You Don't Need to Feel Confident to Bat Well

What if the secret to batting under pressure isn't getting rid of your nerves, but learning to perform with them?

Have you ever been padded up, waiting to bat, and felt your heart racing?

Your mind starts wandering. You think about the bowler you're about to face, the runs you need to score, the selectors watching from the boundary, or perhaps the consequences of another low score.

Then, when your opportunity finally arrives, you walk out to the middle feeling like a completely different batsman to the one who was timing everything beautifully in the nets two days earlier.

Your feet aren't moving quite as freely. Your hands feel tight. You're suddenly conscious of your technique, and shots you'd normally play instinctively become complicated decisions.

Sound familiar?

If it does, you're certainly not alone.

One of the most common questions I get asked by players I coach is: "How do I manage performance anxiety before and during batting?"

It's a great question, and one I wish I'd spent more time exploring earlier in my own playing career.

Because here's something I've come to understand after more than 20 years of competitive cricket:

You don't need to feel confident to bat well. You need to learn how to bat when confidence isn't there.

Let me explain.

When Your Body Starts Working Against You

I've recently been working with a young player who experiences significant anxiety before batting.

When we first started discussing how he feels before an innings, he described something that really struck me.

His knees would begin to shake.

Not just a few butterflies in the stomach or a slightly elevated heart rate. His anxiety was so intense that he could physically feel it affecting his body.

Imagine trying to bat against a decent opening bowler when your legs are shaking before you've even faced a delivery.

It's difficult enough to make good decisions when you're relaxed, never mind when your body is behaving as though you're facing some sort of threat.

And that's essentially what's happening.

When we perceive a situation as threatening, our body's stress response can increase our heart rate, alter our breathing, tighten our muscles and produce trembling.

It's an incredibly useful response when we're facing genuine danger.

But when we're standing at the crease trying to judge whether a ball is swinging away outside off stump, it isn't necessarily helpful.

For this young player, we've spent the last four weeks working on two things: meditation and visualisation.

Meditation to help him become more familiar with his thoughts and physical sensations without immediately reacting to them.

Visualisation to help him build more positive, realistic images of himself batting successfully under pressure.

The early signs have been encouraging.

That doesn't mean the anxiety has magically disappeared, or that we've discovered a guaranteed solution. But we're beginning to change how he experiences and responds to it.

And that's an important distinction.

I Wish I'd Understood This Earlier in My Career

When I look back at my own cricketing career, there are plenty of occasions when I allowed the importance of an innings to influence how I played.

I remember the anxiety surrounding my first-class debut for the Northern Knights.

2. On Matchday: Stop Fighting Your Nerves

Here's something I regularly discuss with players.

What happens when you notice yourself feeling nervous?

For many, the immediate response is frustration.

Why am I feeling like this?

I've played hundreds of games. I shouldn't be nervous.

What if I can't control it?

Suddenly, you're anxious about being anxious.

And you've created another problem for yourself.

Instead, I'd encourage you to try something different.

Acknowledge the feeling.

You might simply say to yourself:

"I'm feeling nervous today. That's okay. I can still bat well."

You don't need to convince yourself that you're completely relaxed.

You don't need to manufacture confidence.

You simply need to recognise that nerves are present and that they don't have to determine what happens next.

If anything, the nerves actually give you energy.

There are ways you can use that nervous energy to benefit you in the middle.

Call loudly to express that energy.

Run hard between the wickets.

However, if you’re looking to calm yourself down, here’s a useful tool to use.

Try this: Five minutes of meditation

This is one of the exercises I've been introducing to the young player I mentioned earlier.

Find a comfortable position, close your eyes if you wish, and focus on your breathing.

Breathe by your belly rather than your chest and notice the sensation of the air moving in and out of your lungs and feel the sensation of the oxygen flowing throughout your bloodstream.

Your mind will wander.

You might start thinking about your previous dismissal, the bowler you're facing tomorrow or something completely unrelated to cricket.

That's fine.

Notice the thought and gently return your attention to your breathing.

Repeat that process for five minutes.

You're not trying to empty your mind.

You're practising the ability to recognise when your attention has wandered and bring it back to where you want it.

Think about how valuable that skill could be when you're batting.

You've just played and missed twice. The wicketkeeper has something to say. Your mind starts racing.

Instead of following those thoughts, you recognise them and return your attention to the next delivery.

That's the skill we're developing.

And like any cricketing skill, it benefits from regular practice rather than being used only when things become difficult.

I'd demonstrated that I could perform at a high level. I had the technique, the experience and the ability to score runs against good bowling.

Yet suddenly, the occasion felt different.

The significance of the opportunity, the desire to prove I belonged and the possibility of failure all became part of the experience.

