What we talk about when we talk about pressure

In episode 156 of the 81allout podcast we are joined by former India Test cricketer and Ranji Trophy colossus Abhinav Mukund – who has now turned into an astute analyst on TV. Abhinav is piqued by Kartikeya Date’s latest article in ESPNcricinfo (Do India choke in high-profile ODIs) and shares his perspective on how a player approaches (and talks about pressure), and weighs in on the question: is pressure a good parameter to explain the result of a match?

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Talking Points:

• The times when a player feels he is in the ‘middle of a volcano’
• How players talk about the game and their part in it
• What players mean when they talk about ‘pressure’
• Does pressure affect performance in a sustained manner?
• Talking about skill v talking about mental faculties
• Is it fair for strangers to make assumptions about players’ mental abilities?
• The problem with attributing the result to mental strength/weaknesses
• What a player means when he says he is in the zone
• Luck v skill: the importance of finding a way to describe the distinction
• What happened to South Africa in the 2015 World Cup semi-final?
• The value of finding a mindspace when ‘nothing matters’

Participants:

Abhinav Mukund (@mukundabhinav)

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview)

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Related:

• ‘I have found my love for the game in the last couple of years’ – 81allout podcast speaks to Abhinav Mukund on his career and challenges
• Do India choke in high-profile ODIs? Here’s what the numbers say – Kartikeya Date – ESPNcricinfo
• Why there’s no such thing as a finisher in ODI cricket – Kartikeya Date – ESPNcricinfo
• What pressure does to cricketers – Aakash Chopra – ESPNcricinfo
• The mother of all myths – The Cricket Monthly – Tom Eaton on the narrative of South Africa choking in World Cups
• What Is Clutch? A Look at the Most Overused Term in Sports – Rob Goldberg – Bleacher Report
• Cognitive Biases in Sports: The Irrationality of Coaches, Commentators and Fans – Samuel McNerney – Scientific American

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Lead image from here.