“Test cricket is bloody hard work, especially when you’ve got Sachin batting with what looks like a three-metre wide bat.”
-Michael Hussey

Cricket is a unique sport, given there are three separate formats played at the international level, with each format presenting its distinct set of challenges.

Most professional cricketers across the world would agree that Test cricket is the ultimate examination of a player and although many players choose to focus on limited-overs cricket, a budding professional’s initial aspiration is to represent their countries in Test cricket.

The 13th issue of Cricket Fanatics Magazine is dedicated to the development of Test cricketers in light of the recently concluded series between South Africa and West Indies, and it compelled me to reflect on the various personality characteristics and cricketing skills that are integral to the development of a player.

This piece will examine four perspectives that are critical to the development of Test cricketers – role models, cricketing culture, identification and grooming of potential players, and the domestic infrastructure – and illustrate these themes using a variety of examples from the Indian subcontinent…

This is a snippet of an article in Issue 13 of Cricket Fanatics Magazine. Subscribe below for the full article.