EMOTIONAL LABOUR IN PROFESSIONAL CRICKET

EMOTIONAL LABOUR IN

PROFESSIONAL CRICKET:

PERCEPTIONS OF PLAYERS

AND ORGANISATIONAL PERSONNEL

By

CHAITANYA SRIDHAR (M.Sc)

This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Western Australia, School of Human Movement and Exercise Science, September 2007.

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to dedicate this thesis to the sporting fraternity of India (my motherland) and

Australia (current homeland).

Undoubtedly, first and foremost, my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to my family,

especially my mother, Shyla Sridhar and sister, Ananya Gowda for their unswerving love

and support at all times. I am indebted to my late father, B.V. Sridhar who was instrumental

in triggering my passion in cricket. Sincere appreciation must also be expressed to my

grandfather, Chinappa Hegde and to members of my extended family.

My deepest gratitude to the former Head of School, Prof. Brian Blanksby for being

supportive and encouraging, especially during trying times.

I would like to especially thank my three supervisors Prof. Bob Grove, Dr. James Dimmock

and Dr. Scott Cresswell for taking me under their wings right in the middle of this research.

Your guidance and constructive feedback have enabled me to finish well.

Special acknowledgement goes to all the Australian and Indian participants (cricketers and

organisational personnel) who participated in my research. I would also like to extend my

gratitude to Col. Nair, Darryl Foster, Doug Harris, Dr. M.P.Ganesh, Murali Ramdas,

Pavithra Chandra, and Sunil Yash Kalra for their insights and help in establishing contact

with Australian and Indian cricketers.

iii

I owe my deepest appreciation to Dr. Lee Poh Chin for the pep-up and brainstorming

sessions, and also for proof reading my thesis. I am also indebted to Dr. Nikola Medic and

Dr. Paul Herd for their help and invaluable feedback. Sincere appreciation to the ever

helpful and cheerful staff of Human Movement, especially Barbara Smith, Brenda

Churchill, Don Gordon and Margaret Durling; and also the encouraging staff at the

Graduate Office. I am thankful to Dr. Sandy Gordon and Dr. Sandra Kiffin-Peterson for

their initial advice. I would also like to thank my colleagues in the department for their

company and motivation.

My heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all my friends in India and Perth for keeping me

motivated to achieve the ‘Dr.’ title! I owe my sincere appreciation to my close friends

Jyothi Hegde and Aditi Mankad for their love and support, especially during my phases of

homesickness and difficult moments. I am very grateful to my “foster” family in Perth,

Shreya Laveena and Kiran Anthony, who welcomed and treated me like their very own. I

am also thankful to all my housemates for their encouragement, support and also for

tolerating my Ph.D. mood swings.

Although challenging, the Emotional Labour of giving birth to this ‘baby’ has been life

transforming and enriching. All the individuals above and many others who walked with

and inspired me along this path played a huge part. Through it all, I realise that it is the not

the end product of this thesis which matters, but every step of the Ph.D. journey!

iv

ABSTRACT

This research explored the concept of emotional labour (EL) in the context of

professional cricket. Hochschild (1983, p. 7) defined EL as “the management of emotions

for a wage”. In all, four studies were conducted to investigate various aspects of EL among

professional cricketers from Australia and India. Additionally, data were also collected

from organisational personnel (such as coaches and selectors) to gain a broader perspective

of the organisational setting and the corresponding emotional demands.

Study 1 utilised a focus group approach to determine the extent to which EL existed

in the cricket setting, and how it was perceived by professional cricketers and

organisational personnel. Individual interviews were also conducted with the participants to

further clarify the construct of EL and its related issues. Results from Study 1 indicated that

professional cricketers and organisational personnel endeavour to meet organisational,

individual and team goals by altering their emotions suitably, thereby performing EL to a

substantial extent. Findings in Study 1 also showed that professional cricket players and the

management staff managed their emotions both privately (within the organisation) and

publicly (outside the organisation).

Study 2 was conducted to further examine the issues identified in Study 1 on a

much larger sample of professional cricketers and organisational personnel from Australia.

Similar to the findings in Study 1, results from Study 2 indicated that professional cricket

players and organisational personnel perform EL either through Reading Emotions of

Others, Managing Emotions of Others, Suppressing Emotions and/or Expressing Unfelt

Emotions on a regular basis. Professional cricket players also found some of the

International Cricket Council (ICC) codes difficult to adhere to. Additionally, Work-life

Balance and Image Management evolved as particularly demanding to professional players.

Professional players performed EL mainly due to organisational display rules, individual

v

goals, team goals, and image management concerns. Notably, organisational personnel

engaged in EL for team perspective and organisational rules. Cannonical relationships

indicated that older participants who were high in professional efficacy were associated

with frequency of emotions and duration of interactions. Also, high levels of emotional

exhaustion and cynicism were associated with the use of surface acting.

Following these two initial studies, a case study approach was employed in Study 3

and Study 4 to further understand EL during competitive situations. Specifically, an

incident-based prompting technique was used to elicit in-depth information from three

Australian and four Indian professional cricketers respectively to explore the concept of EL

across cross-cultural contexts.

Study 3 results indicated that all three professional Australian cricketers managed

their emotions to a substantial extent. The antecedents for performing EL were influenced

by organisational rules, societal rules, cultural expectations, and audience expectations. In

addition, players’ emotional management requires the suppression of genuine emotions and

handling of mixed emotions. The data also revealed that emotional management instances

quoted were closely related to performance and umpiring decisions. Selection related

aspects evolved as a pressing issue to the players. In addition, the media, spectators, and

commercialisation of cricket evolved as central issues in the public management of

emotions. The consequences of regulating emotions privately and publicly could be

positive or negative, depending on the role internalisation, job satisfaction and situational

context.

Indian professional cricketers’ responses in Study 4 further confirmed the findings

found in Study 3 regarding the management of emotions and its consequences. However,

there appeared to be more discontent among the participants regarding the Board of Cricket

Control in India (BCCI) functioning and handling issues pertaining to professional

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cricketers. Audience expectation and the media emerged as vital factors for performing EL

among these Indian cricketers. Career concerns emerged as another important factor for

performing EL among the participants in this study.

Overall, results from these studies suggest that EL exists and takes a variety of

forms in professional cricket. A number of factors (such as display rules, ICC codes, and

game commercialisation) were found to influence the performance of EL. Results in these

studies also indicated that EL does not necessarily have to be negative as advocated by

many researchers. Instead, EL can be either positive or negative, and its impact is largely

context-dependent. Finally, this thesis demonstrates that the EL of professional cricketers is

varied, and different from that of employees in the service setting.

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................... ii

ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................... vii

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... xviii

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................. xx

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 1

Statement of the Problem.................................................................................. 3

Significance of the Research............................................................................. 5

Aims and Purposes of this Research ................................................................. 6

Structure of the Thesis ...................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ………………………………….

8

Sport-Business Link and Common Stressors.................................................... 8

Emotion-Performance in Sport …………………………………………….. 12

Difference between Emotional Labour and Emotion Control ……………... 13

Emotional Labour in the Non-sporting Organisations ...................................... 13

Perspectives on Emotional Labour ................................................................... 15

Hochschild’s Dramaturgical Perspective ............................................. 15

Grandey’s Dramaturgical Model..........................................................

Ashforth and Humphrey’ Perspective ………………………………

16

17

Morris and Feldman’s Perspective …………………………………… 17

Emotional Labour and Emotion Work.............................................................. 18

Types of Emotional Labour ................................................................. 19

Emotion Regulation Mechanisms .....................................................................

Surface and Deep Acting …………………………………………...

20

20

Antecedent and Response-focused Coping …………………………… 21

Factors Influencing Emotional Labour ............................................................. 22

Display Rules ....................................................................................... 23

Consequences of Performing Emotional Labour .............................................. 24

viii

Emotional Labour and Emotional Dissonance..................................... 25

Emotional Labour and Burnout............................................................

Work-family Conflict ……………………………………………….

26

27

Management of Emotional Labour ................................................................ 28

Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 30

CHAPTER 3: STUDY ONE:

Exploration of Emotional Labour in Professional Cricket ………………

31

Purpose ………………………………………………………………….. 31

Method ………………………………………………………………….. 31

Participants ………………………………………………………….. 31

Procedure ……………………………………………………………. 32

Data Analysis ………………………………………………………… 34

Results …………………………………………………………………… 36

Part A. Findings Pertaining to Professional Cricketers ………….. 37

I. Management of Emotions from an EL Perspective ………….. 37

II. Perceived Emotional Demands ……………………………… 46

Organisational and Performance-related Demands ……… 46

ICC codes …………………………………………… 46

Team Atmosphere ………………………………….. 51

Indirect Cricket-related Demands ………………………… 51

Professionalism, commercialisation

and media ………………………………….

51

Public and private scrutiny …………………. 52

Discussion ……………………………………………………………. 54

Part B. Findings Pertaining to Organisational Personnel ……

56



Discussion …………………………………………………………… 66

Conclusions …………………………………………………………… 68

ix

CHAPTER 4: STUDY TWO

Antecedents and Consequences of Emotional Labour ..................................

70

Purpose …………………………………………………………………. 70

Method ………………………………………………………………….. 71

Participants ………………………………………………………….. 71

Procedure …………………………………………………………… 71

Data Analysis ………………………………………………………… 74

Results and Discussion…………………………………………………… 77

Part A. Findings Pertaining to Professional Cricketers ………….. 81



Organisational and Performance-related Demands ……….. 97

ICC codes …………………………………………… 97

Part B. Findings Pertaining to Organisational Personnel ………… 103

BI. Direct Management Support Group ………………………….. 104

BIi. Management of Emotions………………………… 104

BIii. Perceived Emotional Demands…………………… 108

BII. Direct Management Coaching Group ……………………… 110

BIIi. Management of Emotions………………………… 110

BIIii. Perceived Emotional Demands………………… 117

BIII. Indirect Management Group ………………………………. 117

BIIIi. Management of Emotions……………………… 118

BIIIii. Perceived Emotional Demands………………… 128

Part C. Emotional Labour and Burnout …………………………… 129

Descriptive Statistics ……………………………………. 129

Preliminary Analyses …………………………………… 131

x

Correlations: Person Variables,

EL and Burnout …………………………………..

131

Canonical Analysis: Person Variables,

EL and Burnout …………………………………..

133

Correlations: EL and Burnout ………………………….. 135

Canonical Analysis: EL and Burnout …………………… 136

Discussion…………………………………………………………. 138

Conclusions………………………………………………………………. 141

CHAPTER 5: STUDY THREE

Case Study Approach of Australian Players ...................................................

143

Purpose …………………………………………………………………… 143

Method …………………………………………………………………… 143

Participants …………………………………………………………… 143

Procedure …………………………………………………………….. 144

Data Analysis ………………………………………………………… 149


Case Study 1 – “Steve” Interview 1 ……………………………….. 151

A Brief Background and Overview ……………………………. 151

I. Management of Emotions ………………………………. 152

Suppressing Emotions ………………………………. 152

Mixed Emotions ……………………………………... 153

Coping …………………………………….……………. 154

II. Perceived Emotional Demands ………………………… 154

Organisational and Performance-related Demands ….. 154

ICC codes …………………………………….….. 154

Organisational Expectations …………………….. 160

Pre game …………………………………………. 161

III. Indirect Cricket-related Demands ……………………... 162

Commercialisation and Media ……………………….. 162

Consequences of Performing Emotional Labour ………….. 163

xi

Case Study 1 – “Steve” Interview 2 ………………………………………. 165

I. Video-analysis: Focusing on the Management of Emotions

from an EL Perspective ………………

165

Ricky Ponting’s Dismissal …………………………… 165

Shane Warne’s LBW Appeals ……………………….. 167

II. Perceived Emotional Demands …………………………….. 171

Organisational and Performance-related Demands …... 171

ICC codes ……………………………………... 171

III. Indirect Cricket-related Demands ………………………….. 174

Commercialisation and Media ….……………………. 174

Cultural Influences ….………………………………………………. 176

Cricket Culture ….…………………………………………………... 177

Consequences of Performing Emotional Labour …………………… 179

Case Study 2 – “Shane” Interview 1 ……………………………………….

181




Mixed Emotions ……………………………………... 182

Coping …………………………………….……………. 182



ICC codes …………………………………….….. 183


Cricket fans, Media and Commercialisation

of Cricket …………………………………

186

Consequences of Performing Emotional Labour ………….. 186

xii

Case Study 3 – “Martin” Interview 1 ……………………………………… 187




Mixed Emotions ……………………………………... 189

Coping …………………………………….……………. 189



ICC codes …………………………………….….. 190



Cricket fans and Media ………………………… 194

Case Study 3 – “Martin” Interview 2 ……………………………………… 196



196

Shane Warne’s LBW Appeals ……………………….. 196

Ricky Ponting’s Dismissal …………………………… 198

Martin’s Examples …………………………………… 200



ICC codes ……………………………………... 202

Selection …………………………………….… 204

Team Atmosphere …………………………….. 205

II. Indirect Cricket-related Demands ………………………….. 206

Media and Senior Cricketers ….……………………… 206


Cricket Culture ….…………………………………………………... 209


Summary and Conclusions ……………………………………………… 213

xiii

CHAPTER 6: STUDY FOUR

Case Study Approach of Indian Players ..........................................................

215

Purpose …………………………………………………………………… 217

Method …………………………………………………………………… 218

Participants …………………………………………………………… 218

Procedure …………………………………………………………… 219

Data Analysis ………………………………………………………… 222


Case Study 1 – “Jim” Interview 1 ……………………………….. 223




Managing Emotions of Others……………………… 228

Coping …………………………………….……………. 229



ICC codes …………………………………….….. 231


Debut and High-pressure Matches ……………… 237


Selection and Negative Feedback

from Cricket-related People ……………………..

Cricket fans, Media and Commercialisation ……...

Cultural Influences …………………………………………………...

Consequences of Performing Emotional Labour ……………………..

238

240

244

247

Case Study 1 – “Jim” Interview 2 ……………………………….. 249



249



xiv

ICC codes ……………………………………... 251


Media and Invasion of Privacy….…………………….

Security Issues ……………………………………….

253

254


Case Study 2 – “Tim” Interview 1 ……………………………….. 259




Managing Emotions of Others……………………… 263



ICC codes …………………………………….….. 263


Pre-game and Debut and Matches ……………… 268

III. Indirect Cricket-related Demands ………………………

Selection …………………………………………

Cricket fans, Media and Commercialisation …….

269

269

270

Case Study 2 – “Tim” Interview 2 ……………………………….. 272



272



ICC codes ……………………………………... 273


Cricket Matches in India….…………………………..

Career Concerns ……………………………………..

275

277



xv

Case Study 3 – “Mark” Interview 1 ………………………………. 281




Coping …………………………………….……………. 283



ICC codes …………………………………….….. 284


Selection………………………...……………….

Media, Cricket fans, and Commercialisation ……

288

288

290

Case Study 4 – “Chris” Interview 1 ………………………………. 291




Coping …………………………………….……………. 293



ICC codes …………………………………….….. 294

Pre-game ………………………………………… 295


Commercial and Future Concerns ……………….

296

296

Case Study 4 – “Chris” Interview 2 ………………………………. 298



298



ICC codes ……………………………………... 300


xvi

Cricket Fans…………………...…………………………. 302

Summary and Conclusions ………………………………………………… 303

CHAPTER 7: DISCUSSION .................................................................................. 306

Context of Emotional Labour in Professional Cricket ..................................... 308

Organisational and Occupational Rules and Expectations................................ 309

Verbal “Sledging” and Physical Aggression..................................................... 314

Team and Audience Expectations..................................................................... 316

Game Commercialisation and Media Expectations .......................................... 317

Image Management........................................................................................... 318

Cultural Expectations ........................................................................................ 319

Emotional Labour ................................................................................................ 324

Private Emotional Labour ............................................................................... 324

Public Emotional Labour .................................................................................. 326

Processes of Emotional Labour......................................................................... 330

Suppressing Genuine Emotions ................................................................. 330

Mixed Emotions ........................................................................................ 331

Reading and Managing Emotions of Others ............................................. 332

Personal Characteristics .................................................................................... 334

Acting Approaches............................................................................................ 335

Consequences of Emotional Labour................................................................... 338

Negative Consequences .................................................................................... 338

Positive Consequences ...................................................................................... 343

Limitations of the Research .................................................................................... 344

Implications of the Research.................................................................................. 345

xvii

REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 348

APPENDICES ...................................................................................................... 378

Appendix A: General ........................................................................................ 380

Appendix B: Study Two ................................................................................... 386

Appendix C: Study Three and Four .................................................................. 419

Appendix D: Australian Interview Transcripts ................................................. 424

Appendix E: Indian Interview Transcripts........................................................ 482

xviii

LIST OF TABLES

Study 1

Table 1. List of Positive and Negative Emotions …………………………….. 34

Table 2.

Mean Rating Frequency of Specific Emotional

Labour Processes by Players …………………………

38

Table 3.

Table 4.

Items Generated from the International Cricket Council (ICC)

and Cricket Australia (CA) ‘codes’ for players .………

Mean Scores for Players’ Level of Difficulty with ICC

and CA Code of Conduct ………………………………

48

49

Table 5.


Labour Processes by Organisational Personnel ………

57

Study 2

Table 6. Items Comprising the Emotional Labour Scale …………………… 73

Table 7. Items Comprising the Maslach Burnout Inventory ………………… 75

Table 8.

Table 9.


Labour Processes by Players …………………………

Performance-related factors for performing Emotional Labour

(Players) ……………………………………………….

82

91

Table 10.

Table 11.

Organisational factors for performing Emotional Labour

(Players) ………………………………………………

Mean scores for ICC and CA Players’ Codes of Conduct ………

94

98

Table 12. Perceived difficulty in abiding to the ICC codes …………………. 99

Table 13a. Mean scores of players dealing with Work-life Balance

and Image Management …………………………………

101

Table 13b. Perceived difficulty regarding Work-life Balance

and Image Management (Players) ………………….……

102

Table 14. Mean Rating Frequency of Specific Emotional Labour

Processes by Organisational Personnel ………………….

104

Table 15. Alpha Coefficients, Means, Standard Deviations, Ranges,

Skewness, and Kurtosis for the Study Variables ….……

130

xix

Table 16. Bivariate and Partial Correlations between the

Person Variables and Psychological Variables ….……

132

Table 17. Correlations, Standardised Canonical Coefficients, Canonical

Correlations, Percent of Variance, and Redundancies

between the Person Variables and Psychological

Variables ….……………………………………………

134

Table 18. Bivariate and Partial Correlations between the (Controlling for

MBI Variable) Person Variables and Psychological

Variables ….……………………………………………

136

Table 19. Correlations, Standardised Canonical Coefficients, Canonical

Correlations, Percent of Variance, and Redundancies

between the ELS Variables and MBI Variables………

137

Study 3

Table 20. ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials

provided to players during the interview ….………………

146

Study 4

Table 21. ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials

provided to players during the interview ….………………

232

xx

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Grandey’s (2003) Dramaturgical Perspective …………………… 16

Figure 2. Forms of Emotion Management ………………………………… 19

Figure 3. A Sequential Model of Emotional Labour and burnout

(Brotheridge & Lee, 2002) ………………………………………

26

Study 1

Figure 4. An Overview of the Results ……………………………………… 36

Figure 5. Reading Emotions of Others (Players) …………………………… 39

Figure 6. Managing Emotions of Others (Players ………………………… 41

Figure 7. Suppressing Emotions (Players) ………………………………… 42

Figure 8. Expressing Unfelt Emotions (Players) …………………………… 45

Figure 9. Reading Emotions of Others (Organisational Personnel) ………… 58

Figure 10. Managing Emotions of Others (Organisational Personnel) ……… 60

Figure 11. Suppressing Emotions (Organisational Personnel)………………... 62

Figure 12. Expressing Unfelt Emotions (Organisational Personnel) …………. 64

Study 2

Figure 13. An Overview of the Results and Discussion …………………… 79

Figure 14. Reading Emotions of Others (Players) …………………………… 83

Figure 15. Managing Emotions of Others (Players ………………………… 84

Figure 16. Suppressing Emotions (Players) ………………………………… 86

Figure 17. Expressing Unfelt Emotions (Players) …………………………… 89

Figure 18. Situations for all the Four Emotional Labour Processes by

Support Staff (doctors and physiotherapists) ……………

105

Figure 19. Reasons for Performing Emotional Labour and their Management

by Support Staff …………………………………………...

109

Figure 20. Situations for all the Four Emotional Labour Processes by

Coaching Staff ………………………………. ……………

111

Figure 21. Reasons for Performing Emotional Labour and their Management

by Coaching Staff ………………………………………….

116

Figure 22. Reading Emotions of Others (Indirect Management Group) ……... 119

Figure 23. Managing Emotions of Others (Indirect Management Group) …… 121

xxi

Figure 24. Suppressing Emotions (Indirect Management Group) ……………. 123

Figure 25. Expressing Unfelt Emotions (Indirect Management Group) ……... 125

Study 3

Figure 26. Images of Video-clip shown to Australian Players ……………….. 148

Figure 27. Australian Vice-captain Adam Gilchrist Reacts in Anger

at the Umpire’s Decision against his Teammate……………

173

Study 4

Figure 28. Images of Video-clip shown to Indian Players …………………… 221

Figure 29. Vinod Kambli Leaving the Field in Tears ……………………….. 227

Figure 30. Batsman Terrified by Fast Bowler’s Sledge ……………………… 235

Figure 31. Batsman facing bouncers from bowlers (physical aggression) …… 274

Figure 32. A Conceptual Framework of Emotional Labour

in Professional Cricket……………………………………….

307

1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Following the seminal work on emotional labour by Hochschild (1983) in The

Managed Heart: The Commercialisation of Feeling, increasingly, the role of emotion,

specifically emotional labour (EL) has become a key area of research in the life of service

organisations. This is because service quality has become more and more, a competitive

differentiator of organisations. In fact, the current trend of providing excellent customer

service appears to be one of the foremost aims of most organisational workplaces. Service

employees, especially front-line workers, are encouraged to suppress unacceptable

emotions (e.g., impoliteness, anger) and enhance positive emotions (e.g., happiness). This

kind of impression management for the organisation necessitates not just physical and

mental exertion from the employees; it demands EL (Fineman, 2000). Hochschild (1983,

p.7) defined EL as “the management of feelings to create a publicly observable facial and

bodily display”. Subsequently, EL was defined as “the process of regulating both feelings

and expressions for organisational goals” (Grandey, 2000, p. 97).

Most research in the area of EL has centered around the three principal topics

including external behavioural displays (e.g., Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993), emotional

dissonance (e.g., Kruml & Geddes, 2000; Morris & Feldman, 1996), and emotional

regulation processes (e.g., Glomb & Tews, 2004; Grandey, 2000). The vast majority of

studies on EL have focused on the negative consequences associated with performing EL

(Cote & Morgan, 2002; Morris & Feldman, 1997). Previous studies have also associated

EL with higher stress, alienation, emotional exhaustion, inauthenticity, depression, and

burnout (Brotheridge & Grandey, 2002; Brotheridge & Lee, 2002; Fineman, 1993;

Wharton, 1993). However, selected studies have found mixed results (e.g., Adelmann,

2 1989). For example, whereas Wharton’s study (1993) on bank and teaching hospital

employees found no evidence of those performing EL to suffer from emotional exhaustion,

Adelmann (1989) found that EL correlated positively with job satisfaction. Ashforth and

Humphrey (1993) indicated that performing EL familiarises the situation and thereby

makes customer communication easy, reduces stress, and enhances satisfaction. Similarly,

findings from Van Dijk and Kirk-Brown’s (2004) research revealed that the outcomes of

EL could be positive or negative, and are not consistently negative.

In sport, the extent to which emotional displays are organisationally desirable is

often encapsulated in players’ behavioural codes and policies. For example, “The Spirit of

Cricket” serves as Cricket Australia’s guideline for contracted players that include codes

and policies they are expected to follow (Cricket Australia’s Official Website, 2003). These

codes and policies include reference to on-field behaviour such as positive play, pressure,

body language, and banter between opponents. The codes also encompass off-field

behaviour because players’ off-field conduct reflects either positively or adversely on both

the individual and the game of cricket. Hence, players need to be cautious about their

behaviors, especially those which could attract public attention and criticism.

However, often there is a discrepancy between the ‘codes’ and players’ opinions.

For example, sledging is regarded as fairly common in cricket but it would be an offence

according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) codes. How do players control

themselves when an opposition team member is harassing them? What coping strategies do

they employ when the crowd is unruly? Under all circumstances, players are expected to

exercise restraint and display good sportsmanship.

On the other hand, milder forms of EL are more evident in most competitive

matches of cricket such as when players are staring at umpires, having verbal combat with

3 the opposition team, running into an opponent, or making personal comments about a

particular player. These examples are a clear break of the ICC codes. Players’ found guilty

of such behaviours could escape punishment a few times but there is also a possibility of

being fined or banned from a few matches. This, in turn, could result in players becoming

agitated as they don’t consider it as a serious offence, but it has endangered their game

participation and careers to some extent.

Apart from two articles by Giulianotti (2002) and Synder and Ammons (1993)

which briefly examined emotional work (a concept analogous to EL) in the sport setting,

the concept of EL is yet to be explored in more detail. The absence of empirically based

and theoretically grounded research on the concept of EL in sport reduces the ability of

researchers, players, coaches, and practitioners access to practical strategies to assist in the

management of EL. Therefore, an examination of EL in sport and the coping strategies

employed in dealing with EL is needed in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the

processes and issues involved.

Statement of the Problem

Macdonald (1995, p.1) defines professions as “occupations based on an advanced,

or complex, or esoteric, or arcane knowledge”. In line with this suggestion, professional

cricket can be categorised as a status profession. The main purpose of this research was to

examine EL in professional sport. Professional cricket was chosen for this purpose due to

its high-profile status as a professional sport, which is partly due to the popularity of the

game, especially in the sub-continent (India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) (Majumdar, 2007).

Furthermore, since cricket evolved from the gentry of England, the laws and informal

norms of cricket are very conservative, and place large emotional demands on the players

4 to preserve the gentlemanly spirit of the game. Moreover, cricket owes much of its

popularity due to the laws that govern it, which in turn was mainly integrated to enhance

the Spirit of the Game. In order to ensure the spirit of fair play, the Captains of the cricket

teams shoulder the responsibility of their respective teams. Of course, the umpires also try

their level best to ascertain that the game is played in the best spirit possible. More

specifically, The Spirit of the Game involves respect for opponents, the Captain and team,

the role of umpires, and the game’s traditional values. Conversely, it is against the Spirit of

the Game:

To dispute an umpire's decision by word, action or gesture.

To direct abusive language towards an opponent or umpire.

To involve in any act of violence.

To indulge in cheating or any sharp practice, for instance:

(a) to appeal knowing that the batsman is not out.

(b) to advance towards an umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing.

(c) to seek to distract an opponent either verbally or by harassment with persistent

clapping or unnecessary noise under the guise of enthusiasm and motivation of one's

own side.

In addition to its professional status, cricket is a team game and has the set-up of an

organisation, which makes it suitable to study EL. Incorporating Goffman’s (1959)

dramaturgical perspective, professional cricketers are actors (both on and off the field) who

perform for a wide range of audience (such as spectators, media, and sponsors).

Professional cricketers are also required to mould their emotions while interacting with

coaches, selectors, umpires, and opposition members. Furthermore, the clash between the

batsman and bowler makes it interesting to study the EL phenomenon from this dimension.

5 As a result, professional cricket players from Australia and India were chosen for the

research. While cricket does not enjoy the same popularity as Australian Football League

(AFL) in Australia, it is noteworthy to mention that Australia has been the World

Champions for three consecutive World Cups. On the other hand, cricket is the arguably the

most popular sport of India with a huge fan following (Majumdar, 2003).

Significance of the Research

The research presented in this thesis seeks to contribute to sport psychology

literature and practice in two important ways. Firstly, a theoretically grounded examination

of the business literature will allow for a more comprehensive exploration and

understanding in an initial translation into the incidence and nature of EL in sport.

Secondly, this research contributes useful information and strategies for athletes, coaches,

and other support staff in identifying core factors contributing to EL and its management.

The potential benefits are decreased stress levels in dealing with organisational issues

among athletes and support staff, thereby enhancing relationships with management. This,

in turn, will help elite performers to focus on enhancing performance and competing to

their full potential. In order to achieve the research objectives, data was collected using a

variety of qualitative and quantitative methods, namely individual and focus group

interviews of professional cricketers and organisational staff (Study 1), surveys of

professional cricketers and organisational staff (Study 2), in-depth case studies of

Australian cricket players (Study 3), and in-depth case studies of Indian cricket players

(Study 4).

6 Aims and Purposes of this Research

The main aims and purposes were:

1. Identify the core factors of EL and their ultimate consequences for athletes and

management.

2. Examine the unique characteristics of EL in professional sport.

3. Explore the specific coping methods athletes use to deal with EL.

4. Inquire how EL affects performance.

5. Analyse whether some athletes are better than others at managing and

regulating their emotions.

6. Investigate the relationship between EL and burnout.

Athletes and administrators’ perspectives on the concept of EL and their coping

mechanisms were obtained to investigate both theoretical and practical imperatives. The

theoretical imperative was to explore and examine the concept of EL in the sport setting.

The practical imperative was to yield information on the key factors of EL and the coping

mechanisms employed by professional players and support staff in dealing with EL.

