The Life Lessons you can Learn from Cricket

Any Indian fans will tell you that cricket is much more than just a game here. Sports teaches some very important life lessons. Here we bring you 7 life lessons you can learn from Cricket.

Cricket originated in the UK, but has spread throughout the world where it is followed religiously in many places. The first cricket match was played in India in 1721, according to Sports Pundit, and it is now a way of life there for millions of players and fans, as well as in Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, among other countries.

As any of these fans will tell you, cricket is much more than just a game. The sport has much to teach us: here are some of the life lessons you can learn from cricket.

1. Patience:

Cricket’s critics have been heard to remark about the length of cricket matches and how they can run for days. However the length of these matches provides the first important life lesson: patience. Cricket players quickly learn that if they push themselves too hard and too early, they will run out of steam and won’t have the energy to compete for the rest of the long match. This teaches us about the importance of patience and building endurance, things that are critical in a range of life situations.

2. Persistence:

Another important lesson that we learn from cricket is the importance of persistence. Batsman, bowlers, and fielders alike may fail and it can seem like all their hard work and training is lost to failure in an instant. However, by not giving up and persisting, players see that with determination that victory can still be achieved in the end. This is great advice for just about any life situation, whether it is building a career, forming personal relationships, or learning a new skill.

3. Lasting Personal Relationships:

As with any team support, cricket teaches us how to work well with others in order to reach common goals. This is particularly true in cricket, where teammates spend a lot of time sitting together and chatting while waiting to bat. The long time frames involved in practicing and playing cricket matches mean that players spend more time together than probably any other sport, which means plenty of time to bond. In many cases, teams continue to play together for years or even decades, teaching players much about how to maintain powerful and effective personal relationships over the long term.

4. Resilience:

Over the long hours spent with a bat or in the field, things can go awry. Your ball may be caught, or the ball may slip through your fingers. Cricket players learn that they cannot let these failures and disappointments get to them, but instead, they need to bounce back and try again. This reinforces important lessons about resilience, a quality that is essential in order to succeed in life. There are many times in our personal or professional lives where things may not go our war, but in these moments we need to be resilient and adjust to the disappointment in order to continue.

5. Consistency:

Along with the importance of resilience, cricket also teaches us how to be consistent. In cricket, it is not enough to have a few lucky shots or to bowl one great overarm. Instead, in order to succeed you need to perform consistently, minute after minute and hour after hour, across the long days of a test match. This teaches its players to be consistent and perform strongly every time. This is a useful skill that helps us to be successful in other parts of our lives. For example, success at work calls for showing up and performing well each day and every day. In other words, this means being consistent.

6. Rest & Recover:

One of the defining features of cricket is that there is always a break for tea. This very British tradition gives players time out from the long hours of the game before they return to play once more, this time refreshed. This is an important lesson that can be applied to life: it is essential to take a “tea break” from time to time. We can’t keep working indefinitely forever. Taking a break to rest and recover, whether physically, mentally or emotionally, allows us to recharge and return afterwards to deliver our best performance.

7. Planning:

The final key life lesson that we learn from cricket is that planning and preparation are essential. The best players and most successful teams plan obsessively ahead of their matches. They research their opponents, look up statistics, identify the key players on the other side, and learn about their play style. This preparation is absolutely essential to give them the edge they need in order to win. Likewise, in life the more we prepare for situations, the more likely we are to be successful in achieving our goals.

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