Big Match Temperament — A Lesson From Cricket
By: Sangeeth S
Tags: Lessons, Attitude, Temperament, Cricket, Life

Cricket has been my favorite sport since time immemorial. It has taught me many lessons — good and bad, which have helped me a lot throughout my life. In this article, I will be sharing one such lesson — big match temperament, which I feel has much relevance in today’s fast-paced world.

Before I begin the article, a small note — This article in no way means to hurt any cricket team: be it a club or international.

What is Big Match Temperament?

Big Match Temperament or BMT is nothing but the ability to seize big moments, silence critics, turn away from inner doubt and win.

Since we are talking about cricket, let me tell you that there is nothing that compares to ICC tournaments in the world of cricket.

There is so much at stake and it can’t get any bigger than this.

In the world of cricket, ICC tournaments have been dominated by the Australian Cricket Team, affectionately called the Aussies.

They have won the ICC Cricket World Cup (50 Overs) 5 times — a feat which no other team has ever achieved. Even more recently, they won their first ICC T20 World Cup crown, a trophy that had been eluding them for long.

Why am I writing so much about the Aussies here?

Well, they are a perfect example of BMT. I always get the feeling that the hunger for winning ICC tournaments never stops for them and hence the reason they are so good.

The recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup, which Australia won, justifies my point.

I closely followed the Aussies' performance before the T20 World Cup and observed that they had lost their last 5 T20i series coming into the World Cup — a reason why many thought they didn't have a chance.

But they proved their critics wrong and how! BMT to the fore! They beat teams no one expected them to beat, won matches when everyone thought they were down and out and made the opposition pay for any small chance they missed — qualities of a champion team.

It was surprising, but at the same time — inspiring!

How To Be a Big Match Player?

In today’s fast-moving world, as a student or as a professional, you might come across assignments and projects, which you might need to complete in a very short period of time. There might also be challenging situations that can threaten to get out of control. This is where Big Match Temperament comes into play. Here are some steps for you to be a big match player:

1. Stay in the present

Whatever happens in the past or will happen in the future isn’t in your control. Do what you need to do now and the results will follow. After all, there is nothing more peaceful than understanding that you have given it your best shot. The result will take care of itself.

2. Focus

This is a critical step. Never take your eyes off the goal, even for a second. It is never as far as it seems!

3. Persevere

Work for it — good things will automatically follow. Perseverance starts much before the main event — you have got to start working early and that’s what distinguishes a champion from the others.

4. Attitude

Your attitude goes a long way in getting the desired result. Have a positive outlook and expect only the best to happen. What this does is that it helps you to give your best in achieving the result and even if you end up on the wrong side of the result, you know that you have given your best.

5. Will-power

You are in control of your actions — let those actions be for the best. Find yourself in a losing situation? Keep pushing. Take it to the end and win it for yourself/your team!

If you want an example for a big-match player, here’s one for you — Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

This man has led the Indian Cricket Team to 3 ICC trophies — 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

Not only that, as a batsman, he has bailed his team out of difficult situations so many times. As a captain, he was a brilliant tactician, going all out to get his team over the line in big tournaments.

Everyone can have a big match temperament and be a big match player. The only thing you need to do is to believe that you are one. If you are leading a team or an organization, you are the one who needs to help the team get past the finish line no matter what the situation and if you want to do that, first imagine yourself in that situation multiple times under different conditions, with you getting it done each and every time. After all, it’s all about the mindset — be it cricket or life. It is your choice whether you want to live small or live big by having the mindset of a big match player!