Structure of the Thesis

This thesis is organised into seven chapters. Following this introductory chapter, a

review of the literature relevant to EL is presented. Following the review of relevant

literature, Chapter 3 to Chapter 6 describe four consequential research studies that were

conducted between 2005 and 2007. More specifically, Chapter 3 presents Study 1 which

explored the concept of EL within a State cricket organisation. In Study 2, which is

presented in Chapter 4, I examined the determinants and consequences of EL. In Chapter 5,

7 a case study approach was adopted as part of Study 3 to further understand EL in a

competitive setting. This study also employed incident-based prompting technique to

enquire into the EL of professional cricketers. The fourth and final study of this thesis is

presented in Chapter 6. This study explored EL in a culturally distinct concept to verify the

applicability of EL and determine the role of culture in performing EL. This thesis

concludes with Chapter 7 which culminates with a discussion on the findings from this

research, offers suggestions for players, coaches, and other organisational personnel, and

makes recommendations for future research.

8

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter reviews the relevant literature from the organisational and business

context in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the concept of emotional labour

(EL). Apart from two articles by Giulianotti (2002) and Synder and Ammons (1993),

which briefly examined emotion work (management of emotions during interpersonal

context) in the sport setting, the concept of EL is yet to be explored in this unique

domain. As this research seeks to explore the management of emotions both during

interpersonal and public displays of emotional displays and their regulation, literature is

reviewed from the business environment to study its potential parallels of EL to the sport

setting. The first section reviews studies that focus on sport-business link including the

stressors in the sport and non-sport organisations. This is followed by a detailed

discussion of EL, including some background work on emotional regulation and the

consequences and management of EL.

Sport-Business Link and Common Stressors

A number of articles have highlighted the similarities between the sport and

business settings. For example, Weinberg and McDermott (2002) examined factors which

are perceived to be critical for organisational success1. They asserted that there are more

similarities than differences when considering factors associated with success in sport and

success in business. After a thorough literature search, Weinberg and McDermott (2002)

identified the areas of leadership, group cohesion and communication as factors perceived

to be most crucial for organisational success across business and sport organisations. They

1 Obviously, sports organisations are businesses. The terminology used here is for convenience in making a distinction. Other investigators have done much the same.

9

then interviewed twenty leaders from sport (n= 10) and business (n=10) settings. The

participants were asked about their views regarding group dynamics and the extent to

which they believed that leadership, group cohesion, and communication levels were

essential for effectiveness. The authors posited that there was more similarity than

differences between these two groups. Specifically, in terms of the factors that were

perceived to be critical for organisational success, both groups specified a preference for an

interactional leadership approach with a democratic style, equal importance placed on task

and social cohesion, and effective communication with emphasis on listening skills.

However, notable differences included business leaders’ emphasis on being honest and

reflective listening, whilst sport leaders highlighted the need for interactions with others

and employment of positive reinforcements in their communications.

Jones (2002) listed five key commonalities between sport and business domains,

namely, organisational issues, stress, leadership, high-performing teams, and one-to-one

coaching/consulting. The main organisational issues which Jones (2002) encountered

within both domains were lack of resources, poor communication, and failure to delegate.

Jones (2002) put forward the support-constraint paradigm based on occupational

psychology literature in pursuit of achieving high-performance (demands) depicting the

‘sport-business link’. Jones (2002) proposed that performance depended on three factors:

demands, supports, and constraints. According to Jones, demands refer to the requirements

of the job; supports are environmental factors such as natural, physical, intellectual,

technical, financial, and social aspects that help the individual to satisfy the demands; and

constraints refer to environmental confines and challenges restricting the satisfaction of

demands. Jones considered that organisational issues in sport and business fall mainly into

the constraints category. Jones suggested that focus on constraints is often unwanted as it

10

distracts performers from their supports across both domains (i.e., sport and business).

Similarly, the performance environment plays a crucial role in elite teams. Therefore, focus

should be given to the environment along with the performers (Jones, 2002). Furthermore,

Jones (2002) contended that performance excellence in both sport and business

organisations is achieved by maximising support and minimising constraint in pursuit of

high performance (demands). This proposition is in agreement with Hobfoll’s (1989)

conservation of resources theory which states that employees cope with work demands by

conserving their resources by performing initially through surface acting, and later, through

deep acting. Employees experience a loss of resources and suffer from emotional

exhaustion if the returns are not sufficient (Brotheridge & Lee, 2002). However, there is an

increase in their energy output if the outcome of the interactions is positive.

Shirom (1982) defined organisational stress as “work-related social, psychological

stress” (p. 21) and proposed that it is as the interplay between the employees and the factors

associated with their work environment. Furthermore, Lazarus (1966) perceived

organisational stress as the individual’s cognitive appraisal of a situation. Similarly,

organisational stress in sport can be conceived as the stress linked to an employee’s

assessment of the function of their organisation (Woodman & Hardy, 2001). Also,

Karasek’s Job Strain Model (JSM) (1979; revised by Karasek & Theorell, 1990) postulated

that psychological strain is influenced by the demands in a work situation, as well as the

degree of decision-making freedom available to workers encountering those demands.

Woodman and Hardy’s (2001) case study of an individual sport in the UK identified

selection, training environment, finances, nutrition, goals and expectations, coaches and

coaching styles, team atmosphere, roles, support, network, and communication as the main

sources of organisational stress. In addition, Fletcher and Hanton (2003) studied the sources

11

of organisational stress on 14 international performers from a wide range of sports. They

identified three main sources of stress to be accommodation, travel, and the competition

environment. The authors emphasised the significance of these issues, particularly the

competition environment, which is often underestimated by sport organisations.

Woodman and Hardy (2001) emphasised that sport administrators, especially

coaches, managers and performance directors, are required to deal with a range of

multifaceted skills. These include effective team-building strategies, clear and transparent

selection criteria, coach education (particularly on sensitive topics such as dealing with an

injured or dropped player) and realistic goal-setting. This suggests that competing at an

elite-level requires athletes to deal with a large number of stressors, which are principally

connected to their appraisal of the functioning of the sport organisation within which they

are operating (Fletcher & Hanton, 2001).

Hanton, Fletcher, and Coughlan (2005) compared elite performer’s experiences of

competitive and organisational stressors. Demands encountered directly due to competition

were classified under performance issues and the demands associated primarily with the

sport organisation were categorised under environmental issues, personal issues, leadership

issues, and team issues. According to the researchers, stress experienced due to the

functioning of the sport organisation is much greater than the stress associated with

competitive performance. Organisational demands are more varied and complex due to the

sociocultural, political, economic, occupational and technological influences. In addition to

having a significant effect on performance (Fletcher & Hanton, 2003c), organisational

issues may perhaps exert a greater influence than competitive issues (Jones, 2002).

In summary, the findings from the above reviewed studies suggest that sport

organisations supporting performance at an elite level should pay careful attention to the

12

environment within which their performers are operating. Aspects of the environment, such

as players’ behavioural codes, are designed to ensure uniformity and conformity. However,

such codes also have potential unintended consequences in the form of increased emotional

regulation that they demand, both on, and off the field. Managed poorly, such demands

have the potential to increase, rather than reduce players’ stress.

Emotion-Performance in Sport

Deci (1980) defined emotion as “a reaction to a stimulus event (either actual or

imagined)”. (p.85). Emotions play a pivotal role in sport performance and for many sports

personnel; sport is more of an emotional experience (Jones, 2003). In addition, the

emotional state of an athlete can influence the outcome of a performance both during

training and competition (Butler, 1996).

Previous research on emotion in sport psychology has focused mainly on examining

the effect (facilitating and debilitating) of pre-competition anxiety on athletic performance

(Gould & Tuffey, 1996; Woodman & Hardy, 2001). The findings from these traditional

approaches are often difficult to apply to individual athletes (Hanin, 1997). More recently,

sport psychology researchers prefer to predict athletic performance based on pleasant and

unpleasant emotions, and not just on pre-competition anxiety (Gould & Tuffey, 1996;

Hanin, 1997; Jones & Hanton, 2001).

The individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF) model (Hanin, 1997, 2000) is an

idiographic sport-specific approach. The model aims to identify individual optimal and

dysfunctional states (Hanin, 2002). It is important for athletes to be aware of his or her

optimal and dysfunctional zones, and be able to enter and stay in the optimal zone during

performance (Robazza, Pellizzari & Hanin, 2004). Researchers advocating the IZOF model

13

emphasise on assisting athletes to enter their zones of optimal functioning (e.g. Cox, 2002;

Morgan, 2002; Weinberg & Gould, 1999).

To summarise, there are numerous ways in which emotions can affect performance,

depending on the athlete and the type of sport. It is important to tailor interventions to suit

individual athletes because emotions are idiographic in nature. This will enable athletes to

manage their emotions effectively, thereby improving concentration and performance.

Difference between Emotional Labour and Emotional Control

Before we delve into a detailed discussion of EL, it is essential to highlight the

difference between EL and emotional control. Emotional control is the management of

emotions for oneself, and may be to improve performance. On the other hand, EL means

managing emotions mainly for organisational purposes, game rules and not for individual

purposes. Hence, it is different from emotion control or managing emotions. For example, a

batsman who perceives he is ‘not out’ but is given ‘out’ by the umpire controls his

frustration and anger because he will be penalised if he expresses any undesirable show of

sportsmanship. Therefore, he is performing EL, i.e. managing emotions due to game rules

and/or for the organisation.

Emotional Labour in Non-sporting Organisations

Hochschild (1983) introduced and elaborated the concept of EL by stating “this

labour requires one to induce or suppress feelings in order to sustain the outward

countenance that produces the proper state of mind in others” (p.7). Thus, EL can involve

either the production of emotional displays, whether felt or unfelt emotions, or holding

back displays of felt emotions. It could also include producing an emotional state in another

14

individual, and hence could involve absorbing (reading) and managing the emotions of

others.

The initial study of EL has centred on service jobs, specifically with respect to

client and customer interaction because emotional displays are a prime aspect of the job.

However, over the past decade, a plethora of research has been derived from a diverse

range of occupational categories including barristers (Harris, 2002), exotic dancers

(Wesley, 2003), beauty therapists (Sharma & Black, 2001), hospitality/tourism employees

(Constanti & Gibbs, 2005; Guerrier & Adib, 2003), lecturers (Barrett, 2004), paralegals

(Deadrick & McAfee, 2001), police officers (Martin, 1999), veterinarians (Swabe, 1994)

and wedding coordinators (Thompson, 1998).

Employees regulate their emotions to suit organisational expectations or

commitments (Hochschild, 1983). The extent to which emotional displays are

organisationally desirable may be due to display rules of the task, the occupation or the

society (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993; Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987). These rules and

expectations determine the frequency, intensity, duration and range of emotions expressed

(Morris & Feldman, 1996, 1997). This could lead to emotional dissonance due to the

difference between felt and displayed emotion (Morris & Feldman, 1996; Zerbe, 2002). On

the other hand, Ashfoth & Humphrey (1993) argue that some emotions are genuinely felt,

and hence may not lead to emotional dissonance but have a positive consequence on the

individual and customer relation (Ashfroth & Humphrey, 1993; Morris & Feldman, 1997).

Also, emotions are managed by the employee to benefit both the individual and the

organisation (Wharton & Erickson, 1993). There are times when individuals speedily alter

their emotions to be in compliance with display rules. At other times, EL is employed to

benefit the actor in an attempt to make work more enjoyable, meaningful or less stressful.

15

Surface and deep acting are the methods Hochschild (1983) advocated as the means

through which employees cope with the emotional requirements. Hochshild (1983) posits

that EL could lead to psychological strain and loss of emotional control. But other

researchers argue that the effects could be positive or negative (Ashforth & Humphrey,

1993).

Morris and Feldman (1996) pointed that EL has been defined and operationalised

in a number of ways. For example, while, Ashforth and Humphrey (1993) defined EL as

the act of displaying appropriate emotions, whose goal is to engage in a form of impression

management for the organisation. Morris and Feldman (1996) defined it as the work

required in the planning, effort, and control of enacting organisationally desirable

emotional displays. Finally, Grandey (2000) conceptualised EL as enhancing, faking, or

suppressing emotions to modify emotional expression. Due to this conceptualisation, a

number of perspectives have been proposed.

Perspectives on Emotional Labour from Previous Research

Hochschild’s Dramaturgical Perspective

According to the dramaturgical perspective, the work setting is the stage on which

the employee performs for an audience (the customers) (Grandey, 2000; Hochschild, 1983).

In order to enact their roles effectively, employees follow display rules and prescribed

expressions (Grove & Fisk, 1989). These display rules also help the employees to keep

those emotions in check which are not organisationally desirable. Actors manage their

emotions in two main ways; through surface acting, where one regulates the emotional

expressions, and through deep acting, where one consciously modifies feelings in order to

express the desired emotion (Hochschild, 1983). Hochschild (1983) believes that the

16

management of emotions requires effort and is often unpleasant. Because of this effort and

unpleasantness, EL could lead to burnout and job stress.

Grandey’s Dramaturgical Model

Grandey (2003) has proposed and empirically tested a dramaturgical model of EL as

illustrated in Figure 1. According to Grandey’s dramaturgical model, the actor’s role

(employee) is significantly influenced by the individuals’ awareness of display rules and

also with job satisfaction. These would then determine the type of acting performed

(surface or deep acting).

The Actor’s Role The Acting Approach The Actor’s Stress Role Performance

Figure 1. Grandey’s (2003) Dramaturgical Perspective Model

Grandey posited that employees or actors who are happy and satisfied with their job

would employ deep acting when required, whereas unhappy employees would resort more

to surface acting. The type of acting performed would determine whether the employee

Job Satisfaction

Display Rules

Deep Acting

Surface Acting

Emotional Exhaustion

Breaking Character

Affective Delivery

17

effectively delivered the required emotion, which leads to the customer satisfaction, and

organisational expectations. On the other hand, the type of acting may also lead to

emotional exhaustion, which in turn might lead to breaking character, wherein the

employee behaves or reacts in an undesirable manner to the customer (Grandey, 2003).

Ashforth and Humphrey’s Perspective

Ashforth and Humphrey (1993) suggested that a large number of factors influence

emotional expressions by employees. They de-emphasised surface and deep acting as the

mechanisms for the internal management of emotions. Furthermore, Ashforth and

Humphrey defined EL as the process of displaying emotional displays with the intention to

engage in a form of image management for the organisation (Gardner & Martinko, 1988).

They focused on the impact of EL on performance or task effectiveness, whereas

Hochschild’s (1983) dramaturgical perspective emphasised on the individuals’ health.

Moreover, Ashforth and Humphrey (1993) argued that EL might become routine and

effortless for the employee, and hence would not necessitate effort.

Morris and Feldman’s Perspective

Morris and Feldman’s (1996) perspective stems from an interactionist approach in

which emotions are partially influenced by the environment. Morris and Feldman (1996)

defined EL as “the effort, planning, and control needed to express organisationally desired

emotion during interpersonal transactions” (p. 987). The authors proposed that EL consists

of four dimensions: (1) frequency of interactions, (2) attentiveness (intensity of emotions,

duration of interactions), (3) variety of emotions required, and (4) emotional dissonance

(the discrepancy between felt and displayed emotion).

18

Together, each of these three perspectives infers that emotions are being managed at

the work place in order to comply with organisational display rules, with the ultimate goal

of enhancing customer-employee interaction. These perspectives also advocate either

individual or organisational outcomes of EL (Grandey, 2000). This research relies mainly

on the definitions of Hochschild initial conceptualisation (1983) and Morris and Feldman’s

interactionist perspective (1996).

Emotional Labour and Emotion Work

Hochschild (1979) proposed the terms ‘emotion work’ or ‘emotion management’ to

shed light on the controlled expression of emotions in a variety of interpersonal contexts

(Callaghan & McCollum, 2002). This expression could be either a suppression of boredom

or an exaggeration of interest during interactions with colleagues or co-workers. On the

other hand, being paid to display specific emotions required by the organisation was termed

as EL (Hochschild, 1983). When emotions are managed for personal reasons, it is known as

emotion work. However, when emotions are controlled for job purposes or in exchange for

wages, it becomes EL.

Hochschild (1983) emphasised these concepts using Marxian terminology of use-

value and exchange-value. ‘Use-value’ is something that gives satisfaction but cannot

necessarily be exchanged for anything else. However, if a thing can be traded for something

else then it has ‘exchange-value’. For example, a beautiful landscape may provide

happiness but it cannot be exchanged for anything else. Hence, it has use-value but not

exchange value. On the contrary, one can buy a good book with money, and this has

exchange-value. Sometimes, things that have use-value can be transformed into having

exchange-value. Therefore, using Marxian concepts, emotion work would have use-value

19

and EL exchange-value. The difficulty regarding this terminology raises a vital question

regarding tasks which involve both emotion work and EL. Therefore, it becomes difficult to

label these under one concept or the other (Callaghan & McCollum, 2002). Emotion

management is used to encompass the control of emotions in both emotion work and EL.

Wharton’s (1993) definition of EL ascertains that, in addition to performing for a

wage, these actions are controlled by others in the organisation, and not the individual.

Therefore, this implies that emotion work is under individual control, while EL is under

organisational control.

Types of Emotional Labour

Callaghan and McCollum (2002) put forward a matrix elucidating four variations of

emotion management (Figure 2). Emotion work and EL have been explained above but the

focus of this section is on autonomous EL and indirect EL.

Internally Controlled Autonomous Emotion Work Emotional Labour Exchange Use Value Value Emotional Labour Indirect Emotional Labour Externally controlled Figure 2. Forms of Emotion Management

20

Tolich (1993) referred to the term “autonomous emotional labour” to emphasise the

spontaneous, individually controlled management of emotions which also has exchange-

value to the organisation. This is similar to Rafaeli and Sutton’s (1998) concept of “faking

in good faith” or deep acting which refers to the alteration of an employee’s emotions

because he/she feels it is the right thing to do, in addition to the organisation requiring it.

An additional type of EL put forth by Callaghan and McCollum (2002) is ‘indirect

EL’. Here, the emotions are externally controlled (most often by the organisation), but the

individual still recognises the use-value. The mechanisms used by people to manage their

emotional expressions include surface acting and deep acting.

Emotional Regulation Mechanisms

Surface Acting and Deep Acting

Emotional displays are produced by surface acting, deep acting and/or expressing

genuine emotions (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993). Surface acting (response-focused, e.g.,

observable signs such as smiling) refers to exhibiting an emotional display that is not

genuinely felt or inhibiting the expression of a genuinely felt emotion. Surface acting is

called “faking in bad faith” (Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987, p. 32) because employees conform to

the display rules for job purpose (to keep their job), and not for the customer or the

organisation. On the other hand, deep acting (antecedent-focused, e.g., cognitive re-

appraisal) is called “faking in good faith” (Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987, p. 32) because the

employee genuinely believes and tries to modify emotions, and present the desired

emotional display. Deep acting has two variations. In one case, actors present an emotional

display by imagining the appropriate emotion. In the other case, actors try to evoke the

appropriate emotion and then present the associated display. However, deep acting still

21

requires EL as “felt emotion must still be translated into appropriate emotional displays,

though it may be comparatively lesser (to surface acting) as the employee genuinely

believes in the emotion” (Morris & Feldman, 1996, p. 992). The next section addresses the

emotional regulation mechanisms proposed by Grandey (2000).

Antecedent and Response-focused Coping

Alicia Grandey’s (2000) conceptualisation of EL from a psychological perspective

is of special significance because it states the number of ways through which individuals

regulate and manage their emotions. Grandey (2000) defined EL as “the process of

regulating both feelings and expressions for organisational goals” (p. 97). Grandey

integrated Gross’s (1998) work on the process model of emotional regulation to develop a

theoretical model of EL. Gross (1998b) defined emotional regulation as “the process by

which individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they

experience and express these emotions” (p. 275). Employing the emotional regulation

model, Grandey (2000) argued that EL could have positive or negative consequences.

Grandey (2000) proposed that antecedent-focused and response-focused were the

two main types of regulations involved in the EL process. Gross (1998b) hypothesised that

an individual is engaged in antecedent-focused regulation when he/she modifies the

appraisal of a situation to produce the appropriate emotion. Secondly, an individual engages

in response-focused regulation when he/she modifies the observable or physiological signs

of emotions. Hence, antecedent-focused emotional regulation attempts to modify internal

states and feelings of the individual, whereas, response-focused regulation focuses merely

on physical expression (e.g., facial expressions, tone of voice, body language etc).

Furthermore, Gross (1998b) identified four primary strategies of antecedent-focused

22

regulation and these include: situation selection, situation modification, attention

deployment, and cognitive change. The first two types (i.e., situation selection and situation

modification) involve an adjustment to the actual emotion-inducing situation and are not

very useful in the sport context. For example, a bowler annoyed at the umpire can walk out

of the competition setting but it could be detrimental to the player’s career as well as the

team’s performance. The other two types (i.e., attentional deployment and cognitive

change) are more relevant from a sport psychology perspective. Attention deployment

involves recreating or thinking about events that produces the desired emotion in any given

situation (Gross 1998b). Grandey (2000) provides the example of an aspiring opera singer

who whistled while serving customers in a coffeeshop as it helped to create positive

feelings while serving. On the other hand, cognitive change involves a change in the way a

situation is perceived to lessen the emotional impact. Lazarus (1991) further contends that

appraising work situations as stressful or challenging was useful to buffer against stress. In

cricket, a batsman’s perception of sledging as challenging or stressful could influence

emotional regulation and its management. These two methods are similar to Hochshild’s

deep acting (Grandey, 2000). Response-focused regulation mainly involves a change in the

emotional response or reaction of an individual (Grandey, 2000) and is similar to surface

acting. It could be achieved through exercise, caffine, drugs, adjusting the intensity of

emotional displays, or by faking the required emotional display (Grandey, 2000).

Factors Influencing Emotional Labour

Researchers (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993; Grandey, 2000, Pugliesi, 1999) have

posited that a number of individual and organisational factors influence the performance of

EL. These include situational factors that mainly comprise of occupational characteristics

23

(Grandey, 2000; Harris, 2002), individual factors such as gender, affectivity, self-

monitoring, and emotional intelligence (Grandey, 2000; Mayer & Salovery, 1995; Wharton,

1993), organisational factors such as display rules, job autonomy, supervisor and peer

support (Grandey, 2000; Erickson & Wharton, 1997), individual and/or organisational well-

being which included job satisfaction and intention to resign (Brotheridge & Lee, 2002;

Grandey, 2000), and emotional cultures (Bagozzi, Verbeke & Gavino, 2003; Grandey, Fisk

& Steiner, 2005). Display rules have also been discussed in some detail by Hochschild

(1983) who postulated it to be the foremost antecedent for performing EL.

Display Rules

Display rules are behaviour standards stating the appropriate emotions and their

desired expression to customers (Ekman, 1973). Ekman (1973) provided the example of the

ritualistic delight expressed by the runner-up as the winner of the new Miss America was

announced. Socialisation is one of the chief methods of learning appropriate display rules

(Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987). Goffman (1959) was one of the foremost researchers in observing

that behaviours are essentially pre-determined by the expectations or ‘norms’ of the

organisation. Following this explanation, emotion work is under the control of the

individual whereas EL is controlled by others, or more specifically the organisation. The

‘act of expressing socially desirable emotions’ (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993, p. 88-89)

could perhaps be the motive for performing EL in most professions, and especially so in the

service industries.

Display rules are either explicitly stated in selection or training materials or are

implicit and generally learned by observing co-workers (Grandey, 2000). Diefendorff and

Gosserand (2005) asserted that the basic purpose of display rules is to dictate the emotions

24

that employees express. However, the extent to which display rules affect behavior depends

on how committed individuals are to the display rules (Diefendorff and Gosserand, 2003).

Hence, some individuals may choose not to conform to the display rules. Diefendorff and

(Gosserand, 2005) suggested that organisations should strive to increase the commitment to

the display rules.

Consequences of Emotional Labour

Though EL may be helpful to the organisational bottom-line, various studies

suggest that managing emotions for pay may be detrimental to the employee. The vast

majority of studies on EL have focused on the negative consequences associated with

performing EL (Morris & Feldman, 1997; Cote & Morgan, 2002). Specifically, in some

studies EL has been associated with stress, alienation, emotional exhaustion, inauthenticity,

depression, and burnout (Brotheridge & Grandey, 2002; Brotheridge & Lee, 2002;

Fineman, 1993; Wharton, 1993). Also, research has revealed that the inhibitions of

emotions to a variety of physical illness including high blood pressure and cancer

(Blackburn, 1965; Gross 1989; King & Emmons, 1990; Smith, 1992). In addition, the

inability to express negative emotion has been identified as one of the strongest predictors

of cancer (Cox & McCay, 1982).

However, some studies have found mixed results. For example, Wharton (1993)

studied bank and teaching hospital employees, and found no evidence of those performing

EL to suffer from emotional exhaustion. On the contrary, EL was found to correlate

positively with job satisfaction. Ashforth and Humphrey (1993) indicated that performing

EL familiarises the situation and thereby makes customer communication easy, reduces

stress, and enhances satisfaction. Van Dijk and Kirk-Brown (2004) found that the outcomes

25

of EL could be positive or negative, and are not consistently negative as argued by

Hochscild (1983). Some studies even suggest that emotional management requires very

little emotional effort because these processes are not entirely under the control of

individuals (Pugh, 2002).

Morris and Feldman (1996) stated “one of the reasons why there may be so much

confusion surrounding the possible consequences of performing EL, is the incomplete way

in which the construct has been previously operationalised” (p. 1001). Because EL has been

defined and operationalised in a number of ways, the consequences of EL have revealed

mixed results, and hence specific generalisations regarding the consequences are

problematic. The subsequent section focuses on possible consequences of EL that are of

special significance to this thesis.

Emotional Labour and Emotional Dissonance

Emotional dissonance is the uneven condition created due to the imbalance between

felt and displayed emotion, which could possibly lead to negative consequences (Glomb &

Tews, 2004). Emotional dissonance may be created not only due to the incongruence

between felt and displayed emotion, but also due to the presence of conflicting emotions.

Van Dijk and Kirk-Brown (2004) examined the relationship between EL and

emotional dissonance. They focused on the identification and management of emotional

dissonance using cognitive dissonance theory, stressing emotional dissonance as a

consequence of performing EL. Morris and Feldman (1996b) proposed that emotional

dissonance was one of the dimensions of EL, in addition to the frequency of emotional

display, attentiveness to display rules and variety of emotions. On the contrary, Van Dijk

and Kirk-Brown (2004) argued that, not only is emotional dissonance distinct from EL, but

26

suggested that it is a probable negative consequence of performing EL. This view is

consistent with the findings of Hartel, Hsu, and Boyle (2002).

Emotional Labour and Burnout

Hochschild (1983) and others have proposed that EL is stressful and may result in

burnout. This proposition has been supported by Cordes and Dougherty (1993) who found

that longer interactions with customers are linked to higher levels of burnout. This could be

because longer interactions have to be dealt by the individuals themselves since display

rules do not explain behaviours in great detail. Longer interactions also require more

attention and emotional stamina (Hochschild, 1983; Morris & Feldman, 1996a).

Brotheridge and Lee (2002) developed a model based on Hobfoll’s (1989) conservation of

resources theory to study the relation between EL and burnout. This model is illustrated in

Figure 3.

Demands Emotional Effort Resources

Self-Image Burnout

(display rules) (deep and surface acting)

(rewarding social relationship)

(authenticity) (emotional strain, detachment, low accomplishment)

Figure 3: A Sequential Model of EL and Burnout (Brotheridge & Lee, 2002)

Brotheridge and Lee (2002) revealed that employees cope with their work demands

in a way that leads to the conservation of their resources by performing initially through

27

surface acting, and later through deep acting. The nature of emotional displays – surface or

deep acting and the outcome, determine the impact of EL on burnout. Employees

experience a loss of resources and suffer from emotional exhaustion if the returns are not

sufficient. However, there is an increase in their energy levels if the outcomes of the

interactions are positive. This is in accordance with the findings of Lee and Ashforth (1996)

that psychological distress is influenced more by resource loss rather than resource gain.

Work-family Conflict

Wharton and Erickson (1993) suggest that individuals perform multiple roles due to

the emotional regulation required at home and work spheres. Roles that require high

emotional regulation increases role overload, suggesting an overlap between work and

family spheres (Hochschild, 1983; Wharton & Erickson, 1993).

Role overload is a consequence of high emotional regulation in one or both spheres.

On the other hand, role conflict occurs when there is dissimilarity in the type of emotional

management required in both these roles. The consequences of multiple roles are higher

when there is lesser flexibility in emotional management due to structural arrangements

(Thoits, 1991). Furthermore, emotional management in one role become problematic when

it conflicts with the emotional management in another domain (Wharton & Erickson,

1993). However, the dissimilarity between work and family is not stressful when

individuals can maintain physical, temporal or psychological distance between the roles

(Lobel, 1991).

Management of Emotional Labour

Effective tools used by individuals to reduce EL include self-selection, self-

monitoring, and employment of “behavioural and cognitive defence mechanisms”

28

(Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993, p. 89). To self-select, individuals would learn more about

their own personality and take on the roles/tasks that best suited their personality.

Developing one’s self-monitoring personality allows an individual to better monitor

behaviour and use emotional displays as tools in a process. Similarly, appropriate

mechanisms include dissociation from one’s personality or from the required emotions of

the role/task.

Most theorists agree that “the best way to support EL is by hiring people whose

emotional tendencies match the job requirements” (Carbonara, 1996, p.73). Training and

socialisation can have positive performance effects (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993) but there

can be negative identity confusion effects. Changing tasks and processes (in relation to the

antecedents and dimensions) can lessen the severity of EL. In other words, person-job fit is

essential to ensure the employee’s personality and emotional expressivity agrees with the

emotional requirements of the job (Arvey, Renz, & Watson, 1998).

Organisations should consider training employees’ effective emotion regulation and

coping strategies to facilitate and enhance the work environment. In fact, Totterdale and

Parkinson (1999) explained that the employment of various emotion regulation strategies

by trainee teachers yielded favourable results. The utilisation of role playing and video

training may prevent estrangement from one’s self (Grandey & Brauburger, 2002).