And rather than simply watching the ball and reacting instinctively, I became more conscious of myself.

I also experienced this throughout the years when I was desperate to progress further in professional cricket.

I would go into club matches knowing that selectors might be watching. Every innings felt like another opportunity to demonstrate my ability.

But there's a problem with that mentality.

When every innings becomes an audition, every dismissal starts to feel like a verdict on your ability.

Instead of being fully immersed in the contest with the bowler, you're thinking about what scoring runs might mean for your future.

Or worse, what getting out cheaply might mean.

I didn't appreciate it at the time, but the harder I tried to force success, the more difficult I made batting.

These days, I have a much healthier relationship with the game.

I still desperately want to score runs. I still hate getting out.

But I've become much better at recognising those feelings without allowing them to dictate how I play.

So, what can you do to develop that ability?

1. Before Matchday: Train Your Mind to Experience Success

One of the biggest mistakes I see players make is waiting until matchday to start thinking about their mental preparation.

They spend hours in the nets, work on their fitness, analyse their technique and prepare tactically for the opposition.

But what about preparing their mind?

During my 2024 season, I scored 697 runs at an average of more than 53, despite attending only three team training sessions and having another three short throwdown sessions.

One of the biggest contributors to that season was visualisation.

I would watch footage of opposition bowlers on YouTube, study their actions and identify the deliveries they were most likely to bowl.

Then, most evenings, I'd spend 10–20 minutes imagining myself facing them.

I'd picture the bowler running in, releasing the ball and myself responding with the appropriate shot.

I'd physically hold my bat and rehearse the movements involved in each stroke.

I wasn't simply imagining scoring hundreds or raising my bat to the crowd.

I was rehearsing the actual experience of batting.

The sights, the sounds, the decisions, the movements and the scoring opportunities.

By the time matchday arrived, I'd already experienced many of those situations in my mind.

And that familiarity helped me feel better prepared.

Try this: The five-minute batting rehearsal

Find somewhere quiet and spacious, grab your bat and imagine walking out to bat.

Picture the ground, the pitch, the opposition and the bowler you're about to face.

Now imagine three scenarios:

• The ideal start: You watch the ball closely, move well and play a couple of confident scoring shots.

• The difficult start: You play and miss, perhaps get beaten by a good delivery, but remain composed and focused on the next ball.

• The pressure moment: You're facing a good bowler, the field is attacking and runs are difficult to come by. You stay patient, focus on your scoring opportunities and trust your decisions.

That second and third scenario are particularly important.

If you only ever visualise batting beautifully, you're not preparing yourself for the inevitable challenges of an innings.

Visualise yourself responding well to adversity, not just enjoying success.

3. Walking to the Crease: Give Your Mind a Job

Imagine you're padded up, waiting to bat.

Your team has just lost two quick wickets.

The opening bowler is swinging it around corners, and you're walking out knowing your team desperately needs a partnership.

What are you thinking about?

Don't get out.

We can't afford another wicket.

I need to score runs today.

These thoughts are understandable, but they're not particularly useful.

None of them tells you how to play the next delivery.

This is where I encourage players to develop a simple transition between waiting to bat and actually batting.

As you walk towards the middle, shift your attention away from what might happen and towards what you need to do.

For example:

Watch the ball. Assess the conditions. Trust your game.

That's it.

Three simple instructions.

You don't need to think about your backlift, your head position, your front elbow and six other technical components.

You've already done the training.

Your job now is to assess what's happening in front of you and respond.

You might also find it helpful to take one slow, comfortable breath, allowing your shoulders and hands to relax before taking guard.

The purpose isn't to eliminate every physical symptom of anxiety.

It's to create a familiar transition into the task ahead.

4. During Your Innings: Stop Trying to Control Everything

This is where things become really interesting.

You've survived the first few overs.

You're beginning to find some rhythm.

Then something happens.

You play and miss at a delivery you think you should have hit for four.

Or the bowler beats your outside edge.

Or you glance at the scoreboard and realise you've scored only eight runs from 25 balls.

Suddenly, your mind starts interfering.

You're batting too slowly.

Your technique doesn't feel right.

You need to make this innings count.

I experienced something similar during the 2024 season.

In one match against Instonians, I started beautifully, racing to 28 from around 18 deliveries.

I was playing instinctively, including two pull shots for six.

Then a thought entered my mind.

"You've had a good start. You need to make this one count."

And my approach changed.

I became more cautious, more concerned with protecting the innings and less willing to trust the instincts that had helped me start so well.

It's fascinating how quickly our thinking can change our approach.

The important lesson is that you don't need to respond to every thought your mind produces.

Just because your mind tells you you're batting too slowly doesn't mean you should suddenly attack the next delivery.

Just because you've played and missed doesn't mean your technique needs rebuilding.

