Sportspeople need to focus on mental strength, stresses Sandeep Patil
Former India cricketer Sandeep Patil has stressed on the need for sportspersons to focus on mental strength during these unprecedented times and then move slowly towards physical health. Cricket is supposed to resume next month with the West Indies touring England, starting July 8.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, all cricket was either suspended or cancelled in March globally. With cricket set to resume after a four-month hiatus, it was certain that it would be a challenge for cricketers to make a smooth comeback. In this regard, former India cricketer Sandeep Patil shared his understanding about the importance of being mentally mature during these unprecedented times. The England-West Indies three-Test series, currently scheduled to begin on July 8, will mark the comeback of the sport and Patil spoke about the challenges that the players could face as they will be coming back on the field following such a long situation-demanded interim.
"These are pretty uncertain times and the challenge to bounce back without any injuries will be a real task for any player. But they need to remember that all these challenges will first have to be dealt strongly in the mind. You need to begin slowly and ensure that you tune your focus firmly on making an injury-free comeback," Patil was quoted as saying by TOI.
Further on, Patil also revealed about his time in cricket and the way enough importance was given to the mental conditioning of the players. He also recalled India winning the historic World Cup win in 1983 despite being the underdogs.Ā
"Even during my tenure as coach of Kenya, I used to always focus on players being mentally strong before any tournament. During the 83 World Cup final, after we were restricted to 183, we thought we were down and out. But before stepping onto the field for the second innings, we all made a very fervent resolution in our minds and as a team. The rest they say is history,ā he added
"Bowling to the likes of Greenidge, Viv Richards was no easy task but because we were focussed on laying our hands on that trophy, we were able to do it. So, being mentally mature is very important for any sportsperson, not just cricketers.ā