Hochschild (1983) observed that “what is offstage for the front-line employees is

on-stage for the supervisor” (p. 118). For instance, managers are faced with the dual task of

modulating their expressions not only with customers but also with their subordinates and

colleagues. Hence, managers should receive training to regulate emotions both on-stage

(with customers) and off-stage (empathetic towards other employees). The EL of the coach

29

of a sport team would be akin to that of managers because they perform EL both on-stage

(with players) and off-stage (with other employees).

Martin, Knopoff, and Beckman (1998) championed the implementation of ‘bounded

emotionality’. Bounded emotionality is a compromise based on the premise that individuals

should not totally constrain their true emotions. Rather, they must learn to constrain them

somewhat to function effectively in their roles/tasks. The concept of bounded emotionality

requires some autonomy and self-monitoring so that employees can perceive situations and

judge for themselves the required level of constraint. In fact, Steinberg (1999) suggested

that EL should be compensated for in some form in order to express the organisation’s

recognition and appreciation of the employee’s emotional effort, in addition to the physical

and mental exertion. It would be useful to grant reasonable autonomy to employees to self-

express emotions that are appropriate to the situation during service transactions. This is

especially so while dealing with a difficult or uncivil customer. An increase in emotional

autonomy facilitates perception of control and may reduce suppression of unwanted

emotions (Grandey & Brauburger, 2002).

Van Dijk and Kirk-Brown (2004) suggested that cognitive reappraisal is an

effective method of dealing with affective responses to performing EL. Research has shown

that support at work is positively linked to team environment, decreased stress, and

productive work behaviours (Cropanzano, Howes, Grandey & Toth, 1997; Howes,

Cropanzano, Grandey & Mohler, 2000). Hence, effective team building strategies, peer

support, sufficient avenues for emotional venting, and ample appreciation of EL performed

can enhance individual and organisational outcomes and decrease psychological strain.

30

Conclusion

From the above literature review, it is apparent that a wealth of empirical research

exists with regards to EL, its causes, consequences and management specifically within

workplace setting. However, research on EL in sport setting is still absent. There is thus a

need to examine EL in sport setting. This thesis aims to do that in professional cricket as

this setting shares much of the hierarchical arrangement and practices in the service

organisational setting. More specifically, the thesis aims to examine EL as defined by

Hochschild (1983) and Morris and Feldman (1996). Furthermore, to study how display

rules affect the performance of EL and the types of acting (surface and deep acting).

Additionally, to determine whether the consequences of EL is negative or could be positive

as well. Also, the relationship between EL, emotional dissonance, burn out, and work-

family conflict will be interesting facets to observe. Finally, the manner in which sports

personnel cope or manage EL is of special significance to this thesis. This would help to

illuminate the role of emotion work in sport organisations and further the understanding

and implications of the concept of EL to sports practitioners. It would also address the gap

in the existing EL literature which has mainly focused on front-line workers. With these

aims in mind, qualitative and quantitative methods were utilised to explore this

phenomenon in the cricket-setting.

31

CHAPTER 3: STUDY 1

EXPLORATION OF EMOTIONAL LABOUR

IN PROFESSIONAL CRICKET

Purpose

The concept of emotional labour (EL) was examined in the context of professional

cricket. Focus groups and individual interviews were employed to gain an in-depth

understanding of the occurrence and nature of EL. The investigation also aimed to identify

the coping methods employed in the management of EL by players, coaches and other

organisational personnel. While professional cricket players were the primary focus of the

study, data were collected from organisational personnel (e.g., coaches and selectors) to

understand the concept more adequately.

Method

Participants

Participants in this study consisted of two groups. Seven first class male cricketers

comprised group 1, and ten organisational personnel from a State Cricket Association

constituted group 2. The players were aged 24 to 32 years (M = 28.14, SD = 2.73). All the

players who participated in the study were professional, full-time contracted cricketers with

a minimum of 2 years in first class cricket (M = 5.67). Also, player contracts ranged

between one to three years depending on their age, experience and level of performance.

Three of the seven players had part-time employment (outside cricket). Four players had

also competed at the National level (i.e., for the Australian National team).

The organisational personnel group consisted of a chief executive officer (CEO), a

selector, the chairman of a club cricket council, manager of team operations, a sponsorship

32

coordinator, a project officer, a coach, a fitness coordinator, a coaching manager, and a

physiotherapist. Eight participants were male, and two were female. Their age ranged from

27 to 50 years (M = 40.8, SD = 7.69), and their experience varied from 1 to 15 years (M =

5, SD = 4.39).

Procedure

The CEO of a State Association was contacted via email to seek permission for the

participation of players and organisational personnel in the study. This initial contact was

followed by a meeting with the CEO and Manager of Team Operations to further explain

the purpose and benefits of the study to the Association. Both individuals expressed interest

in the research and offered support in establishing contacts with players and organisational

personnel. The Manager of Team Operations then assisted in establishing initial contacts

with both groups of participants. Players and organisational personnel were then informed

about the purpose of the study through email and invited to participate. All the participants

who were contacted indicated that they were keen to take part in the study. However, it was

not possible to contact all the contracted players of the State Association since the data

collection took place during off-season which means that some of the players were playing

in various leagues outside of Australia. Face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions

were conducted at a time and location chosen by the participants. The cricketers and

organisational personnel were provided with a standardised information sheet and a written

consent was obtained prior to conducting the sessions.

Since focus groups tend to function optimally when participants are relatively

homogeneous (Macnaghten & Myers, 1999), the players participated in one focus group

and the organisational personnel participated in a separate group. This also helped ensure

that participants felt free to answer questions honestly without fear of possible

33

recriminations when sensitive issues were raised and discussed. For example, one player

commented, “I had to suppress my emotions to avoid making a brash statement that may

affect the opinions of selectors”.

A semi-structured and an indirect interview approach was employed because EL

can have negative connotations; for that reason, the term itself was not mentioned (i.e.,

imposed on) at any stage of the data collection process (see Poczwardoski & Conroy,

2002). Instead, questions were framed to address the processes of EL identified by

Hochschild (1979, 1983) without directly referring to the term EL. The four processes of

EL include: Suppressing emotions, expressing unfelt emotions, reading emotions of others

and managing emotions of others.

More specifically, the participants responded to open-ended questions (e.g.,

describe a situation where you had to suppress your emotions) that explored the meaning of

EL to players and organisational personnel. These questions inquired into the four

processes of EL (suppressing emotions, expressing unfelt emotions, reading emotions of

others and managing emotions of others) (Hoschschild, 1979). The open-ended questions

included description of situation, reasons for regulating emotions, particular emotions

(Hanin, 2000) that needed to be regulated (See Table 1) and how the situation was handled

(coping). The questions also involved participants to rate the frequency of managing their

emotions (e.g., how frequently do you need to suppress your emotions. A score of 1

indicating ‘never’ and a score of 5 indicating ‘always’. Involving participants in open-

ended questions helped in focusing the attention of participants on relevant EL issues. In

addition, players’ rated how emotionally challenging it was to follow the International

Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket Australia (CA) players’ code of conduct. This was done

mainly to determine whether any codes (Table 3, on page 45 in results section) in particular

34

were emotionally demanding and the specific coping mechanisms used by players to deal

with these codes on and off the field.

After the participants completed the questionnaire, they were probed and queried

about their responses. Subsequently, the participants were involved in focus group

discussions with the researcher acting as a facilitator. The participants were somewhat

restrained at the initial stages of the focus group discussion, but this hesitancy was

overcome by a general discussion regarding the study and the questionnaire. Also, using the

open-ended questions as a frame of reference helped guide the focus group discussions as

many participants quoted their answers, which further helped in leading the focus group

discussion.

Table 1

List of Positive and Negative Emotions (Hanin, 2000)

calm

thrilled

afraid

discouraged

happy pleased angry doubtful confident satisfied annoyed helpless delighted motivated anxious nervous excited determined concerned unhappy bored energetic others

enthusiastic frustrated

interested tired

unmotivated disappointed

Data Analysis

Data were analysed separately for the two groups (players and organisational

personnel). Data analysis was undertaken by the same individual who conducted the

interviews and focus group discussions. It is noteworthy that this individual was born and

raised in India, where cricket is a national obsession. In addition, her father had played the

game at the competitive level, and she had grown up in a family setting where cricket

matches featuring India were rarely missed. Moreover, prior to conducting this research,

35

this individual had worked as a sport psychology consultant with the Indian National teams

for three years.

Focus groups were employed for this initial study since the EL phenomenon is

relatively unexamined in the sport context. Also, focus groups are frequently employed in

exploratory studies to help researchers in identifying categories and associations related to

their research topic (Macnaghten & Myers, 1999). Initially, the information obtained during

the interviews was subsequently verified through alternate sources such as media reports

and discussion with administrators and coaches (for players). The focus group discussions

were recorded with due consent of the participants and consisted of one-hour duration each.

The interview and focus group data were transcribed and content analysed using a

combination of inductive and deductive processes (Biddle, Markland, Gilbourne,

Chatzisarantis, & Sparkes, 2001). It is essential to emphasise that the interview questions

were framed around the four EL processes (suppressing emotions, expressing unfelt

emotions, reading the emotions of others, and managing the emotions of others) identified

by Hochscild (1979, 1983). In order to explore and understand the concept of EL each of

the four processes were analysed separately. Hence, data extraction involved the clustering

of quotes with common underlying themes within each EL process, which were

subsequently developed into raw data themes. Also, this clustering of quotes involved

comparing and contrasting each quote with the remaining quotes (within each EL process)

to identify and bring together quotes with similar meanings. The same clustering process

was used to identify emergent themes (Scanlan, Stein & Ravizza, 1989). The final higher-

order themes were then categorised under post-hoc dimensions, which were based on the

emergent themes and literature pertaining to organisational and performance stressors in

sport. Hence, this labelling and categorisation of post-hoc dimensions was influenced to

some degree by the labelling from previous studies (e.g., Fletcher & Hanton, 2003b;

36

Hanton, Fletcher, and Coughlan 2005; Woodman & Hardy, 2001a). Also, these post-hoc

dimensions were chosen after the emergence of the final higher-order themes (e.g., Hanton

et al., 2005).

Results

Figure 4. An Overview of the Results

The findings are presented by using a combination of content trees and direct quotes

from the interview data to enable better understanding of the concept being investigated.

Frequency analysis of emotions helped in uncovering commonly modulated emotions. The

players (Part A) and organisational personnel (Part B) results are presented separately for

the purpose of clarity and to avoid unnecessary confusion. Furthermore, for each group

Results

B. Organisational Personnel

A. Players

AI. Management of Emotions

DISCUSSION

AII. Perceived Emotional Demands

BII. Perceived Emotional Demands

BI. Management of Emotions

DISCUSSION

37

(players and organisational personnel) the results and discussion are presented in two

sections (see Figure 4). The first section deals with the management of emotions from an

EL perspective. Subsequently, the second section discusses perceived demands that players

and organisational personnel believed resulted in perceptions of EL.

The final higher-order themes were categorised under the following three post-hoc

dimensions: Performance-related factors, organisational factors and athlete-related

factors. Performance–related factors are those that directly influence players performance,

and hence included training and competition elements. Organisational factors are those

relating to job roles and organisational rules (both implicit and explicit). Athlete-related

factors are concerns and issues directly related to the players. This categorisation is

different from previous research by Woodman and Hardy (2001), Fletcher and Hanton

(2003) and other studies on organisational stressors since the deliberate differentiation is

due to the difference in the enquiry of this research, which was to identify the antecedents

and consequences for performing EL.

Part A. Findings Pertaining to Professional Cricketers

Management of Emotions from an EL Perspective

Previous research determined that EL is expressed either by one or all of the

following means: suppressing genuine emotions, expressing unfelt emotions, reading

emotions of others or managing emotions of others (Hochschild, 1979, 1983). Based on the

frequency, the findings from this study indicated that players engaged most often in

‘reading emotions of others’ followed by ‘managing emotions of others,’ ‘suppressing

emotions,’ and lastly, ‘expressing unfelt emotions’ (Table 2). The two general post-hoc

dimensions for performing EL that emerged from the results were: organisational and

38

Table 2 Mean Rating Frequency of Specific EL Processes by Players

Note. 1= never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often and 5 = always

performance-related factors. In addition, career concerns, individual goals, team goals and

organisational obligations/commitments were identified as the basis for performing EL.

Hochschild’s (1979, 1983) criteria for expressing EL are outlined in Table 2.

‘Reading emotions of others’ involved interactions with the captain, coach, teammates and

selectors during match and non-match situations (see Figure 5). Performance-related

factors were the only post-hoc dimension within this process. The main themes cited within

this process included “gauging teammates during training and change rooms”. It appears

that in professional cricket, players need to constantly keep track of the emotions and

feelings of teammates. The themes cited also included “game debriefs with coaches and

selectors”. Although, game debriefs are essential, it does not preclude them from being a

potential source of stress. The following quote suggests how it could be difficult to ‘read

the emotions of others,’ especially those of the coach or selectors during critical situations:

“ I try to read the body language and tone of voice during discussion with the coach when

things might not be going well.”

EL Processes

Mean

1. Reading emotions of others 3.83

2. Managing emotions of others 3.67

3. Suppressing emotions 3.50

4. Expressing unfelt emotions 3.17

Group Mean 3.54

39

Situations

During training to gauge teammates Game debriefs with coach and selector Discussions with the coach Change rooms New players from interstate trying to fit in

with the team Reasons

Ensure to remain in good books with higher authorities

Team harmony

Coping

Specific Emotions requiring “Reading Emotions of Others”

Confident 3 Motivated 2 Happy 1 Bored 1 Determined 3 Doubtful 2 Pleased 1 Annoyed 1 Nervous 3 Angry 2 Satisfied 1 Unmotivated 1 Frustrated 3 Disappointed 2 Concerned 1 Tired 1 Afraid 3

Figure 5. “Reading Emotions of Others” (Players)

Rely on body language Tone of voice Ask questions Previous experiences with same person

Team Perspective

Career Concerns

Performance-related

40

Since such interactions happen on a fairly regular basis, it could be the reason why

the mean value for ‘reading emotions of others’ was higher than the other three EL

processes. The reason cited for ‘reading emotions of others’ was to ensure approval from

higher authorities and maintain team harmony. Players are required to ‘read’ an array of

emotions ranging from positive emotions such as happiness and confidence, to negative

emotions such as frustration, anger and disappointment. Specific emotions requiring

‘reading the emotions of others’ are provided in Figure 5. Strategies to cope with this EL

process included keen observation and analysis of the person and situation.

The second most often performed EL process was ‘managing emotions of others.’

Professional cricketers engaged in ‘managing emotions of others’ to a reasonable degree

due to the numerous interpersonal demands that their job role necessitates. As outlined in

Figure 6, instances can range from dealing with a dropped player to managing emotions of

junior players while taking a training session. The themes cited within Organisational factors

included: “dealing with failure” and “dealing with dropped players”. And, themes cited

within performance-related factors included “motivating teammates during game

situations” and “cheering up teammates during training”. Players’ shoulder the

responsibility of ‘managing the emotions of others’ to achieve individual as well as team

goals. Positive reinforcement and setting an example were the main strategies cited to cope

with ‘managing emotions of others’.

‘Suppressing emotions’ (the third EL process) usually involved situations wherein

selection and coaching aspects were discussed (Figure 7). The two post-hoc dimensions

were organisational and performance-related.

41

Situations

Dealing with failure (encouraging teammate) Dealing with a dropped player

Motivating teammates during grade cricket by

setting an example Cheering up a teammate who would be

crucial for the team on the following day During training sessions and discussions with the

team as a senior player Reasons

Lack of faith in others to manage their emotions Furtherance of personal ends

To keep the team focused Ensure the entire team is focusing in the right

direction Coping

Reinforce positives and build confidence Set an example Communicate energy by imparting own energy

onto others Reassure individual players and encourage them

Specific Emotions requiring “Managing Emotions of Others”

Frustrated 5 Unhappy 2 Nervous 2 Confident 1 Disappointed 4 Afraid 2 Helpless 1 Excited 1 Angry 3 Anxious 2 Doubtful 1 Bored 1 Annoyed 2 Discouraged 2 Unmotivated 1 Thrilled 1

Figure 6. “Managing Emotions of Others” (Players)

Organisational

Performance-related

Individual Goals

Team Goals

42

Situations

Communicate with selectors after deselection During team announcements Deselected (dropped) without an explanation Discussions with selectors and coaching staff

during post-season review

Coach extremely harsh and demanding Disagree with coach on an important issue Perceived incorrect umpiring decisions Anger as a captain when players make mistakes

On and off the field Reasons

Might hamper future chances of selection Consequences of action (code of conduct) Might offend coach by expressing true opinion,

which may in turn affect chances of selection

To avoid alienating teammate Inconsequential expressing anger on teammates

Coping

Focus on positives Focus on next delivery when bowling Self-talk Get things right the next time

Walked away Project focus onto others Be overly friendly during player appearances Bottled-up feelings Restrained from an outburst Covered up true feelings Pretend everything was fine

Specific Emotions requiring “Suppressing Emotions”

Annoyed 6 Frustrated 3 Unhappy 1 Pleased 1 Angry 5 Disappointed 3 Concerned 1 Thrilled 1 Discouraged 4 Nervous 1 Excited 1

Figure 7.“Suppressing Emotions” (Players)

Idealistic image of sports personnel Image Management

Organisational

Performance-related

Career Concerns

Team Perspective

Strategies

Alternative Approaches

43

The theme cited within Organisational-factors included “communicate with selectors after

deselection” and “during team announcements”. Selection aspects emerged as a particularly

sensitive topic for professional cricketers. Suppressing genuine emotions may require a

substantial amount of effort, as suggested by the following quote:

Suppressing anger/frustration whilst talking to selectors and coaching staff during post-season review is extremely difficult especially when you do not agree with them . . . grin and bear it . . . don’t want to get people in authority in wrong books.

The themes cited within the performance-related factors mainly included aspects

related to coaching and competition environment. For example, “coach extremely

demanding and harsh” and “disagree with coach on an important issue”. Coaches and their

coaching style are crucial determinants to enhance the potential of any player; hence the

working relationship between a coach and athlete is extremely important (Greenleaf,

Gould, & Dieffenbach, 2001). Themes pertaining to the competition environment were

“perceived incorrect umpiring decisions” and “following disappointment on the field”.

Umpires and referees try their best to be objective and unbiased, but because their decisions

are sometimes perceived as controversial (by players), their actions can have a substantial

impact on player emotions. Undoubtedly, this aspect is outside a player’s control, yet it is a

crucial determinant in their performance and emotional regulation. Career concerns was the

most often mentioned rationale for suppressing emotions, followed by image management

and team perspective. The most frequently ‘suppressed emotions’ were negative emotions

such as anger, frustration and annoyance. Focusing on the task, self-talk and striking the

punching bag were the main coping strategies mentioned by players. Interestingly, though

this is the third most performed process of EL, most participants provided more detail for

this process. This is also evident in the number of quotes, post-hoc dimensions and reasons

provided for this category.

44

Enthusiasm during early morning training is a good example to describe the last EL

process, which is ‘expressing unfelt emotions’ (Figure 8). Organisational and

performance-related aspects were the post-hoc dimensions identified. The themes cited

within organisational aspects were “congratulate a player selected ahead of you” and

“appear happy at appearances when things might not be going great”. The themes cited

within performance-related aspects were “showing enthusiasm at training sessions when

not feeling great (mentally/physically)”.

Expressing unfelt emotions necessitates some effort because it involves producing

an emotion, which is not genuinely felt. In addition, this might frequently involve the

suppression of an authentic emotion in order to express another unfelt emotion that could

be contrary to one’s feelings. This is best explained in the following quote: “I had to

congratulate someone else for getting selected when you believe you are more deserving . .

. . Hid my displeasure and pretended I was happy for him . . .” The primary reason to

express unfelt emotions by players were career concerns and team perspective. Given the

highly competitive nature of sport, it is not surprising that career anxiety seems to be one of

the most salient concerns that players have. Coping mechanisms included focusing on

positives and faking. In this context faking included appearing happy at training or when

congratulating another player. Faking has been associated with surface acting. It appears

that players could be employing surface acting more often than deep acting.

45

Situations

Congratulate a player selected ahead of you Appear happy at appearances when things

might not be going great

Showing enthusiasm at training sessions when not feeling great (mentally/physically)

Reasons

Organisational rules does not allow players to comment

Important to show the coaching staff/selectors

enthusiasm while training Not to get coach or selector offside

Team harmony Illustrate humility Preserve team unity/spirit despite personal

feelings/situation

Coping

Focus on the positives of the session rather than the negatives

Grin and bear it A fake smile, being polite Put on an act Go on as if everything is okay

Specific Emotions requiring “Expressing Unfelt Emotions”

Confident 3 Enthusiastic 2 Doubtful 1 Pleased 3 Energetic 1 Frustrated 1 Happy 2 Motivated 1 Delighted 1

Figure 8. “Expressing Unfelt Emotions” (Players)

Organisational

Strategies

Career Concerns

Team Perspective


Organisational

Performance-related

46

This section showed that professional players engage in the four processes (reading

emotions of others, managing emotions of others, suppression emotions and expressing

unfelt emotions) of EL to regulate their emotions to a certain degree.

Perceived Emotional Demands

Organisational and Performance-related Demands

ICC Codes.

The study findings stipulate that the extent to which emotional displays in sport are

organisationally desirable is often encapsulated in players’ behavioural codes and policies.

For example, “The Spirit of Cricket” serves as Cricket Australia’s guideline for contracted

players that include codes and policies they are expected to follow (Cricket Australia’s

Official Website, 2003). These codes and policies include reference to on-field behaviour

such as positive play, pressure, body language and banter between opponents. The codes

also encompass off-field behaviour because players’ off-field conduct reflects either

positively or adversely on both the individual and the game of cricket. Hence, players need

to be cautious about their behaviour, especially when it is likely to attract public attention

and criticism. In order to comply with these behavioural codes, players might need to

modulate and express their emotions in a befitting manner, thus performing EL to a

significant extent.

Table 3 shows the list of International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket Australia

(CA) codes. These codes were provided to the players to determine whether any codes were

emotionally challenging. Rules and codes are a good way to manage aggression especially

in team games such as cricket. However, these codes could also prove detrimental if they

impose severe restrictions on what a player can and cannot do. One player felt that

enforcing numerous codes did not serve the intended purpose of enhancing the spirit of

47

sport; in fact, he felt it was disadvantageous to the game. He stated “they have put all these

rules in place because they think they increase the value of the game, but I think over time

they do the opposite.” He also stated that these rules could affect players’ health due to

emotional regulation required by suggesting, “it may have some detriment health wise . . . it

involves changing your emotional patterns and restraining emotions most of the time.”

Another player indicated such codes were reducing players to robots because every action

and emotion was regulated by the ICC and CA codes.

The rules are eliminating characters in the game. If you don’t have characters in the game, exactly like robots . . . . Your true character can’t come out because you are not allowed to say anything related to selection or other players.

Mean scores of players with respect to the difficulty of dealing with ICC and CA

players’ code of conduct are shown in Table 4. The ‘anti-harassment, offences and

detrimental public comment’ codes (see Table 4) had higher mean values for “difficulty

complying” compared to the other codes. The following quotes demonstrate the frustration

players experience while dealing with some of these codes. In this instance, it is the anti-

harassment code (Table 4, ICC & CA code # 7) as supported by the following statements

expressed by cricketers:

Intrinsic anxiety or disappointment is often expressed toward a batsman (as I am a bowler). This has nothing to do with the opposition and more to do with how I feel . . . requires a lot of control to refrain from doing something negative and getting fined.

Occasionally in the heat of play, sometimes it requires discipline to avoid making a personal attack on someone [opponent] who is frustrating you. It is avoiding a “slip of the tongue” verbal assault.

48

Table 3

Items generated from the ICC and CA ‘codes’ for players 1. Offences: Abuse cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings.

Show dissent at an umpire’s decision by action or verbal abuse.

Use language that is obscene, offensive or insulting and/or the making of an obscene gesture.

Engage in excessive appealing.

Engage in inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with other players or officials in the course of play.

Deliberately and maliciously distract or obstruct another player or official on the field of play.

2. Off-field Codes: Players need to be cautious about their off-field behavior especially that which is likely to attract public attention and criticism because players’ off-field conduct reflects either positively or adversely on the game. 3. Detrimental Public Comment Players and officials must not publicly denigrate another player, official, umpire, referee or team against which they have played or will play, whether in relation to incidents which occurred in a match or otherwise or comment on the likely outcome of a hearing or a report or an appeal. 4. Anti-Doping Policy: A player shall not use performance enhancing drugs, as doping practices is contrary to the ethics of sport and potentially harmful to the health of athletes. 5. Betting, Match-fixing and Corruption: Players or officials must not directly or indirectly engage in betting, gambling or enter into any form of financial speculation on any cricket match or on any event connected with any cricket match. 6. Racial and Religious Vilification Code: Players will not engage in any conduct, act towards or speak to any other player in a manner which offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, disparages or vilifies the other player on the basis of the player’s race, religion, color, descent or national or ethnic origin. 7. Anti-Harassment Policy: Players will not engage in any harassment including any comment, conduct or gesture directed towards an individual or group of individuals which is insulting, intimidating, humiliating, malicious, degrading or offensive. 8. Penalties: Players and officials breaching the code of conduct and committing any of the offences (Level I- IV) will be penalised which can include 50% fine of their match fees or being banned for matches depending on the level of offence.

49

Table 4

Mean scores for Players’ Level of Difficulty with ICC and CA Code of Conduct

No.

Codes

Mean

1. Anti-harassment 2.67

2. Offences 2.53

3. Detrimental public comment 2.17

4. Off-field codes 2.00

5. Penalties 2.00

6. Anti-doping policy 1.33

7. Racial & religious vilification code 1.33

8. Betting, match-fixing & corruption 1.00

Group Mean 1.88


The demands complying with not ‘showing dissent at an umpiring decision,’ which

falls under the code for offences (Table 4, ICC & CA code # 1) are best explained by these

quotes:

I was so angry for being given out when I was clearly not out. I took out my anger on a punching bag when I got inside . . . as you cannot do anything [express] on the field.

I coped badly as I expressed verbal expression of disappointment and physical expression by kicking the ground . . . I also projected anger towards the batsmen because the umpire turned down my appeal for LBW.

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The detrimental public comment code (Table 4, ICC & CA code # 3) was found to

be emotionally demanding since some players felt the code restricts expression of views on

topical issues such as selection, umpires, wickets and problems with their respective

organisations. One player commented, “this prohibition on ‘detrimental public comment’ is

eventually detrimental to the game.” Another player remarked, “I got penalised for

comments in a paper that I didn’t even make.” The quotes below demonstrate the

frustration other players feel in relation to this code:

The general prohibition on making detrimental public comment is difficult when it means suppressing the voicing of your true opinion on an important issue . . . I sometimes find it frustrating personally, and when listening to the opinion of other players, in relation to an issue, when I know the ‘true’ opinion.

At the end of the day, if you are saying things about people or players it is your problem, and you have to find out why someone is talking about you. There is a way to go around it, but not to say anything at all is ridiculous. Again it must be so much more for the footballers [AFL] or the Aussies [National cricket team]. The footballers can’t even say anything if they are fined, and that must be hard because they just have to sit there.

The anti-doping code (Table 4, ICC & CA code # 4) was also a source of concern

for players:

It is very frustrating when the ADA [Australian anti-doping agency] officials show no respect to you as a player and your requirements during a game . . . Sometimes you are not sure about taking medication for something as simple as a cold. Often if not sure, I just put up with being sick because I am unsure of what medication is classified as dope.

The above mentioned quotes indicate that there is a discrepancy between the ‘codes’

and players’ opinions regarding what should be acceptable. For example, sledging is

regarded as fairly common in cricket, but it is an offence according to the players’ code of

conduct. Under all circumstances, players are expected to exercise restraint and display

good sportsmanship. This requires a degree of EL because in order to be regulated and in

51

control of the situation, players will be required to modulate their emotions to a certain

extent.

Team Atmosphere.

Some players felt that a good team atmosphere helped in dealing with the emotional

challenges related to cricket. One player commented, “if the team is playing together for a

longer time then you vent out more in the team.” This is line with the findings of Weinberg

and McDermott (2002), who indicated that group cohesion, was essential for organisational

effectiveness and success. However, another player felt that teammates could help but he

wouldn’t do it often as he could be pulling the team down with his feelings. “I do have

close mates in cricket, you have a beer and ***** [talk] about it but you try and not do it

often so that I don’t pull the team with my negativity.” This suggests that professional

players might require additional support networks to assist in managing or regulating their

emotions.

Indirect Cricket-related Demands

Professionalism, commercialisation and media.

The participants also addressed the professional and commercial aspect of cricket.

The quote below summarises this aspect succinctly:

In the world where they want us to be more and more professional and the more they want you to be training for this, this and this. To be honest about it, the more you think about all these things, the more you don’t want to be thinking about cricket. The more you get involved in other things [non-related to cricket]; it is your escape. I find that the more time I spend with other stuff, I don’t think about cricket. But if a guy has given up everything to become a cricketer, where does he get his outside or other stuff?

52

The media spotlight and emphasis on winning and maintaining peak form

(performance) was also addressed by cricketers. One player observed that the Australian

National Cricket Team was under constant scrutiny. He also observed that since the

Australian Team was performing extremely well, the media did not have much to write

about them; hence, he stated that if any player’s form decreased, the media would make

focus on it:

Everyone is watching you and there is less to write about [regarding Australian team as they are very good]. So there are 11 players and if one player’s performance drops a little, then bang everyone is writing about it. X [Australian batsman] had it last year, he went in to the stand [news] because he was not averaging 70 [runs] and the media went bang, bang, bang.

