. Your coach, mentor, and the kind of experience you gain will help you in achieving your goal. Before choosing a professional cricket academy keep a few things in mind. You are there to come one step closer to your cricket career.
Check for all the facilities that they are going to provide you with, what is the ratio between a coach and the student. Get to know the history of the academy for knowing the kind of exposure and opportunities they are going to provide you with. Also, make sure they have a cricket ground of their own for you to practice as much as you want. Lastly, check the charges and if it approves your budget, go for it.
The first major step towards how to become a cricketer is now successfully taken!
Making small Goals
Whenever you start pursuing any career, the best way to reach to the top is by setting small goals. Even when you think of how to become a cricketer, there are small goals you need to accomplish. These small goals that you keep for yourself will help you stay motivated and would not let you lose hope. And it helps you grow step by step and in a more efficient manner.
Improve your Cricketing Skills
No one can improve your game until you work towards it. For standing out of the crowd you need to be on the top of your game. Your coaches and mentors can only guide you. So, the first small goal that you need to achieve is improving regularly in your game.
Do it by, practicing hours in a day, watching a professional play, and interacting with some professionals also. When you watch someone play, your visual memory helps you learn those skills on the ground. Interacting with professional players will tell you how to become a cricketer, including all kinds of experiences they have. And you can learn from their mistakes and move ahead in your cricket career. Jasprit Bumrah to date practices improving his skills and say you need to have variety in your game, so that you don’t become monotonous. Here he shares how he practiced again and again to improve himself.
Playing for School/University
Cricket, being a team sport cannot be completely learned by just improving your skills. You need to work as a team also. Your school/university teams will help you understand these team dynamics, which is a very important aspect of starting a cricket career. You also get to play competitive matches where you can show your talent.
School/ University can easily help you reach the next phase of your professional training. Which is to get selected for the district level. If you are constantly performing well, your school/university will provide you the stage or recommend your name for district-level matches.
Becoming a Professional Player
Once you are selected for the district level, now you are on the road to becoming a professional player. But the struggle is not over yet, you now need to become a state-level player and then you may get a chance to play for IPL or the national team. When you are playing for your district, it will help you gain the experience you require to make it to the state teams and play the Ranji trophy.
But wherever you play, you need to stand out for the selectors to go ahead and select you. Be in the best form of yourself and try hard. If you are a batsman just practice hitting the ball and if a bowler just practices throwing the ball. Don’t try and be best in everything, be the best in one aspect and you can find your spot on the state team.
And now that you are playing for the state, you can now go ahead and try for IPL and the national team. Join the selection camps happening in different parts of the country and fight for your spot on the team. Well, this is the last step of how to become a cricketer.
How to become a Cricketer while tackling Failures
Though, the road map towards becoming a cricketer is pretty simple on the pages. But, your failures may lead you to lose hope. At this point, just remember your failures do not define you. Overcome those failures and fears and keep on believing in yourself. If you believe you can do it, it means you can do it.
Not everyone indeed gets to play for the national team, but there are ample opportunities out there. One day your struggle will pay you back, with your dream coming true. If you fail today, know that there is always a tomorrow to make you successful. Here you can read about the journeys of the players who defied all the struggles and still reached the top.
Tips on How to Become a Successful Cricketer
Once you have started playing cricket as a professional, now your job becomes to sustain that success. But, how can one always remain successful? Though you cant remain successful throughout your life there are a few things that you should always keep in mind.
- Never carry the burden of your past performance in today’s performance.
- Again keep small goals for yourself during a match, first, make 30 runs and then target for a 50 and then for a hundred.
- Make sure the task assigned to you in every match is fulfilled, sometimes your job may be to just hit sixes or sometimes to help the team reach a decent score.
- Don’t hide behind your fears on a bad day, still, give your best. Even if you give a 20 run over, the next over is going to be new.
- Don’t make yourself predictable, especially when you are bowling.
- Rather than just bowling or batting, invest in fielding as well. Nowadays, it has become of key importance for the selection of the squad for the match.
Once, you keep all of this in your mind your chances of giving a better performance increase. And you can retain your success for a decent time, and can still get to play even if you don’t do so well. Because your numbers say a lot about you in this field of cricket.
FAQ Regarding How to Become a Cricketer – A Complete Guide to succeed
Yes, you can still start your career. There are no age boundaries, but your chances of reaching the top can reduce. It at least takes 6-8 years to make it to the top. Now, if you do the maths you’ll be around your thirties when you reach the last step. But, if you think you have all that it takes you can give it a try. But please have a plan B ready.
The number of hours you practice doesn’t tell you whether you can make it to the national team. Instead, its how you practice in those hours that will help you make it to your team. The kind of techniques you practice, and working on your weaknesses.
You can get selected for any of the two with the kind of performance you show in your first-class matches. This is where the selectors come and see you play again and again and see the potential in you. Players like Chahal, Bumrah first played for a franchise, got recognition because of their performance, and then got selected for the Indian team.
Parents are right in their place, they are worried about your future. In a country like India, where so many people dream to be a cricketer the uncertainty of the field makes your parents worried. Do not leave your studies before you at least play state-level matches and believe now you can earn a living out of the same. Once, you are clear with your parents that you will study as well as play, they won’t mind it.
Editor’s Note | How to become a Cricketer
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may become tough for budding cricketers to go ahead and join an academy for their training. But what you can do is start practicing at home, with all that you have. Focus on your fitness, exercise daily, and control your diet. Because as and when the situation starts to resume back to normal, you should not be out of shape. As a budding cricketer, your major job is to be fit throughout, because you never know when an opportunity comes. You should be ready.