And just because you're nervous doesn't mean you can't execute your shots.

Try this: The three-step reset

When you notice anxiety or frustration beginning to influence your batting, try the following:

Step 1 — Recognise it.

Notice what's happening.

"I'm getting tense."

"I'm thinking about my score."

"I'm worried about getting out."

You don't need to judge the thought or fight it.

Step 2 — Release the tension.

Step away from your stance between deliveries.

Take a comfortable breath, allowing the exhale to be unhurried.

Relax your grip, loosen your shoulders or take a short walk down the pitch to do some gardening.

Choose something physical that helps you interrupt the tension.

Step 3 — Refocus.

Before the bowler begins their run-up, return to one simple intention.

"Watch the ball."

Or perhaps:

"React to what's delivered."

Then allow yourself to bat.

This won't guarantee that the next ball disappears through the covers.

But it gives you a way of responding when your attention has been hijacked by anxiety.

And that's something you can practice.

Your Challenge for Your Next Innings

Rather than trying to change everything at once, I want you to experiment with three things before your next match.

1. The night before: Spend five minutes visualising yourself batting. Include a difficult scenario and picture yourself responding calmly and decisively.

2. Before you bat: Take a few minutes to notice your breathing and acknowledge whatever nerves are present. Don't fight them. Give yourself permission to feel nervous.

3. During your innings: When you notice tension, frustration or doubt, step away, breathe and return your attention to watching the ball.

After the match, reflect on how well you followed those three steps.

Not just how many runs you scored.

Because the more you practice responding effectively to pressure, the better equipped you'll become to handle it when it matters.

And remember:

You don't have to feel good to bat well. You just have to give yourself the opportunity.

Does performance anxiety affect your batting? I'd love to hear what you experience before and during an innings, and what you've found helpful in managing it.

Get in touch if you want to talk batting.

· If you’re experiencing severe, persistent anxiety that substantially affects your ability to function, support from a qualified sport psychologist or healthcare professional may be appropriate alongside coaching.

5. Practice Batting When You're Uncomfortable

Here's a question worth considering.

If performance anxiety is something you experience in matches, how often do you practice dealing with it in the nets?

Most net sessions are relatively comfortable environments.

You get out, somebody throws you another ball and you carry on.

There's very little consequence.

But in a match, one mistake might mean your innings is over.

So why not introduce some of that pressure into training?

Give yourself 18 balls to score 20 runs against a particular field.

Imagine you're 12 for 2, chasing 180, and your job is to rebuild the innings.

Or give yourself one wicket and ask a teammate to create a realistic match situation.

You can even practice your breathing and reset routine between deliveries.

The aim isn't simply to score runs.

It's to become familiar with the thoughts, emotions and physical sensations that appear when something matters.

Then practice responding to them.

Over time, those situations may begin to feel less unfamiliar.

And importantly, you'll have evidence that you can make good decisions even when you're uncomfortable.

6. Redefine What a Successful Innings Looks Like

This might be the most important point of all.

When you're struggling with performance anxiety, it's tempting to judge your progress entirely by how many runs you score.

But consider this.

You walk out to bat feeling extremely nervous.

Your heart is racing, your hands feel tight and your mind is full of doubt.

Yet you manage to follow your routine, watch the ball carefully, make sensible decisions and play with intent.

Eventually, you get out for 15.

Was that a failure?

From a purely statistical perspective, perhaps you're disappointed.

But mentally, you've potentially made significant progress.

You've demonstrated that you can experience anxiety without allowing it to control every decision.

That's worth recognising.

Of course, we all want to score hundreds. I certainly do.

But when we're developing our mental game, we need to measure more than the final score.

Ask yourself:

• Did I recognise when anxiety was affecting me?

• Was I able to return my attention to the ball?

• Did I make decisions based on the delivery and match situation, rather than fear?

• Did I trust my game when opportunities presented themselves?

If you're improving in those areas, you're developing skills that can support more consistent performances over time.

The Goal Isn't to Become Fearless

If there's one thing I'd like you to take away from this article, it's this:

Confidence isn't a prerequisite for performing well.

You can be nervous and still watch the ball closely.

You can experience doubt and still play an attacking shot.

You can feel pressure and still make an excellent decision.

The objective isn't to become somebody who never experiences anxiety.

It's to become somebody who knows what to do when anxiety arrives.

That's what I've been working towards in my own game, and it's what I'm helping players develop through my coaching.

Some days you'll feel brilliant.

Other days you'll feel nervous, uncomfortable and a long way from your best.

But the bowler doesn't care how you're feeling.

He's going to run in and deliver the ball regardless.

Your job is to give yourself the best possible opportunity to respond.

And that starts with learning to trust your game, even when your mind is telling you otherwise.

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