Public and private scrutiny.

Dealing with scrutiny was considered challenging by most players in the group, and

was discussed in detail. It is best explained in this quote: “You just have to stand up there

and be scrutinised from all angels and just accept it.” Private scrutiny was related to the

censure from coaches and selectors, and public scrutiny was connected to dealing with

comments from the general public. Most players agreed it was quite demanding dealing

with public evaluation of players. “Constant hiding or suppressing of emotions and people

telling you what you should be doing.” Another participant pointed to dealing with this

scrutiny constantly: “You pick up a paper and it is everywhere . . . everyone is talking

about who is good and who is not good and that sort of thing.” The same player commented

that it was reasonably difficult coping with comments from non-cricket related people. “It

is pretty difficult thing to deal with; imagine if someone at your workplace [non-related to

cricket] walks up and says ‘oh you are not good at that’.” Another player commented it was

much more challenging since it can’t be dealt with or questioned. “I guess it would be hard

because there are not many people you could directly question.” A third participant

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believed that the career and lives of cricketers depended on the opinions of others. The

quote below explains his perception:

Our whole lives revolve on the opinions of others - selectors opinion, coaches opinion and the opinions of others; we get out [off the cricket ground] and we are not allowed to voice our opinion, we are not allowed to say anything and yet our lives revolve around them. ‘Greg’ [television host] says to me that he can’t have any players on any show because they are not allowed to say anything.

One of the participants even felt it could affect a player’s life (professional and

personal) to a considerable extent. He provided an example of how it could affect a player’s

professional career. The player also observed that professional players were challenged

with scrutiny from all types of people. In addition, he felt that while everyone else could

express their opinions, players were required to exercise restraint and not say anything.

And it changes your life. For example, I have played first class cricket for many years and I get the opinion from guys who have played none or who have just played 3 games and he is saying, ‘no you are not a first class [player] tomorrow’. Then what do you do, if you say something you will get fined and if he goes to the media and says ‘this guy is **** ra ra ra’ and they have nothing to back it up because it comes from his mouth and the public says ‘oh’ and that is it, off your job. And then you will have to deal with it, even if you don’t listen to the radio or read the papers, you still have to answer queries from family and friends and they say ‘what is going on mate, what are you doing?’ You can’t escape, there is no escape for us and I would assume 10 [much harder] for the Aussies. Everyone has their opinion but you [player] can’t say anything.

This section suggests that in addition to the rules, players face additional challenges

that are not directly related to cricket but still require a great deal of emotional control.

Also, this section addressed what might be called “private” and “public” EL among

professional cricketers. In this context, public EL seems to be chararcterised by emotional

regulation required during interactions with the umpire, opposition, media and spectators.

On the other hand, private EL seems to involve interactions with teammates, coach,

selectors, and other organisational personnel. It appears that in cricket the potential for

54

private EL is equivalent to that of the public EL. This is similar to the findings of the EL of

barristers (Harris, 2002). However, this aspect needs further research.

Discussion

The study findings revealed that players performed EL through four processes,

which are reading emotions of others, managing emotions, suppressing emotions and

expressing unfelt emotions (Hochschild, 1979, 1983). The two post-hoc dimensions for

performing EL that emerged from the players results were: organisational and

performance- related factors. Organisational factors are those relating to job roles and

organisational rules (both implicit and explicit). These included higher order themes such

as role expectancies, selection matters and organisational obligations/commitments.

Performance–related factors are those that direct influence players performance, and hence

included training and competition elements. These included themes such as coaching and

game reviews, training and competition environment. These results concur with previous

studies, which identified selection, communication methods, training and competition

environments as some of the stressors elite performers encounter (Fletcher and Hanton,

2003c; Hanton et al., 2005; Woodman & Hardy, 2001).

The findings also indicated that elite performers found ‘anti-harassment, offences

and detrimental public comment’ codes as the most emotionally demanding while dealing

with ICC and CA players’ code of conduct. Also as suggested by some researchers (Rafaeli

& Sutton, 1987; Tschan, Rochat, & Zapf, 2005) findings from this study indicate that EL

occurs both in the private and public context (Harris, 2002) of professional cricket.

Furthermore, results revealed that milder forms of EL were more manifest in most

competitive matches be it cricket, for example, staring at umpires, tee-tee with the

55

opposition team, sledging, running into the opponent, commenting about a particular player

and so forth. These examples are a clear break of the International Cricket Council (ICC)

codes. Players’ found guilty of such behaviour could escape punishment a few times but

there is also a possibility of being fined or banned from a few matches. This in turn could

agitate players since they do not perceive it as a serious offence, endangering their game

and career to a substantial extent.

Moreover, some of the other issues that emerged as emotionally challenging to the

players were lack of security, handling mixed emotions (player has done well but not the

team or vice-versa), disruption to family routines, fear of losing, dealing with the media

(i.e. being cautious of every word you speak), player stereotypes (e.g., cannot play one day

game), injuries and dealing with in-house team codes. These concerns can be addressed in

future studies as ‘image management’ and ‘work-life balance’ issues.

Most players identified career anxiety came across as one of the most pressing

issue, since most players stated it. Career concerns, individual goals, team goals,

organisational goals and image management were identified as the basis for performing EL.

These findings concur with those of previous research (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993;

Grandey, 2000; Morris & Feldman, 1996) suggesting that a number of factors influence the

performance of EL.

The main strategies employed by players while performing EL or managing emotions

were reinforcing positives, focusing on the immediate task and self-talk. It should be noted

that not all players mentioned these strategies. In fact, most of them reported the course of

action they normally undertake while encountering situations that required emotional

control. Most of the coping mechanisms employed were response-focused (Grandey, 2000)

or surface acting (Hochschild, 1983; Rafaeli and Sutton, 1987) as it involved a modification

56

in the physical expression (body language, voice tone, facial expression etc), and hence

included faking to a certain degree. This suggests that players might employ surface acting

more often than deep acting to regulate their emotions. Surface acting may lead to

emotional dissonance due to the discrepancy between the displayed emotion and what is

actually experienced. However, some cognitive strategies (antecedent-focused) were also

mentioned by some players (focus on positives rather than the negatives, self-talk) to alter

feelings and produce the appropriate emotion and feeling. In addition, with professional

cricket players, evoking the appropriate emotion can also influence performance. For

example, a bowler disappointed with an umpire’s decision will need to regulate his emotion

to restrain from making a negative comment or display, and ensure he does not lose focus

on his task (i.e., bowling) and performance.

Part B. Findings Pertaining to Organisational Personnel


EL is expressed either by one or more of the following processes: suppressing

genuine emotions, expressing unfelt emotions, reading emotions of others or managing

emotions of others (Hochschild, 1983). Table 5 outlines the scores on these four EL

processes for cricket organisational personnel. These individuals engaged most often in


emotions’ and lastly ‘expressing unfelt emotions.’ These results are identical to those of the

players; the only difference being that the mean values of administrators were slightly

lower for three of the processes (managing emotions of others, suppressing and expressing

unfelt emotions). However, the mean value for ‘reading emotions of emotions’ was 4.1

(Table 5) for organisational personnel and 3.83 (Table 2) for players on the same

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Table 5

Mean Rating Frequency of Specific EL Processes by Organisational Personnel


process. This indicated that both groups engaged in performing this process to a

considerable extent. The subsequent sections enquire into each of these individual

processes. The two general post-hoc dimensions for performing EL (for all the four

processes) that emerged from the results were: organisational and athlete-related factors.

Organisational factors are those relating to job roles and organisational rules (both implicit

and explicit). Athlete-related factors are concerns and issues directly related to the players.

Instances (Figure 9) cited by organisational personnel for ‘reading emotions of

others’ involved dealing with both players and staff issues and concerns. Two post-hoc

dimensions identified were organisational and athlete-related. The themes cited within

Organisational-factors included “assess strength of feelings by staff and addressing client

(cricket stakeholder) concerns”. The themes cited within athlete- related factors included

“discussions with the Captain about the team and options for the next game, informing a

player of his deselection, assessing player performance”. The most common reasons given

EL Processes

Mean





Group Mean 3.25

58

Situations Reasons

Coping Specific Emotions requiring “Reading Emotions of Others ”

Annoyed 7 Unhappy 4 Calm 2 Determined 2 Angry 6 Anxious 4 Pleased 2 Happy 1 Concerned 6 Doubtful 3 Motivated 2 Discouraged 4 Nervous 3 Confident 2

Figure 9. “Reading Emotions of Others” (Organisational Personnel)

Assess strength of feelings by staff regarding an important issue Address client concerns regarding a specific issue Approach colleagues after a confrontational media

conference Gauge client’s level of interest to potentially

sponsor a cricket program

Discuss team and options for the next game with the Captain Inform player’s about deselection Assess player’s performance Monitor player’s fitness test Decide on player’s club clearance or transfer

application

Organisational

Avoid conflict with colleagues Assess the suitability of a situation to discuss an

important matter Achieve a mutually beneficial outcome for the

organisation and the client Gauge the effect of injury outcome on player Get the best performance from each player

Observe how they react with others Body language and voice tone Ask questions regarding their concerns Make judgment based on the individual’s mood Look for cues- observe eyes to note concern or

disappointment Observe action – verbal/physical

Strategies

Athlete- related

Organisational

59

for engaging in this process was to determine future courses of action to mutually benefit

all individuals involved. Coping strategies of the team support staff for ‘reading emotions

of others’ were identical to those of the players, and predominantly included observation

and analysis. The following quote illustrates how organisational personnel engage in

‘reading the emotions of others.’

Assessing a player’s performance. What has his poor performance got to do with? Is it things solely related to cricket or outside influence? How do you act to get players up or regain confidence? Is it through consoling, encouragement, or is it better to take a more aggressive approach about lack of discipline, commitment etc.

‘Managing emotions of others’ was the second most frequently cited process. As

shown in Figure 10, this EL process occurs in a wide array of situations. The themes cited

within athlete- related factors included “dealing with angry and frustrated players after a

session, and managing players under pressure to perform”. The themes cited within

organisational factors included “handling internal issues/obstacles to achieve client

outcomes, and conveying undesirable news to players and staff”. The main reason for

‘managing emotions of others’ was action-oriented in order to achieve the best result for the

team and the organisation. Reinforcing positives, lateral thinking, addressing concerns and

finding solutions to problems were the main strategies used to cope with ‘managing

emotions of others’. Organisational personnel describe the process as follows:

Telling players that they have not been selected for the next game, what they need to do to be included in the future . . . To ensure the player focuses on the ‘right’ things to ensure they continue in the team . . . . Being clear about the decision, providing reasons (if possible) then trying to move the player from the negative emotions to a more determined mindset.

Separate meetings with players and staff to explain a prevailing negative issue that would attract publicity. Explanation had to be honest but convey confidence in me [CEO] that the issue was being managed effectively . . . Convey a sense of control and care for their issues so that they could feel progress could be made. Whatever the context of the matter overall, it is helpful to appreciate the importance in terms of the staff member’s role . . . . Organised thoughts, covering key points in a calm, measured and professional way.

60

Situations

Reasons Coping Specific Emotions requiring “Managing Emotions of Others”

Angry 5 Helpless 4 Satisfied 2 Excited 1 Annoyed 5 Concerned 3 Motivated 2 Tired 1 Anxious 5 Unhappy 3 Determined 2 Happy 1 Discouraged 5 Calm 3 Afraid 2 Delighted 1 Doubtful 4 Confident 2 Nervous 2 Passivity 1

Figure 10. “Managing Emotions of Others” (Organisational Personnel)

Deal with angry and frustrated player after session Manage players under pressure to perform Inform a player about deselection Player unmotivated to complete rehab training

after treatment

Coaching workshop – managing 12 different club coaches

Handle internal issues/obstacles to achieve client outcomes

Convey undesirable news to players and staff

Athlete-related

Organisational

Motivate player Achieve the best results Get player to the best possible performance

playing state Convey sense of concern for issues Ensure player focuses on the right things Achieve beneficial results Keep team focused on desired outcomes

Result Oriented

Reinforce strengths Reassure player and encourage moving to next

stage in the session Encourage lateral thinking to solve problems Convey negative issues in a professional

manner to media, player or staff Listen to concerns and find solutions

Strategies

61

A player wanting to leave without really being bothered about his exercise after treatment [physiotherapy]. I then had to reinforce, educate and encourage him to complete them . . . For a beneficial outcome – to achieve rehab standards or maintain positive client-therapist relationship . . . Acting with consolation and confidence with regard to advice given.

‘Suppressing emotions’ (the third process) mainly involved situations dealing with

player contracts and media conferences (Figure 11). The themes cited within athlete-

related factors included “player contract negotiations, and dealing with players lacking

appropriate communication skills”. The themes cited within organisational factors

included “delivering undesirable news to the media, discussions with clients where

contractual obligations had not been fulfilled”. The following quotes demonstrate the effort

required to suppress genuine emotions:

I was very frustrated and angry at the poor performance by the team . . . At times to show anger and lose control is not going to achieve positive outcome. As much as you want to express your anger and disappointment, it is in the best interest of the team to be positive, encouraging and focusing on the positives of the situation. Client meetings where contractual obligations had not been fulfilled and they were dissatisfied . . . . Had to suppress frustration and present a positive, proactive image of the Association. A player not respecting advice, I did not feel he was showing respect but had to suppress my emotions to get the player around . . . I was angry. I don’t find expressing anger is always beneficial to changing a situation or ‘bringing them around’. I took a step back in my mind (viewed the situation objectively) and decided on a plan of action logically. I also didn’t listen or consider some of the negative emotions I felt. The above-mentioned quotes suggest that suppressing emotions requires the

expression of an unfelt emotion. Role expectations and long-term benefits were the most

often mentioned reasons for suppressing emotions. The most frequently ‘suppressed

emotions’ were largely negative emotions such as anxiousness, anger and being annoyed.

62

Situations

Reasons Coping

Focus on positives Deep breathing, gathered thoughts before

responding Took a step back and thought of a logical action Seek alternative communication channels

Specific Emotions requiring “Suppressing Emotions ”

Annoyed 9 Discouraged 3 Unhappy 3 Frustrated 1 Anxious 5 Doubtful 3 Angry 3 Disappointed 1 Concerned 5 Helpless 3 Nervous 2

Figure 11. “Suppressing Emotions” (Organisational Personnel)

Benefit of all Did not want anyone to see my disappointment Represent organisation in the best light Long-term benefit Appear even-handed and sympathetic to all

club views To sustain confidence of internal and external

stakeholders Selectors need to take comments from a

variety of cricket people

Player contract negotiations Dealing with players lacking appropriate

communication skills Players disregarding advice Team playing poorly

Client meetings where contractual obligations have not been fulfilled Delivering undesirable news to media Disagree with decisions taken by club cricket

members

Athlete-related

Organisational

Bit my tongue Deadpan face Displayed calmness Outwardly expressed no concern to the situation Talk less and listen more

Strategies


Organisational Commitments

63

These results are very similar to those of the players. Focusing on positives, deep breathing,

taking a step back to think of a logical action and seeking alternative communication

channels were the main coping strategies mentioned by organisational personnel.

Appearing interested in a topic of conversation and demonstrating enthusiasm at the

end of the working day are good examples of the last process, which is ‘expressing unfelt

emotions’ (Figure 12). The themes cited within athlete- related factors included “appearing

energetic at the end of a tiring day, and expressing sympathy to deselected player”. The

themes cited within organisational factors included “remaining calm when disagreed with

a point of view expressed, and appearing calm and confident during client meetings”.

Organisational expectations/commitments was the only reason provided by these

individuals for performing EL.

Even positive emotions and behaviors can be detrimental in certain situations and

scenarios. While it is important to appear up beat, positive emotions may not necessarily

have the desired effect. This is because over enthusiasm could lead to over confidence and

could prove costly for the team. This aspect has been well explained in the following quotes

that suggest the control administrators need to demonstrate during most situations:

Things going well- feeling ecstatic but don’t want to give impression of becoming over confident and complacent. Works same in negative sense- performance poor – show confidence that things will turn to the positive . . . I have to show I am in control of all situations. My actions will affect the actions of others so if I can remain stable and composed, it can flow on to the players. If I lose it will have negative affect. Just a conscious effort to keep control. Positive talk, positive body language.

I had to remain calm when sitting in a meeting when I disagreed with the Chairman. I felt angry at what had been said, but I remained calm . . . It was not the forum to express views. I remained calm and did not join the discussion.

64

Situations

Reasons Coping Specific Emotions requiring “Expressing Unfelt Emotions”

Confident 4 Pleased 2 Delighted 1 Conciliatory 1 Calm 3 Concerned 2 Angry 1 Unhappy 1 Motivated 3 Satisfied 1 Annoyed 1 Doubtful 1 Determined 3 Boredom 1 Understanding 1 Energetic 1 Attentive 1

Figure 12. “Expressing Unfelt Emotions” (Organisational Personnel)

Remain calm when disagreed with a point of view expressed

Appear interested in a topic of conversation Appear calm and confident during client

meetings

Athlete-related

Represent organisation in the best light Achieve the best results Not to let down player Expectations of others Not the forum to express views Expressing personal views will be seen as

unprofessional

Organisational commitments

Calm voice Pregnant pause Deep breathing to relax Looked happy and relaxed Appear interested Try to inspire confidence

Strategies

Appear energetic at the end of a tiring day Express sympathy to a player not selected,

when he hadn’t tried hard enough Deal with irate parent When the team was being beaten in the one-

day final

Organisational

65

The primary reason given for expressing unfelt emotions was organisational

expectations. The coping mechanisms of administrators are identical to those of players

with regard to managing this process. The main coping strategies mentioned were acting or

pretending. In other words, this is faking, thereby stressing the degree of surface acting

utilised. Also, it appears that expressing unfelt emotions involves the suppression of a

genuine emotion, which suggests that the four processes are not distinct.

This section showed that organisational personnel engage in the four processes

(reading emotions of others, managing emotions of others, suppression emotions and

expressing unfelt emotions) of EL to regulate their emotions to a certain degree.


Issues management, media relations, maintaining a rapport with players, separating

professional role from ‘mateship’, high expectations of players regarding the availability of

certain support staff (e.g., physiotherapist), communicating and fulfilling the expectations

for a broad range of stakeholders were some of the demands encountered by professional

sports personnel. The statements provide additional details about these demands:

Interacting with a range of people from different background, expertise and roles i.e., players, members of the public, volunteers, past-players (with high profile reputations) is very demanding . . . These are a broad range of people with whom we are expected to communicate and fulfill their expectations. Working in the commercial business of sport can be emotionally demanding in that my role holds a dual purpose: to represent the best interests of the organisation to a client, and to represent the best interests of the client internally . . . . Open communication is a key element in ensuring success in this role. Internally, allowing our team to understand clients’ needs and motivations will allow me to show the client we can meet their objectives . . . The demands can increase when one or both sides ‘don’t meet in the middle’ resulting in frustration, dissatisfaction and potentially damage important relationships.

66

Being part of the management team [Captain, coach, physiotherapist, trainer], then being isolated if not agreeing with the group is very frustrating.

Maintaining personal relationship with players but then needing to show the group decision or ‘outcome’ of the selection panel is hard at times. In some ways, many similarities between on-field and off-field leadership in cricket. Controlled reaction to circumstances most important. A greater percentage of cricketers are more demanding on your time and have high expectations of your availability. They expect you to be able to change your working schedule to meet their work/training commitments, probably beyond what is reasonable.

All media issues are something that I have to be conscious of because any issue can be asked in my position. Need to know all aspects of the Association, so you don’t become ambushed by press . . . Any issue related to the association is a target for the media. I need to know all issues and how to answer despite my personal feelings on some matters.

Use of players and myself [coach] in situations [appearances] that can become a pain in the neck. Have to be available and be positive despite feelings.

Discussion

Woodman and Hardy (2001) emphasised that sport personnel, especially coaches,

managers and performance directors, are required to deal with a range of multifaceted

issues. These include effective team-building strategies, clear and transparent selection

criteria, coach education (particularly on sensitive topics such as dealing with an injured or

dropped player) and realistic goal-setting. The results section revealed the many challenges

professional organisational personnel are confronted with in order to maintain a

competitive team for National or International play. The general higher-order themes

emerging from the findings for performing EL were organisational issues, selection issues,

performance-related, non-performance related issues, client-related and staff or

interdepartmental issues.

67

The study findings revealed that organisational personnel performed EL through the

four processes identified by Hochschild (1983), namely reading emotions of others,

managing emotions, suppressing emotions and expressing unfelt emotions. Additional post-

hoc dimensions for performing EL that emerged from the results were: Athlete-related

factors and organisational factors. Athlete-related factors are those situations that required

organisational personnel to interact with professional players. These included themes

related to selection, performance and non-performance issues. Organisational factors are

those that directly impact the organisation and the functioning of the organisational

personnel involved. The main themes that evolved within this dimension were those related

to clients and those of staff.

These two post-hoc dimensions suggest that the organisational personnel can be

divided into two groups depending on their level of involvement with players: the direct

management group and the indirect management group. The direct-management group

would include the coach, fitness coordinator, physiotherapist, team doctor and coaching

manager. This group is directly involved with the professional team on a daily basis. The

indirect management group would then consist of the CEO, selectors, the team operations

manager and the administrative staff who do not interact with players on a day-to-day basis.

It appears that the emotional demands of these two groups are substantially different.

The reasons for performing EL can be categorised under two main sub-headings:

organisational purposes and to achieve results. These results concur to some degree to the

EL literature (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993; Harris, 2002). Organisational reasons mainly

include avoiding conflict, representing the organisation in the best light and long-term

benefits. Result-oriented reasons included enhancing player and staff performance, and

achieving beneficial results. There is over-lap between these two areas because emotions

68

need to be managed both for organisational harmony purposes as well as to achieve desired

results.

Coping mechanisms employed by organisational personnel appeared to be more

appropriate and efficient than those of players, since they included strategies such as lateral

thinking, cognitive change and solution-focused approaches. Nevertheless, as with players,

administrators also engaged in surface acting to a considerable extent, which could prove

damaging to the individual and the organisation. This is because surface acting corresponds

to response-focused emotion regulation (Gross, 1988a; Gross, 1998b, Grandey, 2000)

wherein the display rules are mechanically conformed (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993).

Moreover, surface acting may lead to emotional dissonance due to the discrepancy

between the displayed emotion and what is actually experienced (Zerbe, 2002). Brotheridge

and Lee (2003) further contended that this could lead to emotional strain and detachment

from others. However, it also appears that organisational personnel tend to internalise their

role; and hence, might be better at coping with EL than professional players. Job

involvement and intrinsic satisfaction from the job will lead to stronger identification and

hence they perform more deep acting and confirm to their job roles (Kruml and Geddes,

2000a). Also, organisational personnel do not face the same career concerns as cricketers.

Conclusion

The study examined the concept of EL in the context of professional cricket; and the

coping mechanisms employed by professional cricketers and organisational personnel to

manage EL. Though preliminary, results from this study indicate that professional

cricketers and organisational personnel endeavour to meet organisational, individual and

team goals by altering their emotions suitably, thereby performing emotional EL to a

69

substantial extent. Furthermore, professional cricketers and organisational personnel

perform EL either through ‘reading emotions of others, ‘managing emotions of others,’

‘suppressing emotions’ or ‘expressing unfelt emotions’ on a regular basis. Also,

professional cricket players found ‘anti-harassment, offences and detrimental public

comment’ codes as the most emotionally demanding while dealing with ICC and CA codes

of conduct. The antecedents for managing emotions included organisational display rules,

individual goals and team goals. It appears that in professional cricket, professional players

and the management staff manage their emotions both privately (within the organisation)

and publicly (outside the organisation). The precise range of coping mechanisms was not

clear from this study.

The main strength of the study was the employment of focus groups as well as

individual interviews to gather rich information from the participants. However, this

qualitative information could be further verified by the administration of standardised

questionnaires (e.g., Emotional Labour Scale) to aid in understanding EL and its

consequences, especially pertaining to performance and health.

Also, the study expounded the nature of EL and its applicability to the sport setting.

Nevertheless, data were collected from players and administrators from a single State

Cricket Organisation. Therefore, to generalise the results to professional cricket could be

presumptuous. Involving participants from various cricket associations, and (perhaps)

games could help in understanding this unexplored concept of EL more adequately.

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CHAPTER 4: STUDY TWO

ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF EMOTIONAL LABOUR

Purpose

Study 1 examined the determinants of emotional labour (EL) in professional cricket.

It also described the coping mechanisms employed by professional cricketers and

organisational personnel in managing EL. Professional cricketers and organisational

personnel performed EL either through ‘reading emotions of others, ‘managing emotions of

others,’ ‘suppressing emotions’ or ‘expressing unfelt emotions’ on a regular basis. Also,

elite performers found ‘anti-harassment, offences and detrimental public comment’ codes

as the most emotionally demanding while dealing with ICC and CA players’ codes of

conduct.

Furthermore, ‘image management and work-life balance’ were two categories that

evolved from focus group discussions in Study 1. These were of some significance to

players when dealing with the emotional demands of being a professional cricketer. Coping

mechanisms employed by organisational personnel seem to be more appropriate when

compared with those performed by the players. However, both groups engaged in surface

acting to a significant degree. This was especially so while expressing unfelt emotions and

agreed with previous research which established the detrimental effects of surface acting

(Brotheridge & Grandey, 2002; Grandey, 2003).

The present study (Study 2) examined the antecedents and consequences of EL in

professional cricket. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative measures to gain

an understanding of the emotional demands of professional athletes, coaches and

administrators along with identifying the antecedents and consequences of EL and coping

methods employed in the management of EL. The study also sought to confirm the

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presence of issues that evolved from Study 1. Similar to Study 1, professional cricket

players were the primary focus of this study, and data were collected from other

organisational personnel (e.g., coaches and selectors) so as to obtain information from a

different dimension.

Method

Participants

The study employed a mixed methods approach to collect data from 84 Australian

First class cricketers and organisational personnel. Similar to Study 1, participants in this

study consisted of two groups. These included individuals who were either currently

playing cricket (n = 46) or who were involved at an administrative level in cricket (n = 38)

within Australia. The mean age of the participants was 35.22 years (SD = 11.73). The mean

level of involvement in cricket as a player was 5.70 years (SD = 4.42), and at an

administrative level 8.89 years (SD = 8.56).

Procedure

The Manager of cricket operations from each of the six state cricket organisations

(within Australia) helped in establishing contact with participants. The participants

(cricketers and organisational personnel) were mailed a copy of the questionnaire booklet,

along with a standardised information sheet, and consent forms. The study employed a

mixed methods approach to collect data. Creswell, Vicki, Clark, Gutma and Hanson (2003)

define a mixed methods study as one that involves the collection or analysis of both

quantitative and/or qualitative data in a single study in which the data are gathered

concurrently or sequentially, and then given a priority. It involves the integration of the data

at one or more stages in the process of research.

72

More specifically, the questionnaire booklet for both the groups comprised of:

(i) The modified version of Emotional Labour Scale (ELS) (Brotheridge & Lee, 2003),

(ii) Modified version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) (Maslach, Jackson &

Leiter, 1996),

(iii) Open-ended questions enquiring into the processes of EL (similar to Study 1).

These open-ended questions inquired into the four processes (suppressing emotions,

expressing unfelt emotions, reading and managing emotions of others) through which EL is

expressed.

In addition, players’ rated how emotionally challenging (see Appendix B) it was to

follow the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket Australia (CA) players’ code of

conduct (modified from Study 1). Similar to Study 1, the word EL was not mentioned in

the booklet due to the possible negative connotations associated with emotions and labour.

Participants were provided with self-addressed envelopes to ensure the completed

questionnaires were returned without delay.

The ELS instrument was developed specifically to measure EL (Brotheridge and

Lee, 2003), and it is also one of the most frequently used EL inventories. The ELS (see

Table 6) consists of 15 questions measuring six facets of emotional displays in the

workplace. These components include duration (one item), frequency (three items),

intensity (two items), variety (three items), surface acting (three items), and deep acting

(three items). Duration refers to the length of an interaction, frequency refers to how often

the interactions occur, intensity is the strength of the emotion experienced, and variety is

the range of emotional displays required during interactions with customers (Brotheridge &

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Table 6

Items Comprising the Emotional Labor Scale (ELS)

Item Item Content

Duration

1. A typical interaction I have with a customer takes about _ minutes. Frequency

2. 5. 7. 3. 9.

Display specific emotions required by your job. Adopt certain emotions required as part of your job. Express particular emotions needed for your job. Intensity Show some strong emotions. Express intense emotions.

6. 11. 13. 8. 12. 14.

Variety Display many different kinds of emotions. Express many different emotions. Display many different emotions when interacting with others. Surface acting Hid my true feelings about a situation. Resist expressing my true feelings. Pretend to have emotions that I don't really have. Deep acting

4. 10. 15.

Make an effort to actually feel the emotions that I need to display to others. Really try to feel the emotions I have to show as part of my job. Try to actually experience the emotions that I must show.

Lee, 2003; Morris & Feldman, 1996, 1997). Surface acting refers to faking or masking a

genuine emotion, and deep acting involves aligning feelings to bring about the required

emotional display (Brotheridge & Lee, 2003). Participants respond to items on a 5-point

scale ranging from 1 (“never”) to 5 (“always”). Whilst this scale was suitable for use with

the organisational personnel, the wording needed minor modifications for use with

professional sportspersons, such as cricketers. For example, one of the original ELS

question was: Have interactions with ‘customers’ which takes about 5-10 minutes. The

74

word ‘customers’ was replaced by ‘others’ and in brackets a few examples were provided

to make the statement applicable to the sport setting, hence the modified statement read:

Have interactions with ‘others’ (e.g., public, coach, players, media) which take about 5-10

minutes. While only a few words were modified, precautions were taken not to change the

meaning of the statements.

