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A very in depth examination of the reasons for problems that Pakistan cricket faces and its downfall is this weeks POTW
Congratulations [MENTION=129075]CricketingMinds[/MENTION]
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...ce-behind-Pakistan-s-downfall-in-recent-years
Congratulations [MENTION=129075]CricketingMinds[/MENTION]
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...ce-behind-Pakistan-s-downfall-in-recent-years
In order to understand the real reason behind our cricket's downfall you have to study the human brain, it's development and cultural impact on the brain.
Growing up in poor communities
I think it is fair to say that majority of the cricketers in the domestic and international team come from a poor background.
0-6 years old
An infant growing up in a household where there are not enough books to read, museums or libraries to visit, where parents are struggling to make ends meet for a large number of children, it is highly likely that an infant growing up in these adverse circumstances faces a lot of "stress" or "turbulence" or "unstable environments"
On top of that, there is lack of clean water and adequate nutritious food for this infant.
0 - 6 years is the prime time for the brain and neural activies to develop. And neuroscients and pedreatrics conclude that two major factors contributing to a healthy brain development for a 0-6 yr old are:
- Attachment & Stress Management
- Nutrition.
So how does adversity impacts the brain development for a 0-6 year old?
Adversity, especially in early childhood, has a powerful effect on the development of the intricate stressresponse network within each of us that links together the brain, the immune system, and the endocrine system (the glands that produce and release stress hormones, including cortisol). Especially in early childhood, this complex network is highly sensitive to environmental cues; it is constantly looking for signals
from the environment to tell it what to expect in the days and years ahead. When those signals suggest that life is going to be hard, the network reacts by preparing for trouble: raising blood pressure, increasing the production of adrenaline, heightening vigilance.
In the short term, this may have benefits, especially in a dangerous environment: When your threat-detection system — sometimes referred to as your fight-or-flight response — is on high alert, you are always prepared for trouble, and you can react to it quickly.
But experienced over the longer term, these adaptations also cause an array of physiological problems: They tend to lead to a compromised immune system, metabolic shifts and brain development.
High levels of stress, especially in early childhood, hinder the development of a child’s prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that
controls our subtlest and most complex intellectual functions, as well as our ability to regulate ourselves both emotionally and cognitively.
On an emotional level, chronic early stress — what many researchers now call toxic stress — can make it difficult for children to moderate their responses to disappointments and provocations. Small setbacks feel like crushing defeats; tiny slights turn into serious confrontations. In school, a highly sensitive stress-response system constantly on the lookout for threats can produce patterns of behavior that are self-defeating:
fighting, talking back, acting up in class, and also, more subtly, going through each day perpetually wary of connection with peers and resistant to outreach from teachers and other adults.
On a cognitive level, growing up in a chaotic and unstable environment — and experiencing the chronic elevated stress that such an environment produces —disrupts the development of a set of skills, controlled
by the prefrontal cortex, known as executive functions.
Executive functions, which include working memory, self-regulation,
and cognitive flexibility, are the developmental building blocks — the neurological infrastructure — underpinning noncognitive abilities like resilience and perseverance. They are exceptionally helpful in navigating
unfamiliar situations and processing new information, which is exactly what we ask children to do at school every day. When a child’s executive functions aren’t fully developed, those school days, with their complicated
directions and constant distractions, become a never-ending exercise in frustration.
7 to Teenage years
So what happens in later years when the child's Executive Function have not developed?
Well, let's examine what do we as a society ask of these young children as they move into a more complex and complicated life:
Child starts schooling, playing sports, working outside.
All the above 3 activities require the child to "learn quickly". And learning requires a healthy executive function...So that in cases where the child faces obstacles, he/she is able to manage his/her frustrations well and self-regulate his/her feelings and thoughts in those moments of 'stress' (when things aren't going well).
However, due to poor functions Executive Function, the child is unable to manage his/her frustrations well and is more likely to give up more easily.
THIS "COULD" BE THE REASON WHY WE SEE EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES IN THE BEGINNING FROM A CRICKETER (BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE TALENT IN PAKISTAN) BUT THOSE TALENTED CRICKETERS QUICKLY FADE AWAY WHEN FACED WITH FAILURES AND OBSTACLES...THEY DON'T HAVE THE MENTAL CAPACITY (WITH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN) TO DEAL WITH OBSTACLES AND FAILURES - E.G. AMIR, JUNAID KHAN, UMAR AKMAL, AHMAD SHAHZAD, ETC.
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So what can be done to improve the players' ability to deal with setbacks and failures?
First and foremost it is important for these kids or cricketers to understand the neuroscience behind why they are unable to cope with failure. Then there are three (3) ways in which the situation can be addressed:
1. Cultural Impact
2. Early Childhood Interventions
3. Late Interventions
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1. Culture Impact
These players need 1 - 2 strong leaders in the team environment who understand the psychology of failure and setbacks and help their teammates deal with these situations.
In 1980s and 1990s we had strong leadership in Imran Khan and Miandad who created and cultivated an environment of hard-work and fighting-back. Luckily for Wasim, Waqar and Inzi, they grew up in that environment that helped them succeed in their careers.
But because these guys weren't the authentic leaders like Imran who brought this culture of "never give up, fight-back, get-back-up-after-failures" it was hard for them to pass on this culture of grit and dealing with failure to the next generation.
And this could potentially be another reason why our cricket has seen a huge downfall since the departure of superstars like Imran, Miandad, Wasim, Waqar, etc.
So what is needed now?
We need 1-2 strong personalities in the dressing room, whether its the captain or the coach or the physiotherapist or a mental-skills-coach...doesn't matter...but there must be 1-2 people in the dressing room who understand the psychology of failure and help others deal with failures
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2. Early Childhood Interventions
In North America, there are tons of programs that focus on improving the brain development of a child (0-6y) through:
a) Relationship Improvment: Training parents on better parenting techniques that fosters a healthy brain development
b) Health Improvment: Educating the parents and caregivers on better nutrition and providing access to better quality food
c) Cognitive Skills: Social workers spend time with the infants by reading them books, playing with them and talking to them that helps improve the infants cognitive skills.
Given the lack of financial resources in Pakistan, I hardly doubt this can ever be implemented by the govt.
But since Pakistan is one of the largest charity giving nations, you never know if an NGO props up providing the above services for the poor.
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3. Late Interventions
In sports, #1. Culture Impact, is an example of Late Intervention, where a leader in the environment intervenes to help build stronger grit and mental capabilities of young cricketers.
Outside of sports, there can be programs for the youth where they are provided with:
- Mentors: To create a bond with youngsters. Someone who the youth can trust. Someone who can guide and advice the youth on the right path, streering him/her away from the evil.
- Skill Building Workshops: Teaching them hard skills and soft skills (e.g. Computer Programming, Financial Literacy, Public Speaking, etc.) that are required for the job market of the future.
- Field Trips: To museums, leadership conferences, tech incubators, etc. to showcase the poor kids the possibilities and realities of life that they usually don't get access to. This would potentially raise their aspirations.
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What are your thoughts?
