Everybody, including Sachin, goes through hell during debut
Hell – That’s the one word that comes to my mind to describe the feeling of a debut. Even Sachin Tendulkar would’ve gone through the same. And mind you, not every cricketer will know that he is going to be like Sachin. So everybody will go through hell, because a debut means your future is either made or unmade. That pressure is always there. Those who have seasoned themselves in it manage to play well during their debut and even after it. But it is not an easy thing. Very few people perform well on debut. They must be in really good form in the matches leading up to it, and if they continue that form, then they perform well in their first outing. Otherwise, if they have peaked too early, they find it difficult to cope up with the requirements of the pressure.
It’s difficult to overcome nerves before your first game. Each player has his own way of tackling it. Some indulge in self-talk, some in running through other memories in their minds, some try to focus on what is happening. So each player has a different style of mental approach. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, then poor fellow!
And then there are burden of expectations, which you can hardly do anything about. It is like trying to put the thread into the eye of the needle while you’re in a bus that is running on a bad road. The better your achievement, the more the burden of expectations. You have to put through it. You have to manage to face the present. Unless you learn how to handle pressure, you will not succeed. Mere talent is never enough. That talent has to be groomed, so that it goes into your blood.
That’s why, in cricket, selectors’ role becomes very important. They are taking a risk, based on whether a player’s past performance at a lower level will be equal to his future performance at a higher level. I remember Dilip Sardesai telling me about a young Ian Chappell. He played very well in his first match. There was a party after that. He was dancing around happily. So our chaps asked him, ‘How is it that you’re so happy?’ He said, ‘No person less that Don Bradman himself has told me that I’m going to play the whole series, no matter what.’ And what a beautiful player he turned out to be. So the selectors should know how to groom a player.
There’s absolutely no difference in making a debut in a team sport like cricket or an individual sport. It can be fine arts too, where you’re performing in front of a huge audience. Lata Mangeshkar felt that pressure every time. I remember seeing her under pressure before one of her shows, and I was surprised. I walked up to her and asked her about it. She said, ‘I’m used to this, don’t worry, it will be a good show.’ And what a performance she gave! So pressure is there across all fields, it just has to be handled well.
Whoever is making their debut should know that this pressure is not bad. It is an indication of your deep-rooted interest in what you’re doing. When they convert it into a signal for failure, they will fail. If they take it up as a challenge to perform better, they will succeed.
—BP Bam is a renowned sports psychologist who has worked with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Geet Sethi, Pullela Gopichand and Gagan Narang besides others.
Hell – That’s the one word that comes to my mind to describe the feeling of a debut. Even Sachin Tendulkar would’ve gone through the same. And mind you, not every cricketer will know that he is going to be like Sachin. So everybody will go through hell, because a debut means your future is either made or unmade. That pressure is always there. Those who have seasoned themselves in it manage to play well during their debut and even after it. But it is not an easy thing. Very few people perform well on debut. They must be in really good form in the matches leading up to it, and if they continue that form, then they perform well in their first outing. Otherwise, if they have peaked too early, they find it difficult to cope up with the requirements of the pressure.
It’s difficult to overcome nerves before your first game. Each player has his own way of tackling it. Some indulge in self-talk, some in running through other memories in their minds, some try to focus on what is happening. So each player has a different style of mental approach. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, then poor fellow!
And then there are burden of expectations, which you can hardly do anything about. It is like trying to put the thread into the eye of the needle while you’re in a bus that is running on a bad road. The better your achievement, the more the burden of expectations. You have to put through it. You have to manage to face the present. Unless you learn how to handle pressure, you will not succeed. Mere talent is never enough. That talent has to be groomed, so that it goes into your blood.
That’s why, in cricket, selectors’ role becomes very important. They are taking a risk, based on whether a player’s past performance at a lower level will be equal to his future performance at a higher level. I remember Dilip Sardesai telling me about a young Ian Chappell. He played very well in his first match. There was a party after that. He was dancing around happily. So our chaps asked him, ‘How is it that you’re so happy?’ He said, ‘No person less that Don Bradman himself has told me that I’m going to play the whole series, no matter what.’ And what a beautiful player he turned out to be. So the selectors should know how to groom a player.
There’s absolutely no difference in making a debut in a team sport like cricket or an individual sport. It can be fine arts too, where you’re performing in front of a huge audience. Lata Mangeshkar felt that pressure every time. I remember seeing her under pressure before one of her shows, and I was surprised. I walked up to her and asked her about it. She said, ‘I’m used to this, don’t worry, it will be a good show.’ And what a performance she gave! So pressure is there across all fields, it just has to be handled well.
Whoever is making their debut should know that this pressure is not bad. It is an indication of your deep-rooted interest in what you’re doing. When they convert it into a signal for failure, they will fail. If they take it up as a challenge to perform better, they will succeed.
—BP Bam is a renowned sports psychologist who has worked with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Geet Sethi, Pullela Gopichand and Gagan Narang besides others.
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