The Maslach Burnout Inventory (Table 7) is a 16-item measure of three aspects of

burnout. These include Professional Efficacy (six items), Exhaustion (five items), and

Cynicism (five items). Exhaustion (Ex) refers to fatigue resulting from work. Cynicism

(Cy) refers to indifference or a distant attitude towards work. Professional Efficacy (PE)

refers to accomplishments and expectations at work (Maslach, Jackson & Leiter, 1996). All

responses were made on 7-point scale ranging from 1 (“never”) to 7 (“everyday”). Again

this scale was suitable for use with the administrators and coaches, the wording needed

minor adaptation for use with professional sportspersons, such as cricketers. For example,

one of the original MBI question was: I feel emotionally drained from ‘my work’. The

words ‘my work’ was replaced by ‘cricket’ to make the statement applicable to the sport

setting, hence the modified statement read: I feel emotionally drained from cricket. Table 6

and 7 provide the items and item content for both these questionnaires.

Data Analysis

Data analysis was undertaken by the same individual who conducted the interviews

and focus group discussions. Quantitative data was analysed by combining the

responses of the two groups (players and organisational personnel) together. Qualitative

data analysis was conducted separately for the two groups.

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Table 7

Items Comprising The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) Item Item Content

Exhaustion 1. I feel emotionally drained from my work.

2. I feel used up at the end of the workday.

3. I feel tired when I get up in the morning and have to face another day on the job.

4. Working all day is really a strain for me.

6. I feel burned out from my work.

Cynicism

8. I have become less interested in my work since I started this job.

9. I have become less enthusiastic about my work.

13. I just want to do my job and not be bothered.

14. I have become more cynical about whether my work contributes anything.

15. I doubt the significance of my work.

Personal Efficacy

5. I can effectively solve the problems that arise in my work.

7. I feel I am making an effective contribution to what this organisation does.

10. In my opinion, I am good at my job.

11. I feel exhilarated when I accomplish something at work.

12. I have accomplished many worthwhile things in this job.

16. At my work, I feel confident that I am effective at getting things done.

Whilst, the players were retained as one group, organisational personnel were

further divided into:

(i) Direct Management Coaching Group,

(i) Direct Management Support Group, and

(iii) Indirect Management Group

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This differentiation was considered essential while analysing the data due to the vast

difference in the job roles and emotional demands of these organisational personnel. In fact,

the results of Study 1 showed organisational personnel can be divided into the direct

management group and the indirect management group based on the level of involvement

and frequency of player interaction. However, while analysing the data it was observed that

even within the direct management group there were noticeable differences in the responses

of participants. More specifically, the physiotherapist and doctors are support staff catering

to the needs of professional players. On the other hand, coaches, fitness coordinators and

coaching managers are directly involved in producing a competitive team. Due to the

inherent difference of their job roles, the emotional demands varied significantly. Hence,

the direct management group was further divided into the support group constituting of the

physiotherapist and doctors, and the coaching group that constituted of coaches, coaching

managers and fitness coordinators. The indirect management group comprised of chief

executive officers (CEO’s), team selectors, managers of team operations, club cricket

managers, sponsorship coordinators, finance managers, and a curator. There was not much

variation in the responses of the indirect management group; hence no further grouping was

required.

Interview transcripts were formatted for analysis in the QSR N5 (2000) computer

software package. [QSR N5 (2000) is the fifth version of the Non-numerical Unstructured

Data Indexing, Searching and Theorizing (NUD*IST) software for qualitative data

analysis]. Data were analysed using a combination of inductive and deductive processes

(Biddle, Markland, Gilbourne, Chatzisarantis, & Sparkes, 2001). This was similar to the

content analysis of Study 1. More specifically, data extraction involved the clustering of

quotes with common underlying themes within each EL process, which were subsequently

developed into raw data themes. Also, this clustering of quotes involved comparing and

77

contrasting each quote with the remaining quotes (within each EL process) to identify and

bring together quotes with similar meanings. The same clustering process was used to

identify emergent higher-order themes (Scanlan, Stein & Ravizza, 1989). The final higher-

order themes were then categorised under post-hoc dimensions, which were influenced by

the emergent themes and the post-hoc dimensions of Study 1. Also, these post-hoc

dimensions were chosen after the emergence of the final higher-order themes (e.g., Hanton

et al., 2005).

Results and Discussion

The qualitative data analysis procedures represent the qualitative responses for the

four groups:

(i) Players Group,

(ii) Direct Management Support Group (DMSG),

(iii) Direct Management Coaching Group (DMCG), and

(iv) Indirect Management Group (IDMG)

Consequently, the findings are presented using a combination of content trees from

the data to enable better understanding of the concept being investigated. Results are

presented in three sections: 1

Part A consists of results pertaining to professional cricketers,

Part B consists of the organisational personnel results, and

Part C (Players and Organisational Personnel responses) to examine the EL-Burnout

relationship.

1 Part A and B are qualitative; whereas Part C is quantitative

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Furthermore, for all the four groups the results and discussion are presented in two

sections (see Figure 13). The first section deals with the management of emotions from an

EL perspective. The second section discusses perceived demands that players and

organisational personnel believed resulted in perceptions of EL. Quantitative analyses of

data collected from these participants occurred in three stages: (a) descriptive analyses, (b)

correlational analyses, and (c) canonical correlation analyses.

79

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

A1. ME

Part A (Players) A2. PED

BIi. ME

RESULTS I. DMSG BIii. PED

& DISCUSSION Part B (Org. Personnel)

BIIi. ME II. DMCG

BIIii. PED

III. IDMG BIIIi. ME

BIIIii. PED

Part C (Players & Org. Personnel)

Figure 13. An Overview of the Results and Discussion

Note. ME = Management of Emotions, PED = Perceived Emotional Demands DMSG = Direct Management Support Group, DMCG = Direct Management Support Group, IDMG = Indirect Management Group.

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Part A. Findings Pertaining to Professional Cricketers


In line with Study 1, the findings from this study indicated that players engaged

most often in ‘reading emotions of others’ followed by ‘managing emotions of others,’

‘suppressing emotions,’ and lastly, ‘expressing unfelt emotions.’ The three post-hoc

dimensions for performing EL that emerged from the results were: organisational factors,

performance-related factors and indirect cricket-related aspects (i.e., media). While the first

two dimensions are in line with the results of Study 1, the third dimension emerged from

this Study (i.e., Study 2). In order to avoid repetitiveness and exhaustiveness, the themes

cited within each higher-order theme (for all the four processes) are brought together and

explained in greater detail while discussing the post-hoc dimensions (after the results are

presented for these four processes). Furthermore, career concerns, individual goals, team

goals and organisational obligations were identified as the basis for performing EL in the

first study. In addition to these reasons, image management emerged as an important factor

in performing EL.

Hochschild’s (1979, 1983) processes for expressing EL are outlined in Table 8.

‘Reading emotions of others’ involved meetings with selectors, sponsor meetings, contract

negotiations and team meetings (Figure 14). Since these meetings play a crucial part in the

athletes’ career, it could explain why the mean value for ‘reading emotions of others’ was

higher than the other three criteria. The two post-hoc dimensions emerging for this process

was performance-related and organisational factors. The higher order dimensions within

performance-related were coaching and team-related. The higher order dimensions within

performance-related were selection and contract-related. Cautiousness and better

understanding of the situation in order to achieve personal and team goals were the reasons

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Table 8

Mean Rating Frequency of Specific EL Processes by Players


mentioned for ‘reading emotions of others’. Disappointment, annoyance, frustration and

anger were emotions players regularly ‘read’ (N = 28) during interactions with others.

Body language, communication and analysis of the situation were the ways in which

athletes coped in dealing with this process.

The second most frequently performed process was ‘managing emotions of others.’

Figure 15 illustrates situations dealing with ‘managing emotions of others.’ They included

managing uptight players, club cricket matches, and pre-season and off-season training.

Emotions were managed mainly due to organisational expectations. Performance-related

factors emerged as the only post-hoc dimension for this process. The three higher-order

themes within this dimension were team environment, competition setting and training

environment. Team goals evolved as the main reason provided by players for ‘managing

the emotions of others’. Reinforcing positives, providing support, changing strategy and

EL Processes Mean





Group Mean 3.11

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Situations

Reasons Coping Specific Emotions requiring “Reading Emotions of Others”

Disappointed 18 Interested 8 Confident 6 Afraid 3 Annoyed 17 Discouraged 8 Satisfied 5 Thrilled 3 Frustrated 15 Nervous 8 Pleased 5 Tired 3 Angry 14 Helpless 7 Delighted 5 Bored 3 Concerned 11 Doubtful 6 Unmotivated 5 Energetic 2 Unhappy 10 Happy 6 Excited 5 Motivated 2 Anxious 10 Calm 6 Determined 4 Enthusiastic 2

Figure 14. “Reading Emotions of Others” (Players)

Discussions pertaining to game reviews Meetings regarding progress Reviews following poor performance

Coaching

Performance- related

Selection meetings Meetings subsequent to deselection

Tackle teammates after a conflict of players Gauge captain’s mood As a Captain As a 12th man Team meetings

Team-related

Contract negotiations Sponsor meetings

Selection

Contract-related

Organisational

Keep the team together Team Perspective

Right time to approach coach and Captain Effect on coach/ Captain/authority Understand Coach/selectors personal views Read between lines

Individual Goals

Observe body language Communicate Analyse after discussion Listen carefully during conversation,

especially between the lines

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Situations Reasons Coping Specific Emotions requiring “Managing Emotions of Others”

Nervous 21 Annoyed 11 Discouraged 8 Happy 5 Anxious 18 Concerned 10 Angry 8 Bored 5 Doubtful 15 Motivated 10 Energetic 8 Calm 4 Frustrated 12 Confident 10 Unhappy 7 Interested 4 Unmotivated 12 Determined 10 Thrilled 7 Satisfied 2 Disappointed 11 Excited 9 Helpless 7 Delighted 1 Afraid 11 Tired 9 Enthusiastic 6 Pleased 1

Figure 15. “Managing Emotions of Others” (Players)

Deal with extremely emotional players Uptight players

Tough games Bad situations Crucial games Club cricket

Early morning training Pre-season training Off-season training

Team Environment

Competition situations

Training Environment

Performance-related

Team perspective Enhance performance of team

As a Captain

Team Perspective

Role expectancies

Reinforce positives Involve in fun activity Provide support Change strategy Light hearted approach Take minds of cricket Be a role model Inform expected behaviour

Team Goals

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setting examples were the strategies mentioned for coping with this process. Emotions of

others that were most often ‘managed’ (N = 28) were nervousness, anxiousness, doubt and

frustration.

‘Suppressing emotions’ (the third most frequently performed process) usually

involved situations wherein selection issues were discussed, media interviews and

discussions with higher authorities. As illustrated in Figure 16, career concerns, image

management, organisational expectations and team issues were the main reasons cited for

suppressing genuine emotions. The three post-hoc dimensions emerging for this process

were: organisational, performance-related, and indirectly cricket-related factors. As

evident in the Figure, themes within organisational-related factors are much more than

those within performance-related factors. The higher-order dimensions within

organisational factors included selection, finance, rules, role expectancies and other factors.

Coaching and competitive environment were the higher order themes within performance-

related factors. Media was the only higher-order theme within the post-doc dimension of

indirect-related factors. Career concerns, image management, situational factors,

organisational rules and team perspectives were the main reasons provided by professional

cricketers for suppressing emotions. The most frequently ‘suppressed emotions’ (N= 22)

are also illustrated in the same figure. Frustration, anger, annoyance and disappointment

were the most frequent emotions ‘suppressed.’

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Situations

Figure 16. “Suppressing Genuine Emotions” (Players)

Selection meetings Inadequate explanation provided at meetings

regarding deselection Face to face contact with selectors after

delayed information regarding deselection Discuss selection issues with selectors Communicate with selectors after deselection When informed of deselection

Selection

Perceived unnecessary comments on social habits by authority figures

Perceived displeasure regarding financial aspects

Restriction on voicing opinion on important matters

Finances

Rules

Others

Organisational

Media interviews pertaining to selection issues Enquiries regarding opposition and match

situations Media interviews subsequent to bad games

Media

Disagree with coach’s game plan Review meetings and debriefing sessions Discussions at end of season reviews Discussion regarding individual or team issues

during coaching staff meetings

Coaching

Verbally abused by opposition Perceived unjust umpiring decisions Tribunal hearing

Competition environment

Performance-related

Indirect Cricket-related

Interactions with teammates competing for the same position Role expectancies

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Reasons

Coping

Specific Emotions requiring “Suppressing Emotions”

Frustrated 31 Discouraged 9 Helpless 3 Calm 1 Angry 30 Concerned 7 Thrilled 3 Tired 1 Annoyed 28 Anxious 4 Unmotivated 2 Excited 1 Disappointed 25 Doubtful 4 Motivated 2 Bored 1 Unhappy 13 Determined 3 Confident 2 Nervous 1 Pleased 2 Energetic 1

Figure 16 (cont’d.). “Suppressing Genuine Emotions” (Players)

Avoid conflict with authority Maintain relationship with administrators Inadequate opportunity provided before

deselection

Organisational rules Implicit codes Contractual agreements

Organisational

Maintain image Perceived notion that displaying emotions is

considered a sign of weakness

Image Management

Avoid conflict with team members Team Perspective

Inappropriate time Non-outcome situations Stay focused and concentrate on the game

Situational

Career Concerns

Spending time with family Talking to friends outside cricket

Avoid argument/confrontation Take politically correct route/action Listen carefully Take action- clarify issue with higher

authority Remove self from situation

Self-talk Self-management strategies Positive approach/challenge Focus on task Positives in the situation Bear future in mind

Support network

Strategies

Alternative approaches

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On closer examination, it was observed that most ‘suppressed’ emotions were

negative, such as frustration, anger, and disappointment. Suppressing negative feelings over

a period of time can lead not only to EL but also could affect health and other life spheres

(e.g., home, work other than cricket) (Grandey, 2000; Brotheridge & Lee, 2002).

‘Suppressing genuine emotions’ appears to be more difficult than ‘expressing unfelt

emotions’ or reading emotions of others. Coping strategies included reappraisal, focus,

support network, and self- management strategies such as self-talk.

Selection meetings, media interviews and training sessions were examples given by

professional cricketers for ‘expressing unfelt emotions’ (Figure 17). Organisational,

performance-related and indirect cricket-related factors were the three post-hoc

dimensions within this process. Aspects related to selection, and the team were the higher-

order themes within organisational-related factors. Training environment, competition

setting, issues related to self and team were the four higher-order themes within

performance-related factors. Media-related aspects was the only higher order theme

emerging for indirect-cricket related demands. Furthermore, team issues, image

management and organisational expectations were the main reasons for ‘expressing unfelt

emotions’. Most ‘unfelt emotions expressed’ (N = 18) were positive emotions such as

appearing enthusiastic and upbeat during training. Expression to a large extent would

involve surface acting, which might not be as effective as deep acting. Surface acting may

lead to emotional dissonance due to the discrepancy between the displayed emotion and

what is actually experienced (Zerbe, 2002). Brotheridge and Lee (2003) further contended

that this could lead to emotional strain and detachment from others. Consequently, surface

acting could be detrimental to the player and the organisation.

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Situations

Reasons

Figure 17. “Expressing Unfelt Emotions” (Players)

When informed of deselection before being provided an opportunity to play

Perceived unfairness in selection

Questions pertaining to team loss Interviews wherein questions are repeated

time and again

Expected positivism regarding blood testing Emphasis on sponsor matches

Enthusiasm during fitness and fielding sessions

Early morning training Motivated during pre-season training

Motivated and happy during four-day games Display strength particularly when the game

is against you

Dealing with one’s bad form

Disagree with teammates

Media

Role Expectancies

Training Environment

Competition Setting

Self

Team

Selection

Organisational

Performance- related

Role model Create a good impression Avoid being criticized Professional attitude

Encourage team Not to pull team with negativitism

Organisational expected behaviour Authority approval Do the right thing

Team perspective


Image Management

Indirect cricket- related

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Coping F

Specific Emotions requiring “Expressing Unfelt Emotions”

Energetic 24 Interested 10 Calm 3 Satisfied 2 Motivated 20 Confident 9 Pleased 3 Anxious 1 Enthusiastic 19 Determined 9 Thrilled 2 Frustrated 1 Happy 16 Calm 6 Disappointed 2 Annoyed 1 Excited 11 Determined 4 Delighted 1 Unhappy 1

Figure 17 (cont’d.). “Expressing Unfelt Emotions” (Players)

This section revealed that players performed EL through its four processes, which

are reading emotions of others, managing emotions, suppressing emotions and expressing

unfelt emotions. The three post-hoc dimensions that emerged from the results were:

Performance-related factors, organisational factors, and indirectly cricket-related (media).

While, the first two factors are in line with the findings of Study 1, the final dimension

emerged from this study. The reader is reminded that the Study 2 employed the same open-

ended questions to elicit information from a larger sample (first class cricketers from

Australia), and hence may find some of the themes repetitive or similar to Study 1.

Positive approach/outlook Philosophical perspective Focus on the present/total involvement Self-talk Positive body language Motivate self Redefine benefit

Avoid criticizing unwanted task Blend in with the group Alter feelings-deep acting Acted/faked Bottle up feelings

Strategies

Alternative approaches

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Performance-related Factors

Performance–related factors are those that directly influence players performance,

and hence included training and competition elements (Table 9).

Table 9

Performance- related Factors for Performing EL (Players)

Coaching Discussions pertaining to game reviews Meetings regarding progress Reviews following poor performance Disagree with coach’s game plan Review meetings and debriefing sessions Discussions at end of season reviews Discussion regarding individual or team issues during coaching staff meetings

Team-related Tackle teammates after a conflict of players Gauge captain’s mood As a Captain As a 12th man Team meetings Deal with extremely emotional players Uptight players

Competitive situations Tough games Bad situations Crucial games Club cricket Verbally abused by opposition Perceived unjust umpiring decisions Tribunal hearing

Training Environment Early morning training Pre-season training Off-season training

These included higher order themes such as coaching, team-related aspects, and training

and competition environment. Coaching included discussions with coach regarding game

reviews, reviews after poor performance, and discussing individual and team issues. Coach

and coaching issues are of particular relevance to players as it is vital for their performance.

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These results are in concordance to those of Study 1 and also to that of Hanton et al. (2005)

revealing the importance of an effective coach-athlete relationship (Greenleaf, Gould, &

Dieffenbach, 2001). Team-related aspects involved tackling teammates after a conflict of

players, gauging Captain’s mood, managing players as a Captain, dealing with uptight, and

extremely uptight players. This could involve a substantial amount of physical and

emotional resources; yet, it is essential in order to ensure players reach the best playing

state. Dealing with team aspects could be especially tough during crucial game situations.

These findings are in line with those of Study 1, and also with that of Woodman and Hardy

(2001) as well as Fletcher and Hanton (2003).

Training environment mainly included showing enthusiasm during early morning

training, pre-season and off-season training. While, this may not appear to be extremely

emotionally challenging, professional players would still need to appear enthusiastic and

motivate for themselves and the team, as evident in the following quote: “Had to appear

motivated during pre-season training because I did not want to pull the team down by my

negativism . . . Tried hard to focus on the positives of the situation . . . whistled and tried

to cheer myself”. Also, appearing happy and motivated could require much more effort

when the player or team was not performing well. However, a good team atmosphere could

promote positivity in the team, highlighting the link between these aspects (Fletcher &

Hanton, 2003c; Howes, Cropanzano, Grandey & Mohler, 2000).

Competition environment consisted of staying positive in tough games, bad or

hopeless situations, dealing with verbal abuses from opposition team members, and dealing

with perceived unfair umpiring decisions. The range of situations within a competition

setting draws light on the numerous physical and emotional challenges professional players

encounter during competitive situations. Fletcher & Hanton, (2003c) suggested that

competition environment and opponents could be a source of strain to performers.

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Regulating emotions during crucial and hopeless situations would require the expenditure

of more emotional resources.

Organisational Factors

Organisational factors are those relating to job roles, organisational rules (both

implicit and explicit). These included such as selection, contract and finance related

aspects, role expectancies, and off-field restrictions (see Table 10). Each of these is

discussed below. Selection-related aspects involved meetings with selectors after

deselection, deselected without proper explanation and similar themes. This involved

suppressing anger and frustration while dealing with this aspect. Similar to Study 1,

selection issues evolved as particularly sensitive to professional cricketers, indicating the

potential for EL due to this context. This finding is not surprising considering the highly

competitive nature of professional cricket (Woodman & Hardy, 2001). Contract and

finance related aspects also appeared to cause reasonable degree of stress and expenditure

of emotional resources. This is because professional cricket follows a contract system

depending on players’ performance. This contract could vary from one year to three years

depending on the player’s age, experience and performance level. Role expectancies may

be defined the specific role a player needs to perform being a member of the group or team

he belongs to. The only theme cited within this dimension was ‘interacting with teammates

competing for the same position’. Interacting and maintaining good relationship with

players is essential in a team environment for performance and organisational rules, even if

it against a player who is competing for the same position. This would certainly involve

suppressing and expressing unfelt emotions to a certain degree.

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Table 10

Organisational Factors for Performing EL (Players)

Selection-related Selection meetings Inadequate explanation provided at meetings regarding deselection Face to face contact with selectors after delayed information regarding deselection Discuss selection issues with selectors Communicate with selectors after deselection When informed of deselection before being provided an opportunity to play Perceived unfairness in selection

Contract and finance related Contract negotiations Sponsor meetings Perceived displeasure regarding financial aspects

Role Expectancies Interactions with teammates competing for the same position

Off-field Perceived unnecessary comments on social habits by authority figures

The only theme cited within Off-field restrictions ‘perceived unnecessary comments on

social habits by authority figures’. This demonstrates the access of the organisation to

player’s personal life, and when players perceive certain comments as unnecessary, it could

make emotional regulation harder but players will need to bear it due to career concerns.

The only higher-order theme within the post-hoc dimension of indirect cricket-

related aspects was media issues. These included media interviews pertaining to selection

issues, match situations and opposition. They also involved interviews pertaining to team

loss and poor performances. Players are required to appear gentlemanlike in all situations,

and especially during media interviews. This is especially important for players image

management as well because cricket spectators all over react to these interviews, hence

irrespective of their feelings, professional players will need to put up a façade of

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sportsmanship. And as addressed by many players, regulating emotions and staying in

control is a lot more difficult while dealing with a player’s or teams poor performance.

Results indicate that there clearly appears to be an overlap between organisational-

related and performance-related post-hoc dimensions. For example, coaching which

emerged as a higher-order theme within performance-related factors could also fall within

organisational factors. This overlap is because players regulate their emotions not just for

performance related reasons but also to ensure their future playing career or organisational

reasons. These results suggest that sports professionals working with professional athletes

should pay attention to the organisational factors and indirect sports related factors that

could affect performance. This is line with the findings of Fletcher and Hanton (2003).

Fletcher and Hanton (2003) identified environmental issues, personal issues, leadership

issues and team issues as the main sources of organisational stress in elite sport performers.

They suggested that elite performers encounter a broad range of organisational stressors.

However, organisations are not always aware of these issues or, in many instances, pretend

to be oblivious towards these problems. Competing at an elite-level requires athletes to deal

with a large number of stressors, which are principally connected to their appraisal of the

functioning of the sport organisation within which they are operating (Fletcher & Hanton,

2001). These findings also find some support to those of Woodman and Hardy’s (2001)

case study. They identified selection, training environment, finances, nutrition, goals and

expectations, coaches and coaching styles, team atmosphere, roles, support, network and

communication as the main sources of organisational stress. Players also found a number of

ICC rules difficult to adhere to.

In addition, individual goals, team perspective, role expectancies, career concerns,

image management, organisational rules and situational factors were the main factors

identified for performing EL. These results find some support to previous research

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(Ashkanasy, Zerbe & Hartel, 2002; Morris and Feldman, 1997) which state that a large

number of factors influence EL.

Players coping methods mainly included reappraisal, establishing a support network

and changing the plan of action. It also included antecedent-focused methods (deep acting)

such as attentional deployment (light hearted approach, whistled), and cognitive change

(redefine benefit, focus on positives etc). However, it also included response-focused

emotional regulation (surface acting) such as grin, fake it etc. Also, from these results it is

difficult to determine when players employ surface or deep acting.

The importance of support network was addressed by some of the participants in the

qualitative responses. The following quotes suggest the importance of support-networks,

especially outside cricket.

I go home and talk to someone close to you about it. It would be pretty difficult not to have someone to talk to. That is why I have mates outside cricket and I think that is important. When I went to Melboune and if you feel down about something and you can’t talk to anyone in the team because you don’t want to drag them as they are part of your team. I do have close mates in cricket, you have a beer and ***** about it but you try and not do it often.

Consequences of Performing EL

An examination of the emotional challenges faced by elite cricketers revealed that,

‘suppressing, managing and reading emotions of others’ (the three criteria for expressing

EL), dealt mostly with negative emotions such as frustration, anger, and disappointment.

Research has revealed that emotions and the management of negative emotions are

significantly associated with a variety of health problems such as cancer, high blood

pressure and heart disease (Blackburn, 1965; Gross 1989; Gross, 1998; King & Emmons,

1990; Pennebaker, 1990; Smith, 1992). In fact, the inability to express negative emotion

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has been identified as one of the strongest predictors of cancer (Cox & McCay, 1982;

Derogatis, Abeloff, & Melisaratos, 1979).

Research also has revealed that suppressed negative feelings can leak out (Ekman,

1992). Hence, breaking character, which is when an employee reacts in a manner

inappropriate to the organisation (e.g., expressing negative moods or reactions to

customers) (Bailey & McCollough, 2000), is more likely to happen during surface acting.

Good examples to explain the above-mentioned phenomenon of surface acting and

breaking character in cricket were in the following instances:

a. Essendon captain Hird criticising an umpire (ABC sport, April 8, 2004) and

b. When the Australian cricketer, Gilchrist, was found guilty of dissent over an

umpiring issue (Cricinfo, February 27, 2004).

Hochschild (1983) proposed that EL could potentially result in estrangement

between self and work role, emotional exhaustion, emotional dissonance and burnout.

Performing EL either through suppression, expression, reading or managing emotions in

cricket thus is exigent, especially on a regular basis.



ICC codes.

Mean scores of players dealing with International Cricket Council (ICC) and

Cricket Australia (CA) players’ codes of conduct are represented in Table 11. However,

descriptive statistics showed ‘In-house team codes’ as the code with the highest mean value

of 2.49. This indicated that it was quite emotionally demanding to follow this code when

compared with the other codes. The qualitative responses revealed that it was emotionally

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Table 11

Mean scores for ICC and CA Players’ Codes of Conduct No.

Codes

Mean

1. In-house team codes 2.49

2. Offences 2.05

3. Detrimental public comment 2.05

4. Off-field codes 2.00

5. Penalties 1.58

6. Anti-harassment 1.53

7. Racial & religious vilification code 1.34

8. Anti-doping policy 1.27

9. Betting, match-fixing & corruption 1.11

Group Mean 1.71


demanding to adhere to most of the other codes as well. ‘In-house team codes’ included

items which were implicit, wherein the meaning is inferred but not stated. In order to

perform implicit codes, players frequently pick up cues from co-players or other staff,

which could be misleading or ambiguous. Qualitative responses also revealed that it was

more difficult to deal with implicit codes.

Table 12 illustrates the reasons provided by players as to why they found certain

codes difficult to adhere to. Management’s access to players’ lives and being fined by the

team for trivialities were some issues mentioned under ‘In-house team codes’.

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Table 12

Perceived difficulty in abiding to the ICC codes (Players) 1. In-house Team Codes Non-accountability of umpires Fined by the team for trivialities Management’s access to players’ personal lives 2. Offences i. Abuse cricket equipment Angry at getting out Want to release frustration Difficult not to be angry with yourself when you get out ii. Umpire’s decisions Perceived incorrect umpiring decisions Consecutive mistakes by umpires Frustrated when given out by the umpire Difficult not to be angry when you get out 3. Detrimental Public Comment Cautiousness regarding controversial issues Unable to give honest comments on umpires, opposition, and administration Expected to act like robots Cannot be honest with public 4. Off-field Codes Restrictions on private life No privacy off the field Dealing with media at all times On-show to the public 5. Penalties Inconsistency regarding rules Penalties due to umpiring issues Difficult for emotional players to control emotions Inconsistent code 6. Anti-harassment Policy Encounter unruly crowd 7. Racial and Religious Vilification Code The code is uneven Lop sided code 8. Anti-doping Policy Social drugs offered by peers Unsure of drugs permitted and non-permitted Restriction on taking essential drugs/medicines Perceived inappropriate time of testing Discrepancy in rules Unwarranted code 9. Betting, Match-fixing and Corruption Betting should be involved Betting should be ok if we are not playing in the game

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Issues dealing with ‘Offences’ revealed that players are not provided with an adequate

avenue in order to vent emotions appropriately, especially negative emotions such as

disappointment or anger. Bottling up emotions over an extended period eventually leads to

emotional leakage (Grandey, 2003) and results in frustration. This then results in showing

dissent at umpires and opposition players, and abuse of cricket equipment. As a

consequence, this indicates that umpires could be performing EL to a substantial extent

when interacting with such frustrated players. Hence, further study is recommended to

assess the EL encountered by umpires in professional sport. ‘Off-field codes’ and

‘Detrimental public comment’ codes disclose the constant scrutiny endured by professional

players on a daily basis, and also the enormous strain experienced due to restrictions on

voicing opinion regarding topical problems. This could, in turn, then lead to frustration due

to lack of autonomy in addressing core issues as suggested by Grandey and Brauburger

(2002). ‘Penalties, anti-harassment, the racial and religious vilification code, and ‘anti-

doping policy’ were found to be emotionally demanding because players reported that the

codes were not clear.

Moreover, ‘image management and work-life balance’ were aspects that evolved

from the focus group discussions in Study 1 as particularly demanding to players, hence it

was added in this study questionnaire. As seen in Table 13a, they are consequential in

dealing with the emotional demands of being a professional player. Dealing with career

anxiety, job security (non-cricket), time management and disruptions to family routines

were the main concerns provided in dealing with the demands of ‘Work-life balance’.

Therefore, ‘Work-life balance’ demands are difficult to manage as it had repercussions on

all aspects of the players’ lives (Table 13b). As illustrated in the Table, media issues,

selection issues, handling mixed emotions and maintaining idealistic image of sportsmen

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Table 13a

Mean scores of players dealing with Work-life Balance and Image Management

1. Work-life balance 2.91

2. Image management 2.57

Mean 2.74


were the main concerns in dealing with Image Management. Another important theme that

emerged from the data was the lack of emotional support provided to elite players when

dealing with an emotional game like cricket, by the organisation especially when injured or

deselected.

In line with the findings of Study 1, further evidence evolved for the difficulty in

adhering to some of the ICC codes. In particular, players found in-house team codes,

offences, and detrimental public code more emotionally demanding to adhere to.

Furthermore, dealing with work-life balance and image management emerged as

particularly stressful to professional players. This suggests that the more time and energy

players devote to one role (cricket career); it means less time for the other role (family)

(Dixon, Bruening, Mazerolle, & Davis, 2006). These results also find some support to

Wharton and Erickson’s propositions (1993) that high emotional regulation in work

(cricket) may cause work-family conflict.

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Table 13b

Perceived difficulty regarding Work-life Balance and Image Management (Players)

1. Work-life Balance i. Career anxiety Constant scrutiny Missing training due to job commitments Whether to move interstate or not for better opportunities to play Injury concerns ii. Job security Concerns due to yearly contracts No back up apart from cricket No security of playing iii. Assessing life goals and personal values Life after cricket Consider alternative choices Lack of time to enjoy the game per se iv. Disruptions to family routines Long-distance relationships when away from partner while playing cricket Break-ups with partners due to cricket commitments Social dinners cut down on family time Relationship killer v. Time management No spare time Juggling between cricket, job and family Too much traveling associated with cricket No social life 2. Image Management i. Constant evaluation (selectors & public) Constant evaluation and scrutiny by selectors and public. Selection concerns Seniority responsibilities ii. Idealistic image of sports people Living up to the expectations of family and friends Put on a brave face Idealistic sports person Public expectations iii. Handling mixed emotions Managing emotions when team has done well but not a player or vice-versa iv. Dealing with the media Misrepresentation of facts by the media

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Part B. Findings Pertaining to Organisational Personnel

The descriptive data of the three groups (i.e., direct management support group,

direct management coaching group, and indirect management group) were combined to

determine which EL processes organisational personnel engaged in the most and to what

extent. Similar to the results of Study 1, organisational personnel engaged most often in


emotions’ and lastly ‘expressing unfelt emotions’ (Table 14). These results identically

resemble those of the players (Table 8). The subsequent sections describes each of these

individual processes for the various groups of organisational personnel in greater detail.

The general post-hoc dimensions for performing EL that emerged from the results were:

athlete-related, organisational, media-related, and client-related factors. Athlete-related

factors are concerns and issues directly related to the players. Organisational factors are

those relating to job roles and organisational rules and can be both implicit and explicit in

nature. Media-related factors were matters corresponding to the media, whereas client-

related factors are those related to the sponsorship agents and other clients of the

organisation. Similar to player results, the themes cited within each higher-order theme (for

all the four processes) are brought together and explained in greater detail while discussing

the post-hoc dimensions (after the results are presented for these four processes).

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Table 14

Mean Rating Frequency of Specific EL Processes by Organisational Personnel

BI. Direct Management Support Group

BIi. Management of Emotions

As previously stated, the direct management support group constituted of the team

physiotherapist and the team doctor. Figure 18 shows the situations in which these

individuals involve in regulating emotions and performing EL. The reasons and coping

mechanisms provided for performing the four EL processes were alike and hence, it was

deemed appropriate to bring it in one section, and thereby avoid repetition. Athlete-related

factors and organisational factors were the two post-hoc dimensions within this process.

As shown in Figure 18, instances cited by this group of organisational personnel for

‘reading emotions of others’ involved interactions with the players, captain, coach, and

selectors relating to player injury, diagnosis and management. Themes cited within Athlete-

related factors were injury diagnosis and prognosis of players, predicting players’ return (to

play) from injury and being mindful to players’ reaction about injury. The only theme cited

within organisational factors included informing coach and selectors about players’ injury.

Emotions

Mean





Group Mean 3.26

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Reading Emotions of Others

Managing Emotions of Others Suppressing Emotions

Expressing Unfelt Emotions Figure 18. Situations for all the four EL processes by Direct Management Support Staff (doctors and physiotherapists)

Injury diagnosis and prognosis Predicting players return from injury Prognosis of injuries to players at crucial times Mindful of player’s reaction to injury Uncertainty regarding players’ injury

Athlete-related

Inappropriate emotional and injury management Dealing with unrealistically motivated players Players covering injury Players keen to play with injury Dealing with players with long-term injury Players disinterested in injury rehabilitation Long-term injury rehabilitation

Players challenging and unheeding advice High expectations of availability by players Discussions regarding whether a player can play the next

match Anxiety when treating high-profile players Players understating injury Late night treatment sessions Captain challenging withdrawal of key players from

competition Players injured due to poor fitness preparation

Athlete-related

Athlete-related

Appearing empathetic to players who are not fully injured Players ‘breaking down’ with injury during

competition Players disinterested in exercise Player heeded advice from another doctor that prolonged

injury

Athlete-related

Informing coach and selectors about diagnosis and prognosis of players

Selector informed player medical reasons (untrue) for deselection

Organisational

Organisational

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The following quote illustrates how support group organisational personnel engage in

‘reading the emotions of others.’

Explanation to selectors regarding length of time an injury may keep player from competing. Careful explanation . . . Details to avoid anger towards player who had not followed previous medical advice . . . To prevent anger from selectors and coach towards player which may have had ongoing negative consequences in terms of medical rehabilitation and future selection.

‘Managing emotions of others’ was the second most frequently cited process.

Athlete-related factors were the only post-hoc dimension within this process. This EL

process occurs in a wide array of situations such as when dealing with unrealistically

motivated players, educating players keen to play with an injury, motivating players to

follow rehabilitation for a long-term benefit of the player. The following quote exemplified

the manner in which these individuals are involved in managing the emotions of others.

Limiting a player’s access to multiple opinions on an injury where such opinions would only cause confusion. Some players will doctor shop until they hear the response they want. This causes disruption to my relationship with them and other team members . . . Hold discussions with the player explaining the reasons for my approach.

‘Suppressing emotions’, which is the third EL process, usually involved discussions

with players and the coach regarding player’s injury and their return to the playing field.

The two post-hoc dimensions were athlete-related and organisational factors. Themes

within athlete-related factors were: situations dealing with players challenging advice, high

expectations of players’ demands, anxiety while treating high-profile players, and

motivating high-profile players in group exercise. The only theme cited within

organisational factors was suppressing anger when selector informed player of untrue

medical reasons for deselection.

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Even though suppressing emotions is the third most often performed EL process,

similar to the results obtained in the Study 1 the instances provided were much higher than

the other EL processes. The following quotes demonstrate the effort required to suppress

genuine emotions:

Long hot day at cricket. A player from the batting team required attention at 1900 [7 p.m.] just as I was leaving the ground, which took around 30 minutes to manage. He should have approached much earlier during the day for better management of my time and more time to deal appropriately with his problem . . . Frustration at player’s demanding thoughtless act. Anger at being late for a scheduled engagement. Disappointed at players action . . . Tried to be calm, positive and professional.

Warn player that taking a course of action would probably be inferior and having advice ignored and injury worsened. Avoid display of anger and ‘I told you so’ reaction and thereby poisoning clinical relationship. Recognise common good is achieved by not castigating, chastising etc and perhaps improving things in the future.

‘Expressing unfelt emotions’ (the last process) consisted of one post-hoc dimension;

specifically athlete-related factors. Themes cited within this post-hoc dimension included:

appearing empathetic to players who were not fully injured, dealing with players breaking

down with injury during competition and expressing disappointment at team loss. The

following quotes suggest the control and support this group need to demonstrate while

interacting with injured players:

Player having been given appropriate medical advice, took advice from others and attended an alternative therapist which produced prolongation of injury . . . Difficult to feel empathy when previous advice ignored, other methods used and now requiring rapid cure for return to play.

As evident from the above results, athlete-related factors for the ‘direct

management support group’ (physiotherapists and doctors) mainly constituted dealing with

players’ injury diagnosis and its management. These demands could be especially difficult

while dealing with high-profile players or even while taking decisions relating to players

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who are struggling to maintain their place in the team. Also on many occasions the support

staff could be under pressure to clear certain members to play a game because the team

panel (i.e., selectors, coach and/or team captain) have an expectation that he is ready to

play. Such decisions could be emotionally demanding, as the chances of players worsening

their injury can be high. Organisational factors for this group was fewer compared to the

other post-hoc dimension (athlete-related factors). Themes cited within this post-hoc

dimension for the support group mainly included informing the team panel about player

injury and diagnosis. Figure 19 illustrates the reasons provided for performing EL and the

coping mechanisms employed. The reasons for performing EL fell under two main

categories: Player welfare and organisational commitments. Player welfare reasons

included initiating appropriate management, avoiding negative consequences to players and

furtherance of working relationship. Organisational reasons mainly included performing EL

due to organisational obligations. Coping mechanisms ranged from observation and

reframing by focusing on benefits to taking alternative course of action such as

acting/faking, reassuring players, and recognising a common goal.

BIii. Perceived Emotional Demands

Some of the other demands encountered by these individuals in the support group

included player injury and rehabilitation management, separating professional role from

‘mateship’, pressure from Captains, coaches and selectors regarding injury diagnosis and

prognosis, working extended late hours during matches and tours, and family-work conflict.

The statements provide evidence about these demands:

Selectors asking for an opinion on fitness of a player on a Tuesday when the match isn’t until Sunday. Pressure from selectors/senior player to “clear” a player when he is not fully fit and the subsequent worry that I will be blamed if he [player] breaks down . . . Conflict between ‘conservatism’ of medical opinion versus ‘must play whatever’ opinion of players/selectors.

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Reasons

Coping

Figure 19. Reasons for Performing EL and their Management by Support Staff

To initiate appropriate management To avoid negative consequences to player For future clinical relationships with player To determine players emotional state Long-term benefit of player and team Over all management of injury To avoid aggravation of injury To prepare players for psychological rehabilitation To reduce risk or re-injury to player

Professional reasons To appear part of the team To focus on performance

Player Welfare

Organisational

Observation Empathise Listen and look for cues (verbal and non-verbal) Concentrate on task Tried to be calm and positive Emotional distance Internalised real feelings during team activities Master situation and emotion by expending little energy Focus on benefits Read facial expressions

Kept my mouth shut Recognising common good Act positively Grim face- condolences to players Explain approach and step-wise goals Seek help from other sources Reassure players Block out situation/environment


Strategies

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Emotional demands also extend to lifestyle issues outside the cricket team environment. For example, disruption to home life, disruption to usual professional hours and holiday schedules . . . Also, dealing with international teams because players and officials are often stressful and often require to make a major decision without being confident of having all the information at hand.

BII. Direct Management Coaching Group

BIIi. Management of Emotions

The direct coaching group comprised of the team coach, fitness coordinator, and the

coaching manager. Figure 20 shows the situations in which these individuals were involved

in regulating emotions and performing EL. Similar to the support group, the reasons and

coping mechanisms provided for performing the four EL processes were alike, and hence

are illustrated in the same figure (i.e., Figure 20). Similar to the results for the support

group, the two post-doc dimensions that evolved for this group were athlete-related and

organisational factors.

‘Reading emotions of others’ (see Figure 20) involved interacting with players,

coaches, and support staff. The two post-hoc dimensions that emerged were athlete-related

and organisational factors. The only higher-order dimension within athlete-related factors

was related to performance. Athlete-related factors included interactions with team Captain

and influential team members, dealing with players in the slump, and providing

performance feedback to players. Organisational factors mainly included discussions with

staff members, providing feedback to Level 3 (Grade level) coaches and staff reviews. The

following quotes illustrates how coaching group organisational personnel engage in

‘reading the emotions of others’:

Trying to understand what a player is going through, particularly when their lack of success brings media and public scrutiny . . . . To know the emotions of player, then can begin to find solutions, which will hopefully lead to a return to what he does well. If I was unsure of where I thought the player was at . . . talk with teammates and others near to person . . . Find an appropriate time and find out ‘how

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Reading Emotions of Others

Managing Emotions of Others

Suppressing Emotions

Expressing Unfelt Emotions

Figure 20. Situations for all the four EL processes for the Direct Management Coaching Group

Interactions with players in the slump Players losing confidence during game Tread wearily with influential players Tired players during pre-season camp Providing player performance feedback

Player affecting team with inappropriate management of emotions

Managing team loss Deal with players out of form or in the slump Encourage players during training

Athlete-related

Discussions with board members Performance feedback to Level 3 coaches Staff reviews

Organisational

Dealing with deselected and dropped players Young players unable to follow clear game

instructions Poor performance by team Players behaving against team guidelines Players challenging advice Player performance reviews

Dealing with consecutive failures Win from an impossible situation Remain balanced during wins and losses Playing away from home

Managing coaching officers Conflict between staff members

Organisational

Athlete-related

Staff performance reviews Dealing with District Club coaches

Organisational

Athlete-related

Athlete-related

Deal with deselected players

Performance

Deal with player’s personal problems

Selection

Non-performance

Performance

Performance

Performance

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he was going’. If player does not offer anything, I would find another time to revisit [talk] or if I felt there was still ‘work in progress’. . . depending on the individual, I may be passive in conversation or challenging.

Managing emotions of others’ mainly involved managing players and staff

performance. Athlete-related and Organisational aspects were the post-hoc dimensions

identified. The three higher-order themes within athlete-related factors were performance,

non-performance, and selection aspects. As shown in Figure 20, instances cited for the

post-hoc dimension of this dimension were dealing with team loss, player’s inappropriate

emotions, deselected players, players in the slump and encouraging players during training.

Organisational factors included managing coaching officers and staff conflict. The

following quotes further explain the manner in which these individuals involved in

managing the emotions of others (on and off the field):

Player getting out and carrying on in the rooms [change rooms]- abusing [umpire’s] decision and wicket etc . . . Straight to point of settling as it affects others [players] still playing [to go in to bat].

Some players ‘live in doubt’ of their abilities (as opposed to all players having doubts at certain times) at this level [first class]. As a consequence, the players need ‘stroking’ sometimes paternally, sometimes roughly to shake them and give themselves the best chance of performing . . . . Strategies will range from being very supportive, positive, caring to just a ‘wake-up call’, having the player stop feeling sorry for themselves.

Suppressing emotions comprised of dealing with player and staff performance

reviews. Athlete-related and Organisational aspects were the post-hoc dimensions

identified. The only higher-order dimension within athlete-related factors was

performance. This included dealing with deselected players, younger players being unable

to follow game instructions, players challenging coaching advice and poor team

performance. Organisational factors involved suppressing emotions during staff reviews

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and meetings with districts clubs. Similar to the support group, the instances provided were

much higher than the other processes.

The following quotes demonstrate why coaching staff suppressed their genuine

emotions:

Poor performance by team (e.g., batting collapse) – obvious anger/depressed on my part but important not to show too much emotion as game has to continue and you need to get players up and believing that they can turn things around . . . A coach cannot afford to show extreme emotions – I believe there is a need to be consistent as players respond to your actions, body language and emotions. If I get angry/low/non-talkative players react accordingly. Need to be consistent to keep players focused on job at hand- to encourage if poor performance – to keep focused if on the top . . . Focused on job at hand, encouraged and tried to build belief that job could be done ‘if they [opposition] can do it, we can do it better’ attitude. Suppress anger and annoyance when a player or team member thinks only of themselves in a situation involving rest, recovery, time away, travel, family etc where others of group have the same (or more difficult) situations to deal with . . . Relate to the environment in which we exist which is unrealistic/ ‘fantasyland’ to norms. Also understand that a big part of the make-up of elite athletes is all about self in order to be successful over a long period of time . . . Maintaining my relationship with the player and group is essential.

Expressing unfelt emotions mainly involved staying positive and upbeat during

match situations. The only post-hoc dimension evolving for this EL process was athlete-

related factors, and the higher-order dimension emerging for this dimension was again

related to performance. Instances mainly related to the competitive environment, which

included staying positive while dealing with consecutive failures, winning from almost

impossible situations, remaining balanced during wins and losses, and playing away from

home. The following quotes demonstrate the effort required to ‘express unfelt emotions’:

Winning or losing matches/tournaments – I remain externally the same (basically calm and positive) while internally I experience similar emotions to everyone – i.e., excitement with winning, frustration/disappointment/anger with losing. As I perceive my role, philosophy and style in role, I think it is important that while others may express a variety of emotions, I try to be balanced, steady, not ride the ‘emotional roller coaster’. It is important to have a ‘reference point’ to return to . . . Try to withdraw or at least sit on the feelings of success.

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As evident from this section, athlete-related factors for the ‘direct management

coaching group’ (i.e., coaches, fitness coordinators, and mangers of team operations) were

multi-faceted as they involved performance, non-performance, and selection-related

concerns. Selection-related, performance-related and non-performance related aspects were

the higher-order categories within this dimension. Surprisingly, the only theme mentioned

within selection was dealing with deselected players, and many in this group did not

mention this. This could be because performance-related aspects are given much more

priority as evident in the Figure 20. Themes within performance included dealing with

players in the slump, encouraging players during training, managing team loss and staying

positive while dealing with consecutive failures. This shows the amount of emotional

resources expended by these individuals during training and competitive situations. Non-

performance topics included interacting with the Captain and influential players, dealing

with players challenging advice, and dealing with players’ personal problems. Though the

number of themes mentioned in this category is lesser than the performance-related themes,

non-performance related aspects involve a certain degree of EL. This suggests that the

emotional demands related to this group might be much higher than the other groups. These

results concur with Woodman and Hardy (2001) who showed that coaching staff are

challenged wit numerous demands while working with a professional team. Also, it appears

that the coach of a State or National team is expected to remain in control during all

situations (success or failure) because of its potential to affect the other team members and

subsequently the team performance.

On the other hand, organisational factors for the direct management coaching

group were found to have fewer themes. Themes cited by the coaching group related to

managing staff members and their conflict. This does not imply that organisational-related

factors are not demanding to this group. In fact, the individuals in these groups probably

115

concentrate much more on the athlete and the athlete-environment. Figure 21 illustrates the

reasons provided for performing EL and the coping mechanisms employed by this group of

organisational personnel. Similar to the support group, the reasons for performing EL fell

under two main categories: Player welfare and organisational reasons. Player welfare

reasons aimed at focusing on performance, maintaining relationship with players and the

team, enhancing player potential, helping player overcome slump(s) and avoid distracting

team focus. As we can see the instances are related to performance of the team.

Organisational reasons were related to job roles as a coach, which included control,

consistency and a steady approach, demonstration of leadership, and the control of team

performance. Coping mechanisms ranged from reframing, focusing and enhancing

positives to observation and acting/faking. Faking would involve putting on a show when

team was not performing well in order to boost the team moral. This was reported to have

happened on a regular basis if the team is not performing well. Alternative strategies

included cognitive change (trying to understand the elite-athlete environment), attentional

deployment (i.e., focus on the joy of coaching) and deep acting (i.e., explaining various

features to players) (Grandey, 2000, Hochschild, 1983).

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Reasons

Coping

Figure 21. Reasons for Performing EL and their Management by the Coaching Group

To focus on performance Maintain relationship with player and team Developing player at first class level Team performance Provide support to player To protect player and support his comeback Team goals To avoid disastrous effect on playing team Necessary part of progression Help player to overcome the slump Instill hope and confidence in the team Bring player to the right frame of mind To avoid distracting team focus

Player Welfare

To ensure control and maintain discipline A coach’s role is to be steady and controlled Consistent approach Ongoing part of a coach’s role Coach’s job is to deal with emotions of players To ensure control and maintain discipline For organisational benefit Ensure objective feedback and not subjective To demonstrate leadership Sensitive issue Controlled work performance

Organisational

Focus on immediate task Encourage positive emotions with plans Withdraw or sit on feelings Acted/ Faked it like an actor Observing physical and vocal signs Body language Controlled breathing Positive thinking Focused on the joy of coaching Watch and listen a lot

Talk and provide support to player Direct talk and action Left the room and directed anger elsewhere Addressed the issue with player Keep to point and be unemotional Goal setting Resolve disagreement Understand the elite-athlete environment


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BIIii. Perceived Emotional Demands

The coaching group also encountered numerous additional demands. These included

dealing with celebrity ego, committee members, team panels, general public, and disruption

to family/personal life. The statements below shed light on these demands:

Often to maintain the best ‘zone’ for the players to operate in, I have to ensure that I am upbeat and positive all the time, whether I feel it or not. I feel this is part of my role [coach], particularly on the road [traveling].

Being in control at all times is the biggest frustration as there are too many individuals/groups/influences about who ‘owns’ the team . . . Emotions are always bubbling while coaching and managing a team due to the nature of the game- it [cricket] is an emotional game.

It is a constant and emotionally draining battle to gradually educate and change the thinking of those who make decisions which affect the short, medium and long term interest of the team- its players and its support structure. This ongoing battle coupled with 1. the constant emotions that separation from family brings 2) maintaining emotional control in an environment of fantasy and ‘celebrity ego’ constitutes my daily need to cope with highs and lows. Coping strategies range from: Poor to very good and everything in between. Poor– feeling sorry for myself, very good – actively confronting, finding a way through by going to a ‘quiet place’, exercise, a talk, a document of action.

BIII. Indirect Management group

As explained earlier, the indirect management group comprised of chief executive

officers (CEO’s), team selectors, manager of team operations, club cricket managers,

sponsorship coordinators, finance managers, and a curator. The results of the indirect

management group were very similar to that of professional players especially with respect

to the reasons and coping mechanisms. On the other hand, reasons and coping provided for

each EL process by the indirect management group varied. The post-doc dimensions that

evolved for this group were athlete-related factors, organisational factors, media-related

factors, and client-related factors.

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BIIIi. Management of Emotions

‘Reading emotions of others’ involved interactions with the athletes, other

organisational clients, and the public (see Figure 22). The three post-hoc dimensions that

evolved were athlete-related factors, organisational factors and client-related factors. It is

essential to mention that these themes were not cited by all the participants due to the

variation in their job roles. The two higher-order themes within athlete-related factors

were related to selection and performance. The themes cited within this dimension were:

selection meetings with players, player reviews, dealing with out of form players, tribunal

hearings when a suspension was handed down, and after match meetings with players.

Organisational factors comprised of assessing staff strength on important issues,

yearly staff reviews, selection panel meetings, dealing with public anger at sporting events,

and after match meetings with umpires. Client-related factors mainly involved gauging

sponsorship agents’ feelings, assessing client’s reactions and concerns. The most common

reasons given for engaging in this process was to determine future courses of action to

mutually benefit all individuals involved. Coping strategies of the team support staff for

‘reading emotions of others’ were identical to those of the players, and predominantly

included observation and analysis. The reasons provided for this process were aimed at

improving player welfare, organisational reasons and for self-protection. Coping strategies

predominantly included observation and analysis. The following quote illustrates how the

indirect management organisational personnel engage in ‘reading the emotions of others’:

A regular player was sadly out of form and possibly carrying an injury that he wasn’t telling anyone about. The Selection panel didn’t want him to play and yet I knew the Captain and Coach wanted him in the team. The Captain and Coach, who are a lot closer to the players than the selectors tend to make emotional decisions from the heart and not the head. You have to pre-empt their thoughts in order to take the emotion out of the decision making process.

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Situations

Reasons

Figure 22. “Reading Emotions of Others” (Indirect Management Group)

Selection meetings with players Listen to player disagreements about deselection

Strength of staff feelings on important issues Yearly staff reviews Board meetings Selection panel meetings Providing confidential information to new

colleagues Committee meetings Dealing with staff death Dealing with hidden agendas of players, and staff Dealing with public anger After match meetings with umpires

Gauge sponsorship agents feelings Assess client’s reaction to change in benefit

Athlete-related

Impact on the team Team benefit Ensure player confidentiality

To determine future course of action Gauge truth of feelings Confirm to selection collaboration process Gauge the mood of the committee Avoid inflaming situation

To protect myself and my emotions

Player Welfare

Organisational

Self-protection

Player reviews Discussions with out of form players Players hiding injury Informing the team Captain about the 12th man Discussing team options with the Captain Tribunal hearings dealing with suspension Declining players club transfer request Players inspecting pitch After match meetings with players

Selection

Performance

Organisational

Client-related

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Coping Figure 22 (cont’d.). “Reading Emotions of Others” (Indirect Management Group)

As shown in Figure 23, athlete-related factors and organisational factors were the

two post-doc dimensions for ‘managing the emotions of others’. The two higher-order

themes within athlete-related factors were related to selection and non-performance.

Themes within athlete-related factors encompassed addressing players on key sports issues

(i.e., drugs), dealing with players’ misdemeanors (i.e., missing player appearances), dealing

with high-profile players, informing players of deselection, and dealing with conflict

between key players. Organisational factors included dismissing a popular member of

staff, dealing with conflict between support staff (i.e., selector and coach), dealing with

confrontations between cricket clubs, and managing staff during negative media attention.

The main reasons provided for ‘managing the emotions of others’ were for player welfare,

to achieve the desired result and for the organisational benefit. Coping involved explaining

consequences, providing examples, inducing humour and at times firm responses. The

following quote further explains the manner in which these individuals involve in

managing the emotions of others (on and off the field).

Observed body language and facial features Listen to voice tone Empathetic Gauge depth of feelings Offer individual advice Observe eye movement Reaction of committee members Assure players Role play in mind

Strategies

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Situations Reasons Coping

Figure 23. “Managing Emotions of Others” (Indirect Management Group)

Players challenging selection committee decisions Informing players of deselection

Dismissal of a popular member of stall Conflict/tension between support staff Confrontation and conflict between cricket clubs Clubs dishonoring sponsorship obligations Dealing with internal issues to fulfill obligations to

clients Obtaining information from staff in other departments Managing staff during negative media attention

Team goal Team harmony Team success

Explain point of view Convey message without lecturing Prevent major disagreements

Organisational obligations Requested to do so Avoid negative publicity to the organisation

Explained consequences of their action Provide examples Induce humour Clear and firm response

Athlete-related

Organisational

Player Welfare


Result-oriented

Approaches

Addressing players on key sports issues such as drugs Dealing with players misdemeanors Dealing with high-profile emotional players Players at or near the end of their career Dealing with unreasonable demands from players Conflict between key players Dealing with conflict between players and colleagues

Selection

Non-performance

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Explaining to a player who had been left out of the team [deselected] who then says he doesn’t agree- merely, state that even though he doesn’t agree he would do well to listen, as this is what people who pick the team believe . . . Maintained a clear, firm and calm response and repeat if required . . . To ensure that he understands the reason for non-selection (he doesn’t however agree) so there can be no misunderstanding at what is being ‘said’.

‘Suppressing emotions’ (the third EL process) usually involved situations wherein

sponsorship and selection issues were discussed (Figure 24). The three post-hoc dimensions

were athlete-related factors, organisational factors and media-related factors. Athlete-

related factors varied from discussing reduction in player contracts, tribunal hearings

involving difficult players, and dealings with unnecessary remarks by players regarding

playing conditions. Aspects related to non-performance was the only higher-order theme

emerging within this dimension. Organisational factors included aspects related to

corporate governance, dealing with staff death (i.e., State coach), and dealing with

unreasonable expectations of general public. Media-related factors involved dealing with

misrepresentation of facts by the media, addressing press conferences regarding the future

of the Association, and other media issues. Player welfare, image management and

organisational obligations were the reasons for performing this process. Coping strategies

ranged from focusing on positives and accomplishments to changing the topic. The

following quotes suggest how organisational personnel ‘suppress their emotions’:

For three consecutive games radio commentators and print media criticized the make-up of the team that had been selected to play . . . . We lost the third game with most of the media focus on perceived incorrect selections . . . You have to suppress emotions regularly because the media and the public don’t ever get to find out about key players carrying injuries into games that affect other selections. They don’t get to find out about disciplinary measures taken against certain player and the team plan. You have to suppress emotions to protect player, team and confidentiality . . . Gloat when you win and take it on the chin when you lose . . . Develop a thick skin.

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Situations Reasons

Figure 24. “Suppressing Emotions” (Indirect Management Group)

Discussing reduction in player’s contract Tribunal hearings involving difficult players Players unfulfilling sponsor obligations Players challenging opinion Dealing with players who have lost their contract Contract negotiations with players

Corporate governance Dealing with the death of the state coach Announcing former Captain’s cancer diagnosis Disagree with the CEO Meetings with club representatives Meetings introducing new schemes in grade and

state level cricket Dealing with unreasonable Association members Dealing with unreasonable general public

Misrepresentation of facts by the media Addressing press conferences regarding the future

of the Association Media issues over releasing players to other states Media criticising playing conditions Media criticism regarding team selection

Athlete-related

Organisational

Media-related

Best interest of player Long-term player and association relationship Best interest of the team

To portray sense of control Display leadership To be in control Set example to other staff

Benefit of player and sponsor needs Present organisation in the best light Act professional For the organisation Bigger picture Maintain professional image of the Association Politically unwise

Image

Player Welfare

Non-performance


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Coping Figure 24 (cont’d.). “Suppressing Emotions” (Indirect Management Group)

‘Expressing unfelt emotions’ (the fourth EL process) usually involved situations

wherein selection issues and client concerns were discussed (Figure 25). The three post-hoc

dimensions were athlete-related factors, organisational factors and client-related factors.

The two higher-order themes within athlete-related factors were related to selection and

non-performance. It involved selection meetings with players, dealing with athletes playing

with an injury, sympathising with unfulfilling organisational obligations, and dealing with

financial requests from players’ wives.

Client-related factors mainly included contract negotiations with sponsors, and

sponsor meetings when their demands cannot be catered. Players’ welfare, image

management and organisational obligations were the reasons for performing this process.

Coping mechanisms included maintaining a positive outlook, putting on a façade, and

providing objecting statements.

Body language Tried to remain calm Maintain same tone and facial expression Focus on accomplishments Induce humour Focus on benefits

Explain organisational goal calmly Develop a thick skin One on one meeting Leave meetings straight away Change the subject

Strategies


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Situations Reasons Figure 25. “Expressing Unfelt Emotions” (Indirect Management Group)

Selection meetings with players Encouraging deselected players when their chance of

selection is slim

Committee meetings regarding financial aspects Praising players in public when there were

disagreements Accepting certain decisions during meetings Promoting ideas and decisions that you don’t really

agree Displaying empathy to three sides [two teams and the

umpire] Appearing sympathetic to club presidents

Contract negotiation with sponsors Argue for a result that is not true Agree with a client’s point of view Sponsor meetings when demands cannot be catered

Athlete-related

Client-related

Organisational

Image of the Association To maintain the working relationship Appear empathetic to colleague’s views Portray positive image to stake holders Best interest of the organization Culture of staying positive in all situations

Fixing the problem Move forward in negotiation

Lead group in same direction To support and encourage player Player welfare Best decision for team and player

Result-oriented


Player Welfare

Reminding players to fulfill sponsor obligations Sympathising with players escaping organisational

obligations (player appearances) Dealing with financial requests from players’ wives

Selection

Non-performance

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Coping Figure 25 (cont’d.). “Expressing Unfelt Emotions” (Indirect Management Group)

The following statements suggest why this process (expressing unfelt emotions)

could be difficult:

Sympathise with players not selected in a squad and encourage them to keep persevering when you think the likelihood of them succeeding is fairly remote . . . Through one on one discussions with player. Announcing the retirement of ‘X’ [former State Captain]. We as administrators had a number of disagreements with him [player] in his last season and then having to praise him upon his retirement was a little difficult . . . From an image viewpoint and State cricket it would not have looked too good to criticize him. I simply acknowledged his [player’s] contribution and not letting other personal feelings interfere with what after all had been a fine career.

As evident from this section, athlete-related factors for the ‘indirect management

group’ (CEO’s, team selectors, managers of team operations, managers of club cricket,

sponsorship coordinators, finance managers, and a curator) were mainly related to selection

and contract regulations. Aspects related to selection, performance, and non-performance

were the higher-order categories deduced. Themes within the selection theme included

selection meetings, dealing with player disagreements, and informing players of

deselection. This aspect seems to exert some degree of emotional energy for players and the

indirect management group. Themes within the performance theme included discussions

with out of form players, the Captain and players relating to performance and injury. This

Remained calm and in control Maintain positive outlook Listened Put on a facade of enthusiasm and motivation Maintain non-confrontational language Create/initiate a neutral ‘body language’ Objective statements

Strategies

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suggests that even the indirect management group encounter emotional demands pertaining

to athletes and their performance. Themes within non-performance included contract

negotiations, dealing with player and staff conflict, addressing sports issues and dealing

with high-profile players. Though, not directly related to performance, these are important

for the performance of players, and could be a source of potential stress to this group to

deal with.

Organisational factors appear to be more varied for the indirect management group.

These included dealing with staff on important issues, staff reviews, selection panel

meetings, dealing with public anger over sports events, and dealing with staff conflict.

Client-related factors and media-related factors were the additional two post-hoc

dimensions which evolved for the indirect management group. Client-related factors

mainly included dealing with sponsorship agents and assessing client’s concerns regarding

organisation investment. Media-related factors for the most part involved dealing with

media issues. The themes included perceived misrepresentation by the media, releasing

players to other states, and media criticizing team composition and team selection. These

could be especially challenging, since media issues can have a long-term effect on the

association, players, and staff. This shows that the demands for each group vary. These

results concur to some extent with the EL of barristers (Harris, 2002), which posits that

barristers regulate their emotions with a wide range of people. The main antecedents for

performing EL by this group of organisational personnel included player welfare,

organisational commitments, self-protection, and to achieve desired results. An

examination of the emotions revealed that all three groups were mostly involved in

suppressing genuine negative emotions and expressing unfelt positive emotions. Coping

mechanisms included maintaining a positive outlook, putting on a façade, and providing

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objecting statements. Alternative strategies included cognitive change, attentional

deployment, and deep acting (Grandey, 2000, Hochschild, 1983).

BIIIii. Perceived Demands

Issues management, media relations, player management, dealing with demands

from Cricket Australia and a broad range of people maintaining a rapport with players,

separating professional role from ‘mateship’, high expectations of players regarding the

availability of certain support staff (e.g., physiotherapist), communicating and fulfilling the

expectations for a broad range of stakeholders were some of the demands encountered by

professional sports personnel. These demands are similar to what evolved from Study one.

The statements provide additional details about these demands:

With regards to the media you never cope with their lack of knowledge of real situations and their misinformed judgments and opinions. You just learn to cope as best you can without giving anything away that could harm individuals or the team.

Dealing with and communicating with players has become increasingly more difficult since big money has come into our game. Players of toady are far different to deal with than player 10 years ago. . . I struggle with their obsession for money in their thought process.

As a former player, club Captain, coach, administrator and selector, I can honestly say that that Chairman of Selectors role is the most emotionally demanding role I have ever done. More than just being a selector there is gratitude shown by anyone towards selectors for the difficult job they have to do.

Virtually everyday there is some kind of issue or demand to be effective. It demands me to be prepared to make a decision, present unpopular points of view and be prepared to be pragmatic and unemotional.

Sport is time dependant – events, games, season launches. Deadlines escalate emotional demands and there are intense periods throughout the year. Other elements in sport are the feeling of delivering/winning to not let the team down.

In summary, the findings from this Study helped confirm to the results of Study 1

suggesting that the organisational personnel of a professional sports team such as cricket

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encounter numerous emotional demands. In addition, these demands appear to require a

substantial amount of emotional management, which suggests that organisational personnel

perform EL to the same extent as players, if not more. Jones (2002) contended that the

performance oriented environment is as crucial as the actual performance. This implies that

the work environment of sport administrators is as important as that of players. If the work

place is conducive for both groups, it reduces focus on unwanted tasks, facilitates

communication between the two groups (players and management) and ensures undivided

attention on performance. Additional post-hoc dimensions identified were Media-related

and Client-related factors.

Administrators coping methods included both surface acting (response-focused) and

deep acting (antecedent-focused regulation). Response-focused methods included changing

physical expression (such as tone of voice, facial expression, grin, and silence).

Antecedent-focused regulation involved trying to change the feeling state (such as inducing

humour, role play in mind, goal setting). It appears that these individuals employ both

surface and deep acting; however, it was not possible to determine which coping

mechanisms they employed more frequently.

Part C. Emotional Labour and Burnout

Descriptive Statistics

The descriptive statistics for the continuous variables are presented in Table 15. For

EL, this sample had moderately high levels of Duration (M = 4.05, SD = .66), moderately

high levels of Frequency (M = 10.46, SD = 1.54), and moderate levels of Deep Acting (M =

9.61, SD = 1.97), Surface Acting (M = 8.75, SD = 1.97), Variety (M = 8.70, SD = 2.13), and

Intensity (M = 5.25, SD = 1.31). The mean values for these aspects of EL are consistent

with published norms (Brotheridge & Lee, 2003). The internal consistency values for these

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Table 15

Alpha Coefficients, Means, Standard Deviations, Ranges, Skewness, and Kurtosis for the Study Variables (N = 84)

Alpha Mean SD Range Skewness Kurtosis

ELS Variables

Duration - 4.05 .66 3.00-5.00 -.05 -.63

Frequency .57 10.46 1.54 7.00-14.00 -.05 -.58

Deep Acting .62 9.61 1.97 5.00-15.00 .31 .36

Surface Acting .71 8.75 1.97 3.00-13.00 -.44 .06

Variety .85 8.70 2.13 4.00-14.00 .08 -.58

Intensity .58 5.25 1.31 2.00-9.00 .33 .17

MBI Variables

Professional Efficacy .81 29.13 6.18 12.00-36.00 -.90 -.09

Exhaustion .89 9.63 6.42 0.00-29.00 1.01 .67

Cynicism .72 5.68 4.92 0.00-24.00 1.27 2.03

Note. ELS, Emotional Labour Scale. MBI, Maslach Burnout Inventory.

aspects of EL ranged from a low .57 for Frequency to a high .85 for Variety. The mean

alpha for the 5 subscales was .67. With respect to burnout, the participants had high levels

of Professional Efficacy (M = 29.13, SD = 6.18), moderately low levels of Exhaustion (M =

9.63, SD = 6.42), and low levels of Cynicism (M = 5.68, SD = 4.92). The mean values for

these aspects of burnout are consistent with published norms (Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter,

1996). Internal consistency for the MBI subscales was adequate ranging from .72 for

Cynicism to .89 for Exhaustion. The average alpha across the 3 subscales was .81.

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Preliminary Analyses

A high kurtosis value was found for a subscale of Cynicism. A logarithmic

transformation of this variable reduced both skewness and kurtosis values to -.54 and -.50,

respectively. The following analyses were initially performed using the untransformed

variable in one series and the transformed variable in another series. Each pair of analyses

yielded the same results. For ease of interpretation, the analyses reported within were

conducted with the untransformed Cynicism variable.

Correlations: Person Variables, EL and Burnout

Correlations between the person variables and psychological variables are presented

in Table 16. The related multiple partial correlations were also calculated to examine the

unique association between each person variable and the various psychological variables

(controlling for the other person variable). Results indicated that Years in Cricket exhibited

a weak but statistically significant unique association with the EL variable Intensity. Group

also exhibited weak significant associations with the psychological variables. Specifically,

being an Administrator was related to Professional Efficacy and negatively related to both

Deep Acting and Surface Acting. Correlations among the psychological variables had an

absolute mean value of .18 and ranged from the -.41 correlation between Professional

Efficacy and Cynicism to the .50 correlation between Exhaustion and Cynicism. The person

variables of Years and Group had an absolute correlation of .28. This pattern of

intercorrelations among predictor sets did not present any potential multicollinearity

concerns for canonical analysis.

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Table 16

Bivariate and Partial Correlations (Controlling for the Other Person Variable) Between the Person Variables and Psychological Variables

Years Group

r Partial r r Partial r

ELS Variables

Duration .06 .08 -.07 -.09

Frequency .19 .16 .14 .10

Deep Acting -.02 .05 -.24* -.25*

Surface Acting -.01 .07 -.24* -.25*

Variety -.02 .00 -.08 -.08

Intensity .30* .27* .19 .11

MBI Variables

Professional Efficacy .22 .15 .29* .24*

Exhaustion .05 .04 .03 .02

Cynicism -.16 -.11 -.20 -.17

Note. * p < .05. Group is coded; player =1, administrator = 2.

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Canonical Analysis: Person Variables, EL and Burnout

Canonical correlation analysis was performed between the set of individual

difference variables and the EL and Burnout variables. Of the two possible canonical

functions, only one produced significant relationships between pairs of canonical variates.

Specifically, the dimension reduction analysis produced a significant Wilks Lambda = .64,

F (18,136) = 1.91, p < .05. Subsequent steps in the dimension reduction analysis were not

significant.

Table 17 presents the correlations, standardised canonical coefficients, percent of

variance, and redundancies between the two sets of variables and their corresponding

canonical variates. The total percent of variance and redundancies for each set of variables,

and canonical correlation are also shown. The canonical correlation was .57, representing

approximately 32% overlapping variance for the pair of canonical variates. The person

variate accounted for a total of about 62% of the variance in the person variables, and a

total variance redundancy of about 20% with the ELS and MBI variables. In contrast, the

ELS and MBI variate accounted for a total of about 12% of the variance in the ELS and

MBI variables, and a total variance redundancy of about 4% with the person variables. The

nature of the canonical relationships can be assessed by examining the canonical structure

correlations of the canonical variates. Using a cut off correlation of .30 (Tabachnick &

Fidell, 1996), the person canonical variate was found to be related with Group (structure

correlation = .52) and Years (structure correlation = .36). Results also indicated that the

ELS and MBI canonical variate was related to Professional Efficacy (structure correlation =

.32). This pattern of associations between the person and psychological variables indicate

that participants who have been in cricket over a long time and tend to be Administrators

are related to higher levels of Professional Efficacy.

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Table 17

Correlations, Standardised Canonical Coefficients, Canonical Correlations, Percent of Variance, and Redundancies Between The Person Variables and Psychological

Variables and their Corresponding Canonical Variates

Canonical Variate

Correlation Structure Correlation

Coefficient

Person Variables

Years .64 .36 .42

Group .91 .52 .80

% of Variance 62.40

% of Redundancy 20.01

ELS Variables

Duration -.05 -.03 -.21

Frequency .34 .19 .42

Deep Acting -.36 -.20 -.46

Surface Acting -.34 -.19 -.19

Variety -.13 -.07 -.28

Intensity .49 .28 .45

MBI Variables

Professional Efficacy .57 .32 .35

Exhaustion .06 .05 .42

Cynicism -.40 -.23 -.34

% of Variance 12.30

% of Redundancy 3.94

Canonical Correlation .57

Note. Canonical structure correlations and cross-correlations greater than .30 are presented in boldface to

indicate that they were interpreted as significantly contributing to the multivariate relationships. Group is

coded; players = 1, administrators = 2.

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Correlations: EL and Burnout

Correlations between the ELS variables and the MBI variables are presented in

Table 18. The related multiple partial correlations were also calculated to examine the

unique association between each ELS variable and the various MBI variables (controlling

for all other MBI variables). Results indicated that Professional Efficacy exhibited a

moderate but statistically significant unique association with Frequency. Professional

Efficacy also exhibited weak but statistically significant unique associations with Duration

and Intensity. Exhaustion exhibited a weak but statistically significant unique association

with Surface Acting. Finally, Cynicism did not exhibit significant associations with any of

the ELS variables after controlling for the other MBI variables. Correlations among the

ELS variables had an absolute mean value of .30 and ranged from the .05 correlation

between Surface Acting and Intensity to the .46 correlation between Frequency and Deep

Acting. The MBI variable intercorrelations had an absolute mean value of -.05 and ranged

from the -.41 correlation between Professional Efficacy and Cynicism to .50 between

Exhaustion and Cynicism. This pattern of intercorrelations among predictor sets did not

present any particular multicollinearity concerns for canonical analysis.

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Table 18

Bivariate and Partial Correlations (Controlling for MBI Variables) between the ELS Variables and MBI Variables

Professional Efficacy Exhaustion Cynicism

ELS Variables r Partial r r Partial r r Partial r

Duration .30** .29** .09 .18 -.10 -.06

Frequency .41*** .43*** .03 .09 -.06 .08

Deep Acting .10 .11 -.05 -.05 .01 .06

Surface Acting -.06 .07 .34** .24* .29* .16

Variety .03 .13 .22 .15 .20 .15

Intensity .25* .27* .06 .10 -.02 .04

Note. * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001.

Canonical Analysis: EL and Burnout

Canonical correlation analysis was performed between the ELS variables and the

MBI variables. Of the three possible canonical functions, only two produced significant

relationships between pairs of canonical variates. Specifically, the dimension reduction

analysis produced a significant Wilks Lambda = .53, F (18, 198) = 2.74, p < .001 with all

three canonical correlations included, and a Wilks Lambda = .75, F (10, 142) = 2.21, p <

.021 with the first canonical correlation removed. Subsequent steps in the dimension

reduction analysis were not significant.

Table 19 presents the correlations, standardised canonical coefficients, percent of

variance and redundancies between the two sets of variables, their corresponding canonical

variates, the total percent of variance, redundancies for each set of variables, and canonical

correlations. The first canonical correlation was .54, representing approximately 29%

overlapping variance for the pair of canonical variates. The ELS variates accounted for a

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Table 19

Correlations, Standardised Canonical Coefficients, Canonical Correlations, Percent of Variance, and Redundancies Between The ELS Variables and MBI Variables and

their Corresponding Canonical Variates

First Canonical Variate Second Canonical Variate

Correlation Cross Correlation

Coefficient Correlation Cross Correlation

Coefficient

Emotional Labor Variables

Duration .62 .33 .48 .18 .08 .07

Frequency .79 .42 .82 .16 .08 -.08

Deep Acting .16 .09 -.28 -.03 -.02 -.59

Surface Acting -.01 -.01 -.12 .77 .37 .90

Variety .12 .06 -.33 .54 .26 .49

Intensity .50 .27 .26 .18 .09 .14

% of Variance 21.76 16.24 Tot.=38.00

% of Redundancy 6.26 3.81 Tot.=10.07

Burnout Variables

Professional Efficacy .98 .52 .99 -.16 -.08 .19

Exhaustion -.03 -.02 .24 .94 .46 .78

Cynicism -.38 -.20 -.10 .72 .35 .41

% of Variance 36.74 47.74 Tot.=84.48

% of Redundancy 10.56 11.20 Tot.=21.76

Canonical Correlation .54 .48

Note. Canonical structure correlations greater than .30 are presented in boldface to indicate that they were

interpreted as significantly contributing to the multivariate relationships.

total of about 22% of the variance in the ELS variables, and a total variance redundancy of

about 6% with the MBI variables. In contrast, the MBI variate accounted for a total of

about 37% of the variance in the MBI variables, and a total variance redundancy of about

11% with the ELS variables. The second canonical correlation was .48, representing

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approximately 23% overlapping variance for the pair of canonical variates. The ELS variate

accounted for a total of about 16% of the variance in the ELS variables, and a total variance

redundancy of about 4% with the MBI variables. In contrast, the MBI variate accounted

for a total of about 48% of the variance in the MBI variables, and a total variance

redundancy of about 11% with the ELS variables.

The nature of the canonical relationships can be assessed by examining the

canonical structure correlations and the canonical cross correlations of the canonical

variates. Using a cut-off correlation of .30 (Tabachnick & Fidell, 1996), results showed

that the first ELS canonical variate was related with Frequency (structure correlation = .42)

and Duration (structure correlation = .33), and that the first MBI canonical variate was

related only to Personal Efficacy (structure correlation = .52). This pattern of associations

between the ELS and MBI variables indicates that participants who have greater Frequency

and greater Duration in cricket have higher levels of Professional Efficacy. Results also

showed that the second ELS canonical variate was related to Surface Acting (structure

correlation = .37) and that the second MBI canonical variate was related to Emotional

Exhaustion (structure correlation = .46) and Cynicism (structure correlation = .35). This

pattern of associations between the ELS and MBI variables indicates that participants who

have greater Surface Acting also have higher levels of Exhaustion and Cynicism.

Discussion

The participants sampled in the current study displayed for the aspects of EL high

levels of duration, moderately high levels of frequency, and moderate levels of deep acting,

surface acting, and intensity. It was also found that with regards to aspects of Burnout, the

participants reported high levels of professional efficacy, moderately low levels of

exhaustion, and low levels of cynicism. The unique relationships found between the person

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variables and aspects of EL and Burnout revealed rather weak associations. However, there

were several potentially meaningful associations. For instance, participants who had been

involved in cricket for a long time tended to express their emotions more intensely.

Additionally, administrators tended to be associated with higher levels of professional

efficacy. They also tended not to use deep acting and surface acting when expressing their

emotions.

The canonical correlation analysis examining the personal factors of years and

group, and the psychological factors of EL and Burnout indicated one canonical dimension

which accounted for the covariation between the personal and psychological variables.

Relationships within this interpretable dimension indicated that the participants who were

administrators and had been in cricket for a while (for example ten years) were associated

with higher levels of professional efficacy. Professional efficacy is a measure of personal

accomplishment and it makes sense that the relationship found here that individuals who

have worked for a time in their profession and are in positions of authority (i.e.,

Administrators) have a stronger sense of accomplishment within their organisation.

This result agrees with the lifespan and aging literature which suggests that over a

period of time emotional regulation strategies improve as a function of age and experience

(Carstensen, 1992). Past research has shown that more experienced adults employ more

functional emotion-focused coping strategies (i.e., internal and cognitively focused) and

less blame-oriented and aggressive strategies compared with younger adults (Blanchard-

Fields, & Irion, 1988). Furthermore, control over one’s emotions was found to increase

with age (Lawton, Kleban, Rajagopal, & Dean, 1992).

Our examination of the relationships between the psychological factors of EL and

Burnout revealed some interesting findings. A moderate unique relationship was found for

participants high in the professional efficacy and the frequency of emotions. This suggests

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that the more frequently emotional displays are expressed successfully, participants feel

more professionally accomplished. The other weaker unique associations found for

professional efficacy was the positive one with duration. Perhaps this is because the longer

the durations of EL may result in greater internalisation of role expectations (Morris &

Feldman, 1997). Considering that role identification or internalisation refers to the degree

to which people identify with their job and job values, it is possible that this in turn this

leads to higher feelings of satisfaction related to their job roles and accomplishments.

Finally, the participants experiencing emotional exhaustion were related to the use surface

acting. This seems to indicate that participants employing surface acting (i.e., faking or

masking emotions) are more likely to experience higher levels of exhaustion. Despite

exhibiting weak associations in this study, similar relationships have also been reported in

the literature by Brotheridge & Grandey (2002), Grandey (2003), Kruml & Geddes (2000)

and Zapf and Holz (2006).

The canonical correlation analysis examining EL and Burnout indicated that two

canonical dimensions accounted for the covariation between the person variables and the

psychological variables. Relationships within the first interpretable dimension suggested

that participants who were high in professional efficacy were associated with frequency of

emotions and duration of interactions.

The second canonical relationship found in this sample of professional cricketers

and administrators indicated that those experiencing high levels of emotional exhaustion

and cynicism were associated with the use of surface acting. Thus, participants reporting

symptoms of Burnout tended to hide their true emotions and display emotions not

consistent with the emotions they wanted to display. Such findings are in line with the

results obtained by Grandey (2003) and Brotheridge and Lee (2002, 2003). This latter

finding has implications for practitioners. It has been suggested that the use of Surface

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Acting will reduce one’s sense of well-being (Sheldon, Ryan, Rawsthorne, & Ilardi, 1997).

If this is the case, then once an athlete has been diagnosed as suffering from burnout,

practitioners should be aware that such athletes may tend to mask their emotions. Thus,

they may be called upon to help burnout athletes to express their true emotions, and provide

a supportive environment for airing of these emotions.

Conclusion

The study results contributed substantially to the organisational literature.

Specifically, the study aimed to confirm or not the issues evolving from Study 1. The study

also examined the relationship between EL and burnout. In line with the findings of Study

1, the results from this Study (Study 2) indicate that professional cricket players and

organisational personnel perform EL either through ‘reading emotions of others, ‘managing

emotions of others,’ ‘suppressing emotions’ or ‘expressing unfelt emotions’ on a regular

basis. Also, professional cricket players found some of the ICC codes difficult to adhere to.

Additionally, Work-life Balance and Image Management evolved as particularly

demanding to professional players. Professional players performed EL mainly due to

organisational display rules, individual goals, team goals, and image management.

Similarly, organisational personnel engaged in EL for team perspective and organisational

rules. Both the groups employed both types of acting (surface and deep acting), though it

was not possible which method is more frequently and in what context. Cannonical

relationships indicated that older participants who were high in professional efficacy were

associated with frequency of emotions and duration of interactions. Also, high levels of

emotional exhaustion and cynicism were associated with the use of surface acting.

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The main strength of the study was to utilise the mixed-methods approach to

analyse the data. Qualitative data analysis helped in gathering rich data to further

understand the concept of EL. Quantitative data analysis helped in understanding the

consequences of EL and burnout to some degree. However, the methodology used to gather

the information on EL was self-report, and questionnaire based. The use of self-report

measures to assess psychological phenomenon such as EL is open to participant-bias. In

other words, the responses made by the participant may not reflect what they actually do

but may reflect what they think the researcher would like to know or how they would like

to be perceived by others. Despite this, it is an accepted way of accessing such information,

and has been used widely in sport psychology research. Additionally, the difficulty in

accessing professional athletes made it a practical method of obtaining such information

from them.

The questionnaire-based examination of EL in cricket was economical and versatile,

allowing an examination of EL across individuals in natural settings. However, the use of a

checklist to the exclusion of other approaches has limited the findings in this study to the

general categories of EL defined by Brotheridge and Lee (2003). It is possible that a

number of cricketers and organisational personnel expressed forms of EL not measured by

the ELS. Also, due to the limited number of participants, the results of all the participants

were combined while analysing quantitative data. Moreover, the results do not aid in

understanding how professional cricket players perform EL during competitive and non-

competitive situations. In-depth interview methods could be carried out to survey the

idiosyncratic ways in which individuals express emotions.

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CHAPTER 5: STUDY THREE

CASE STUDY APPROACH OF AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS

Purpose

The two previous studies provided a comprehensive picture of emotional labour

(EL) by exploring the processes through which EL is performed. The results revealed that

both professional cricketers and organisational personnel mostly performed EL either

through ‘reading emotions of others, ‘managing emotions of others,’ ‘suppressing

emotions’, and/ or ‘expressing unfelt emotions.’ Professional cricketers also found some of

the players’ codes of conduct (ICC & CA) difficult with which to deal.

The present study sought to further verify and confirm the issues evolving out of the

first two studies. The study also intended to probe into the emotional demands players

encounter during game situations through video analysis or incident based techniques. The

information obtained through video analysis method assist in analysing the challenges

faced by professional performers during pre-game and post-game situations, both on and

off the field. They also help in determining whether the responses to these demands were

appropriate and adequate.

Method

Participants

Three professional Australian cricketers aged 20, 25 and 29 years respectively

participated in the study. Only current first-class male cricketers with more than two years

experience in first class cricket were chosen. Names and other identifying characteristics

were avoided to ensure confidentiality and negative ramifications to participants. Two

players were employed in part-time jobs (outside cricket). Following Sparkes (2003)

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recommendation players were purposively chosen via scrutiny of media reports and

consultation with administrators and coaches. Participants included two batsmen and one

bowler, of which two were experienced players (one bowler and a batsman), and one player

was relatively inexperienced (batsman). The categorisation of experienced and inexperienced

players was determined in consultation with the coaches. Specifically, players below 25 years

were considered relatively inexperienced, and those above 25 were considered relatively

experienced. The three cricketers were from urban and rural areas of Australia. This

combination was considered ideal since it helped in obtaining information from players with

a variety of perspectives. More specifically, it involved gathering data from experienced and

inexperienced players.

Procedure

Coaches and administrators from a State Cricket Association assisted in establishing

initial contacts with participants. An administrator introduced the participants; the

participants were then informed of the purpose of the study and invited to participate. All

the participants indicated interest in the study, and face-to face interviews were conducted

at a time and location of their choice. The cricketers were provided with an information

sheet, and written consent was obtained prior to conducting the interviews. This case study

approach was considered the most appropriate method of enquiry because it allowed the

researcher to focus on contemporary events in great detail (Yin, 2003). In addition,

participants were free to discuss individual experiences in their own words rather than

through research-imposed constructs and language (Walter, 2000). The information

obtained during the interviews was subsequently verified through alternate sources such as

media reports and discussion with administrators and coaches. Source triangulation was

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preferred to participant checks as a validity mechanism due to negative associations with

the terms EL and managing emotions (Cresswell & Eklund, 2006).

As mentioned in the earlier studies, the term EL can have negative connotations,

hence it was not mentioned at any stage of the data collection process. Questions were

framed to address the processes of EL without directly referring to it. The study therefore

employed a semi-structured and an indirect interview approach (Paton, 1990). Furthermore,

due to the sensitive nature of the study and the high-profile status of these players, probing

was conducted in an indirect manner, and at times included challenging some of the

participants’ statements. The interview questions were aimed at eliciting information on the

processes of EL, which includes suppressing or faking emotions, expressing unfelt

emotions, reading the emotions of others, and lastly managing the emotions of others

(Hochschild, 1983). Since participants in the previous two studies highlighted their

involvement in suppressing emotions and dealing with mixed emotions, the interview

questions aimed to unravel this aspect in more detail. Furthermore, players illustrated

instances that related to experiencing EL. This indirect method of inquiry was employed to

elicit responses from players without causing them inconvenience.

The first interview aimed to elicit information about the professional challenges

encountered by professional cricketers and player perceptions of the management of EL

(see Appendix C for interview questions). In addition, participants’ perceptions were

obtained on a list of ICC Codes to determine if certain codes were emotionally challenging

to adhere to (see Table 32). The second interview utilised a video-prompting technique to

facilitate discussion on the nature of the demands encountered during these games and the

manner in which they were handled. The second interview also investigated the ‘role of

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Table 20

ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials that was provided to players during the interview

1. The Captain is responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws.

2. The Captain shall be held responsible if his team does not meet the minimum over rate requirements. 3. Players and Team Officials must at all times accept the Umpire’s decision. Players must not show dissent at the Umpire’s decision. This includes disappointment with an umpire’s decision with specific actions such as shaking of the head, snatching cap from umpire, pointing at pad or inside edge, other displays of anger or abusive language directed at the umpire or excessive delay in resuming play or leaving the wicket. 4. Players and Team Officials shall not use crude or abusive language (known as “sledging”) nor make offensive gestures. This also includes swearing in frustration at one’s own poor play. 5. Players and Team Officials shall not make any public announcement or media comment regarding match officials or players or teams against which they have played. 6. Players and Team Officials shall not abuse cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings. 7. Players and Team Officials shall not engage in excessive appealing. This includes the practice of celebrating a dismissal before the decision has been given. 8. Gesturing towards the pavilion in an aggressive manner by a bowler or other members of the fielding side upon the dismissal of a batsman is not allowed. 9. Deliberate physical contact (walk/run into or shoulder another player) between players in the course of play should be avoided. 10. Players and Team Officials shall not engage in any act of violence on the field of play. 11. Players and Team Officials breaching the code of conduct and committing any of the offences (Level I- IV) will be penalized. This can include 50 to 100% fine of their match fees or being banned from a few matches depending on the level of offence.

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culture’ in professional cricket. More specifically, two video clips from The Ashes (2006)

were shown to the players. Video-clips (see Figure 26) from the Ashes series were chosen

to elicit responses from the players to obtain information about such encounters, since it

involves a clash between two archrivals: Australia and England. The first video-clip

displayed was of previous Australian bowler Shane Warne’s unsuccessful appeals and his

reaction when the umpire ruled against him (favoring the batsman) three times in close

succession in the first test match of the Ashes (2006). More specifically, Warne stopped in

the middle of the pitch and stared at the umpire, in a questioning manner. He also took

sometime before he resumed play. The second clip shown was the dismissal of the

Australian Captain Ricky Ponting and his reaction when he was adjudged ‘out’ in the third

test match of the Ashes (2006). Ponting was adjudged ‘out’ for a caught behind appeal at a

crucial stage of the game as Australia had already lost eight wickets, and hence was left

with two tail-enders (specialist bowlers) wickets. So, it appeared that the match was in

England’s favour. However, the order of the video-clip shown depended on whether the

participant was a bowler or batsmen. This would enable to obtain the players specialist role

(batsmen, bowler or all rounder) in the team, as well as that of others. For example, a

specialist batsman’s perspective on batsmen (Ponting’s video-clip) and then of bowlers

(Warne’s video-clip).

These video-clips were chosen to elicit responses as to how players cope with such

situations. Video analysis of competitive matches against archrivals (e.g., Australia versus

England) would enable the exploration of EL from a new dimension. That is, it could

clarify the difficulty of coping with these demands during such games, which creates

expectations from their respective organisations, from sport admirers (fans), and also the

media. Hence, perceptions of playing against the England team and the pressure that may

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Figure 26. Images of the Video-clip Shown to Australian Players

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be involved were potentially revealing. In most instances, professional players exercise

caution when questioned directly about matters related to other teams and players. This

incident-based prompting was used to increase the probability that players would express

themselves in an unrestrained manner. The role of ‘culture’ was also examined in order to

determine whether it could affect the performance and management of EL. Since surface

acting and deep acting are methods through which players (employees) perform EL

(Hochschild, 1983), interview questions also aimed to unravel the type of acting players

performed. As explained earlier (in Chapter 2) surface acting refers to simply exhibiting an

emotional display that is not genuinely felt or inhibiting the expression of a genuinely felt

emotion. Hence, surface acting is also called “faking in bad faith” (Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987,

p. 32) because players (employees) conform to the display rules to keep their job, not to

please the cricket fans (customer) or the organisation. On the other hand, deep acting is

called “faking in good faith” (Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987, p. 32) because it involves the intent

to change the actual emotional state of the actor. Deep acting has two variations. In one

case, actors imagine that they feel the actual emotion and present a display accordingly. In

the other case, actors exhort themselves to feel the appropriate emotion and then present the

associated display as the employee genuinely believes and tries to feel the emotion. Deep

acting, however, still requires EL as “felt emotion must still be translated into appropriate

emotional displays, though it may be comparatively lesser (to surface acting) as the

employee genuinely believes in the emotion” (Morris & Feldman, 1996. p. 992).

Data Analysis

As mentioned elsewhere (Chapter 3, Study 1), though the researcher did not play

cricket at a competitive level, she played cricket during her early childhood years. In

addition, her father had played the game at the competitive level, and she had grown up in a

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joint-family setting where cricket matches featuring India were rarely missed. Moreover,

prior to conducting this research, the researcher had worked as a sport psychology

consultant with the Indian National teams for three years. The same researcher conducted

all the interviews in Australia over a period of two and a half months.

Two interviews were conducted with each participant, with the exception of one

participant who was only interviewed once since he was hesitant (in the first interview) to

express his views and experiences related to cricket. All the interviews were audio taped

and lasted from 20 to 90 minutes. Verbatim reports were transcribed and qualitatively

analysed. Face-to-face discussions with coaches and administrators, behavioral

observations during the sessions and media reports were incorporated while presenting the

case study data. Data were analysed using both inductive and deductive methods to extract

vital themes related to the cricketers’ emotional demands. Data saturation occurred when

participants provided the same examples for different questions or repeated what other

participants in the research had previously stated, thereby not adding anything to the

findings.

It is noteworthy to mention that all the three players were first interviewed during

Australia’s domestic cricket season. This helped in obtaining valuable information

pertaining to competition, as players were able to recall specific recent incidents in detail.

Due to the heavy travel and competition commitments, the second interview was held

shortly after the completion of the cricket season in Australia. The timing of these

interviews was beneficial because players summarised the competitive season and their

related feelings.

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In-depth case study of participants is presented in detail. Individual interview

sessions with players are also presented separately. The results and discussion are presented

in three sections. The first section deals with the management of emotions from an EL

perspective. The second section discusses perceived demands that players believed resulted

in perceptions of EL. The third and final section addresses the public EL which includes

cricket-related demands such as media and cricket fans, which could play a role in

performing EL.

Case Study 1 – “Steve”, First Interview: An Insight into the Emotional Challenges of

Professional Cricketers.

A Brief Background and Overview

“Steve” is a professional cricketer with six years experience in first class cricket. In

addition to his main role as a specialist batsman, he is a part-time bowler in the team. Steve

was first interviewed after the team had lost a close match, but he felt that this contest did

not affect his responses. Since it was the cricketing season, Steve was able to discuss many

instances with specific details. Steve appeared relaxed and friendly, and he was able to

clearly express the emotional challenges he encountered as a junior player (when he first

started playing at the first class level). Furthermore, he addressed the many emotional

demands the Captain of a cricket team is likely to encounter. In addition, commercialisation

of cricket, media hype, “macho” cricket culture, and expectations of cricket fans emerged

as central themes in dealing with the public display of emotions in professional cricket.

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The interview questions were aimed at eliciting information on the processes of EL,

which includes suppressing or faking emotions, expressing unfelt emotions, reading the

emotions of others, and lastly managing the emotions of others (Hochschild, 1979). Players

illustrated instances that related to experiencing EL. Specifically, on-field illustrations were

chiefly associated to organisational rules such as ICC codes (written and unwritten) and

other organisational factors; off-field examples were connected to cricket-related aspects

such as media and commercialisation.

Suppressing Genuine Emotions

Steve reported that he frequently managed his emotions mainly through the

suppression of negative emotions. He provided an example of a recent game where he was

required to suppress his emotions. Steve explained that he had to suppress his emotions

when the umpire turned down an LBW (leg before wicket) appeal. Also, Steve felt he had

to regulate his emotions to avoid any unwanted display of negative emotions that could lead

to code breach and penalty. In addition, he stated that such decisions and consequent

emotional regulation was a regular feature of competitive cricket.

The prime example is when a decision doesn’t go your way, either batting or bowling . . . . I was bowling and thought I had an LBW but it was not given out . . . . wasn’t a TV game or anything but you do have to suppress your emotions, you can’t say anything or do anything out of turn that could get you into trouble [avoid penalty]. I mean those sort of examples happen all the time in our sport.

Steve stated that professional cricket involved numerous physical and mental

challenges. “You are challenged a lot during the game both physically and mentally.” As a

consequence, Steve felt the game necessitated managing emotions to a certain extent. In

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fact, Steve believed that emotional regulation would be much more in cricket than other

sports due to the length of cricket games. “You do definitely get times when you do have to

keep those emotions in check, and I think that is more prevalent in our game than most

other games just because of the length.”

Mixed Emotions

Steve also drew light on an interesting facet in team sports that is ‘mixed emotions’.

There can be two situations when this happens: Firstly, when a player has performed well

but the team loses. The player’s happiness over his good form and performance is apparent;

however, it is disappointing that the team lost and hence team goals were not achieved.

There have been many occasions when players’ personal milestones have been shadowed

by the team’s loss. Secondly, it could be the other way round wherein the team has done

exceptionally well and won the game but the bowler may have had a very bad game. The

second situation may not be very difficult to deal with since the team has won and the

player’s poor form or inconsistent performance takes a back seat. Experiencing mixed

emotions seems to be a frequent occurrence in cricket. This could be because cricket is a

combination of individual and team goals.

Steve stated that he had experienced mixed emotions on few occasions. He provided

an example of a recent game in which he had scored lot of runs but the team lost in the final

over of the game. Further still, Steve explained it was extremely disappointing to lose the

match in such a manner, and his performance was of little value because the result of the

match was of more significance. Furthermore, Steve observed that he was more

disappointed at the team’s loss and hence didn’t savour his good form and performance.

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Also in such situations, Steve was confident about his performance in future matches but

was not sure about the team’s performance.

I have been in that situation quite a few times actually . . . we were chasing 400 and odd runs, I scored *** not out [lot of runs] and we lost in the last over . . . . The fact that we lost was shattering; yeah doing well was great . . . . and that has happened a couple of times where I personally have done well but the team hasn’t and so your still feeling quite empty and quite disappointment about it all . . . . I guess for me personally I have plenty of confidence in my personal form going into the next game. As a whole team we were just flat and not prepared as well as we could have been.

Coping

Steve stated that he mainly employed rationalisation and reframing to deal with the

emotional challenges of the game. “Okay it has happened now, it hasn’t happened in your

favour, you got to get on with it.” Also, he believed it was essential to give vent to his

frustration to avoid emotional leakage. “And then you try and get it all out because if you

keep boiling it up, then it explodes.” Steve suggested that taking his mind off cricket

helped in dealing with the numerous demands of cricket. “May be a break away from the

game and you think absolutely nothing about the game or may be have a big night out.”

This section showed that Steve manages his emotions mainly through suppressing

his emotions and at times dealing with mixed emotions. However, the type of acting he

may employ is unclear.



ICC Codes

Steve stated that he did not have any major concerns regarding the ICC and CA

codes and rules. He stated: “I don’t seem to have a massive, massive issue with it but

obviously they are there and there are pretty set guidelines for what you need to do.” Thus,

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he views off-field codes as part of his job, and hence observed that cricketers need to be

aware of their behaviour even off the field. “You are in public spot light and people are

aware of what you do, what you say and how you conduct yourself”. However, he felt

professional cricketers exercise caution to avoid making comments that might be

detrimental to the player and the organisation they represent. This suggests that

professional cricketers strive to present a good impression about themselves and the

organisation, which would involve the regulation of emotions to a significant extent.

At times, there are probably things that you would like to say or you would like to express but sometimes unable to because it becomes detrimental to you and to your whole Association as well. In that sort of respect, you do have to keep an eye on what you do say and what you can and can’t do.

Nevertheless, as the session progressed Steve revealed that it was challenging to

find the right balance between focusing on performing to his best caliber while adhering to

the ICC codes, as it includes managing emotions and behaving in an appropriate manner.

Also, like most elite cricketers he stated the ‘heat of the moment’ axiom, which can be

stated as any occurrence that happens due to the intense involvement of the game. Steve

believed that it was challenging to be persistently emotionally regulated due to this heat of

the moment phenomenon.

Definitely it is hard to balance because you want to be doing everything you can in the game and then you understand that you’ve got these sort of codes that are governing your behaviour in some sort of way . . . . There’s always going to be that time at the heat of the moment where it might just happen and it might just come out. I don’t know what you can really do about that.

In cricket, umpiring decisions are final and players are not supposed to show dissent

to the umpire’s decision (Table 20, ICC code # 3). Steve observed: “I guess our on-field

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conduct is determined by these codes so you can’t show dissent”. Steve explained that it

was difficult to modulate emotions while dealing with perceived unfair umpiring decisions.

Also, he observed that when such a decision has been given, the emotions that usually need

to be restrained are extreme anger and disappointment. Furthermore, Steve felt managing

emotions during a player’s lean phase or an important stage of the game could be especially

difficult.

Extreme anger is probably one and extreme disappointment is probably two and when you combine the two, it is very, very difficult to keep your emotions in check, especially if it is an important time of the game. Even if it’s not an important time of the game, or you if are not doing well, and all of a sudden you get another bad umpiring decision. In that instance, it can be so frustrating.

In line with the results of Study 1 and 2, Steve’s above statements suggest that

emotions which require suppression include anger and disappointment. As discussed later

this could have significant health affect. Though Steve believed it was difficult to regulate

emotions in certain situations, Steve observed that emotions were restrained only until

players were out of public view.

It is a hard thing to do; it is a hard thing to keep emotions in check. I guess the thing is it is only for a short period of time that you do and you can let it all out as soon as you are back in the change room or whatever . . . . On the field, there is nothing you can do about it.

In this regard it might be more difficult for bowlers (than batsmen) to regulate their

emotions because they cannot leave the field till the completion of the game. In addition to

batting, Steve is also a part-time bowler, and therefore elaborated that it was especially

difficult to focus on bowling the next few balls (or deliveries) and completing the over after

a very close LBW appeal was turned down. “It is hard, it is hard to completely wipe that

and go on to bowl the next ball and finish the over out”. Steve provided an example of a

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perceived unfair umpiring decision wherein he was required to suppress his frustration

while bowling. He explained that it was even more frustrating because the umpire’s

decision was crucial and it could have turned the match in his team’s favour.

The immediate sort of feelings were frustration and anger, and it was coming down to the third or fourth last over of the game, it could have been a decision where if we got it; it could have changed the game. That sort of intensifies it a bit . . . . I just stood there, didn’t say anything or didn’t question the decision in any way but just stood there and took a few moments to gather my thoughts a little bit; I guess you have to. If you say it affected me a little bit, yes it did a little bit, not a whole lot but it is certainly there at the back of my mind and the frustration is sort of there. At the end of the over, as I was walking away and let out my frustration where it wasn’t audible I probably let out a bit of frustration there, you just sort of have to hold it till then . . . . Those couple of balls after that decision were quite tough.

The above example suggests that a bowler’s emotions might be repressed for a

much longer period because he cannot leave the field, whereas a batsman can vent it out in

the dressing room when adjudged ‘out’. His perception when adjudged ‘out’ as a batsman

was: “As soon as I get into the change rooms, I’m out of public view then all the emotion

comes out, whether be it smashing things or yelling or whatever.” Hence, an all rounder

(who bowls and bats) like Steve might be managing emotions to a larger extent than a

batsmen or bowler.

Steve also threw light on how crucial umpiring decisions might affect a player’s

career. “It is our livelihood and it can sometimes be determined by these people and it is out

of our control.” This is because a player’s performance evaluation does not take into

consideration such perceived unfair decisions. As a result, the chances of deselection may

be high if a player has not scored adequate runs (for batsman) or adequate wickets (for

bowlers). In this context batsmen may feel the axe more than bowlers, as bowlers do not

solely depend on an umpire’s decision when claiming wickets. Of course, the LBW

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decision solely depends on the umpire’s decision; however, there are other methods to

claim wickets for the bowler.

Coping or dealing with umpiring decision appears to get better with age and

experience. Steve found it relatively difficult to deal with umpiring decisions early in his

career but he felt he is coping much better due to the experience.

I think the more I have played the game and the more experience I have got that becomes less of an issue. I think early on definitely, definitely; if I got a bad decision I would not let it go for a couple of days . . . you are constantly thinking about it. But I think now that I am a bit older, a bit more mature, experienced; I have learnt to say ‘well, there is nothing I can do about it now. I have got to get on with the game’.

Steve stated that he has Captained his Club team and hence knew the demands

associated with managing the entire team. In this respect, he perceived that is was unjust for

the Captain (Table 20, ICC code# 1) to be held responsible for the conduct of the entire

team. “I just think that it is a tough thing for a Captain to take the fault for the entire team.”

According to this code, if the Captain of a team fails to control his team the Captain can get

fined up to 50 percent of his match pay. Steve further stated that it was unfair to hold the

Captain responsible for the misdemeanor of the entire team.

I understand that may be the blame has to go somewhere but does the blame have to go solely on one person’s shoulders? Whether or not it then becomes his entire and sole responsibility to make sure the team is doing the right thing, I’m not too sure.

Steve felt that the ICC rules clearly stated that players should not ‘swear in

frustration’ (Table 20, ICC code # 4), and believed that this code was mainly included for

the benefit of television viewers and cricket fans. “I guess it is not socially acceptable to be

swearing out loud on TV basically . . . it still has to be brought into check.” In order to

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preserve and promote the spirit of the game, cameras and microphone are installed in the

cricket pitch. This appears to be a good move by the ICC as it curbs physical aggression

and abuses to a certain extent. However, Steve observed that he employs this (swearing at

self) as a motivational strategy, and Steve felt it was especially difficult to curb swearing

when he has committed a mistake.

I think just when you have made a mistake or you get hit for runs . . . sometimes you’d just love to let out a massive big expletive and then get on with it but that is something you’ve got to curb. The ICC defines ‘sledging’ as crude or abusive language (Table 20, ICC code 4).

Sledging is the verbal exchange between players in cricket. More specifically, it can be

described as a process where in a player uses words or phrases with the intention to

‘psyche’ or destabilise his opponent (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2006). Although the

ICC code specifically states that players should not engage in sledging, it is a well-known

fact that players employ sledging to gain a psychological edge over their opponent and it

occurs during most international matches. Also, sledging is mainly employed by bowlers to

gain a psychological edge over their opponent batsmen. Australian, English and South

African cricketers are most noted for sledging, though the South-Asian countries cannot be

totally excluded from it. South Asian teams employ sledging in their own fashion.

Steve stated that he does not engage in sledging but believed it was employed as a

mental strategy to distract the opposition. “It is the mental edge, it doesn’t have to be

threatening or anything, it could be something really bizarre and they are thinking, ‘what

the **** is he talking about’ and then you have done your job.” Steve explained that even

a hilarious comment about the player (opponent) batting can sometimes distract the

batsman’s focus, and as a consequence he might get dismissed due to lapse in

concentration. Hence, Steve believed it was essential to focus on his task as a batter, and

not on the sledging by his opponents.

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As soon you let them start getting to you, then they are doing their job but you are not thinking about what you have to do . . . . It’s what you have to deal with, make sure it does not worry you and make sure you are focusing on what you need to do.

A few seldging quotes are listed to explain Steve’s point that focusing on one’s

performance when such comments are made might be a little demanding. Australian Merv

Hughes to Englishman Robin Smith: "Does your husband play cricket as well?" Mark

Waugh to James Ormond coming out to bat in an Ashes match: “Mate, what are you doing

out here, there’s no way you’re good enough to play for England.” Ormond: “Maybe not,

but at least I'm the best player in my family.” (Mark's twin brother Steve was captain of the

team). Austalain Ian Healy to Srilankan Arjuna Ranatunga when he called for a runner

during a one day match: "You don't get a runner for being an overweight, unfit, fat ****!"

(Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This section suggests that Steve perceives some of the

ICC codes as emotionally challenging. More specifically, he felt dealing with unfair

umpiring decisions required a certain degree of emotional control. Also, Steve’s restraint

from swearing in frustration, the Captains code, and dealing with sledging were reasonably

challenging and required emotional management to a substantial extent.

Organisational Expectations

At the outset, Steve exercised some caution while addressing certain aspects about

the organisation, for example when enquired about organisational expectation, his reply

was: “How am I trying to word this . . . [pause] I think a lot more is expected of you.”

However, as the session progressed Steve was much more open and stated that the

expectations on cricketers have increased, and he related this mainly to the financial

remuneration players enjoy. Due to these financial benefits, Steve believed the organisation

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expected a lot more from players, and this included more training commitments, media

work and player appearances.

I definitely think that our expectations have increased and I think it has a lot to do with how much we are paid. Because we are so well paid these days, I don’t know if the Associations think they need more of us or whatever. It has become so much more professional now . . . . whether it might be through your training commitment or it might just be some media stuff or it might be player appearances . . . All these things take up a lot your time now. I think that has all come about because people [cricketers] don’t have to work anymore and because we do get paid so well, they do expect a lot more of our time for those sort of things to promote the game.

The above-mentioned quote suggests that professional cricketers are faced with

numerous challenges and expectations. These challenges would certainly involve emotional

management to a significant extent.

Pre-game

Pre-game jitters may also be considered EL since players are trying to cover/hide

negative emotions. Furthermore, professional cricketers are under tremendous pressure to

prove their credibility in every match. As Steve explains, it appears that dealing with this

aspect is especially tough on rookie and younger players who are trying to establish

themselves in the team. “For me, particularly early, it was important to show that confident

body language and confident approach about it- to not show those nerves because I was

nervous, nervous as ****, but I was trying my best not to show that.” Hence players

attempt to cover up these emotions and this might require expending energy. Due to these

reasons, pre-game jitters was considered worthy of examination.

Nerves, definitely nerves . . . I think it was a lot more prevalent when I first started; I guess you get nervous and you have doubts about your own ability that’s why you get nervous because you have this fear of failure.

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Also, Steve felt it was essential to appear confident because batsmen will encounter

sledging from the opposition. “You sort of stick your chest out when you go into bat and

just show confident body language because as soon as you go out there in the middle, there

is going to be chirp [sledging] from the other team.” Moreover, Steve explained that if

players do not portray confidence, then the opposition is bound to take advantage of the

player’s situation and utilise it to their advantage. Steve observed: “When I’m fielding if we

see a guy is nervous, we are going to do it twice as much to him.”


Commercialisation and Media

Steve felt the media was interested in interviewing him when he performed well. He

commented: “The media really only want to talk to me when I have done well anyway.”

Steve also believed it was important for professional sportsmen to exercise caution

regarding their off-field behaviour because they are under constant media attention. He

provided the example of a famous football players who had been involved in some media

controversy. Furthermore, Steve commented on the manner in which media hyped incidents

with reference to elite sportsmen.

X [football player] is a brilliant example isn’t it? Obviously his profile is fairly big . . . . whether or not he is innocent that’s not how it is portrayed but it does make you realise that you are in the spotlight a fair bit and you do have to be aware . . . . I guess because of our profile we need to keep that in mind.

Steve addressed the commercial aspect of the game. He believed that new rules

were added to the existing ICC codes due to the immense popularity of cricket. “I think a

lot of the reasons why these codes are put in place is because lots of people are watching

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these games on TV.” In addition, he commented on the stringent schedules and the

tediousness of cricket due to the amount of cricket played by professional cricketers.

Our schedule is pretty fixed and tight. When we have players from other teams coming over, it becomes a money issue; you can’t have teams having a 3-4 day gap in between games. It would be very hard scheduling in with the amount of cricket we do play.

Steve remarked that cricket has changed tremendously in the past ten years and felt

it was much more commercial. He also emphasised that due to the immense popularity of

the game, cricketers enjoy greater financial remuneration than cricketers in the past.

However, he felt that to continue enjoying further benefits, more revenue needs to be

created and this is possible by attracting more spectators through cricket.

Yeah definitely and that’s again a money thing, I don’t think people [cricketers] were earning so much money back then . . . . I guess the promotion of the game has increased the amount of money that we’ve got, hundred times. Now we’ve seen the benefits of this, it’s just sort of like a circular thing in order to create that revenue and in order to get paid well I guess.

This section suggests that aspects indirectly related to cricket could influence the

management of emotions significantly.

Consequences of Performing Emotional Labour

This section focuses on the consequences of EL. Steve observed that he is usually

physically and emotionally drained towards the end of the cricket season. He immediately

related this exhaustion to the amount of emotional regulation required, especially the

suppression of emotions. “At the end of the cricketing season I am not only physically tired

but I’m just mentally absolutely drained and that is because of these emotions that you have

to suppress sometimes.” Besides, Steve felt the physical and emotional exhaustion could be

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experienced after a four-day game because of the length of cricket. Steve further added that

it was essential to release his emotions; if not Steve felt it could get built-up over a period

of time, which could prove detrimental to self and others. Previous research has associated

EL with emotional exhaustion and emotional leakage (Brotheridge & Lee, 2003; Grandey,

2003).

I think it tires you out having to constantly do that sort of stuff [suppress emotions] and it is not only after a season it could be after a four-day game, you are just so physically and mentally exhausted because of that sort of thing . . . . I need that release because if I don’t get that, it just builds up and builds up; it’s not good for me or anybody else.

The importance of support network was also highlighted; Steve stated that if it was

not adequate it could make playing tougher since cricket is a very emotional game. This

also suggests that support networks outside cricket are important in managing the

emotional challenges of the game.

Massively because as I said we have so many highs and lows in this game; my family, my girl friend and my friends are so important to me to be able to get support from them, particularly when I need it.

The evidence collected in this interview suggests that Steve usually manages his

emotions mainly through suppressing his emotions and at times by dealing with mixed

emotions. Steve reported that some of the ICC codes were emotionally challenging. More

specifically, the ICC codes pertaining to perceived unfair umpiring decisions, restrictions

on swearing in frustration, the Captains code and sledging were considered reasonably

challenging to adhere to, and it required a significant amount of emotional regulation. Also,

indirect-cricket related aspects such as the media and game commercialisation could

influence the management of emotions to a certain degree. Steve highlighted the need to

switch-off from cricket, and also emphasised the role of support networks in dealing with

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the emotion management of professional cricket. Finally, though Steve was mostly open

and unrestrained about his experiences, he was cautious regarding the way he presented

certain facets about the organisation. This suggests the pressure on professional players to

present themselves and the organisation in a favorable manner.

Case Study 1 – “Steve”, Second Interview: Video-analysis of match situations and player

perceptions of the ‘role of culture’ in professional cricket.

Video-analysis: Focusing on the Management of Emotions from an EL Perspective

As explained in the methodology section, two video-clips were shown to the

players. Since Steve is a specialist batsman, it was deemed suitable to obtain his opinion

regarding Ponting’s dismissal from a batsmen’s perspective at the outset. This also helped

in enquiring into the emotional demands of batsmen in greater detail. Hence, Steve was

first shown Ricky Ponting’s (batsman) clip, and then the second clip of Shane Warne’s

(bowler) apparent disappointment following his unsuccessful LBW appeals.

Ricky Ponting’s Dismissal

The first clip shown was the dismissal of the Australian Captain Ricky Ponting and

his reaction when he was adjudged ‘out’. Steve felt Ricky Ponting handled himself and

regulated his emotions extremely well. “I think he has done pretty well there to be honest.”

Furthermore, Steve believed that Ponting was experiencing much more disappointment

than what he expressed in the clip. “Obviously he has shown a little bit of disappointment,

but I bet you he is feeling 100 times more than what he is showing at the moment [in the

clip].” In addition, Steve commented on the crucial situation at which Ponting was

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adjudged ‘out’. “Especially in that situation where that game was so important and he has

done well for so long and to get out just before the end . . . . Australia had one wicket to

go.”

Steve also stated that it was a close decision that went against Ponting, as Steve felt

it was difficult to gauge whether or not Ponting was actually ‘out’ from the clip. So Steve

credited Ponting for handling his emotions in such a way that it was difficult for an

observer to determine whether Ponting was disappointed at the umpire’s unfair decision or

at getting out in that situation.

I don’t think you can tell from the clip whether it was out or not. And that is credit to him because you can’t tell whether he is disappointed at getting out or disappointed at getting a bad decision. It isn’t easy to tell, is it?

In addition, Steve felt that despite the disappointment at being given out, Ponting

did not behave in a manner that could be categorised as dissent by the ICC. In fact, Steve

believed that Ponting regulated his emotions very well and avoided showing any dissent,

which could have led to a code breach and penalty. Also, Steve stated that such decisions

were part of the game.

He [Ponting] obviously showed disappointment but compared to what he was feeling, I thought he was pretty well refrained from showing any emotional dissent. I think his reaction was not dissent in anyway, I think he did extremely well and that is part of the game isn’t it? You do get such decisions.

Steve highlighted that most cricketers needed to suppress their emotions to a

reasonable degree, and he felt Ricky Ponting’s clip was a good example to explain this

aspect. He also commented that Ponting managed his emotions on the cricket ground well

and what he did once he was off the field did not matter, as the spectators don’t get to view

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it. This was because as Steve states Ponting had a run into few spectators in the crowd on

his way to the change rooms.

I think that is a good, perfect clip because it shows that we do have to suppress those emotions at times, whether you got off the field and ran into the crowds you never know but from a viewers perspective that is all they get to see.

Shane Warne’s LBW Appeals

The second clip shown was Shane Warne’s disappointment because he was unable

to convince the umpire to rule in his favor in three close appeals. Steve’s initial comments

on Shane Warne’s clip was that it was a typical bowlers reaction of applying pressure on

the umpire to adjudge a decision in the bowlers favour. Also, Steve felt Warne was

behaving in that manner (looking frustrated and questioning the umpire in disbelief) with a

specific purpose of pressurising the umpire. “I think that is typical Warni - that is just him

putting pressure on the umpire, obviously he genuinely thinks it is out.” We also need to

bear in mind that in addition to batting, Steve is also a part-time bowler.

Steve felt the appeals by Warne and the Australian fielders were genuine, as they

believed the batsman was out. Hence, he stated that Warne might have been questioning the

umpire by standing in the middle of the pitch and looking at the umpire in disbelief before

bowling the next ball. In the clip, Warne actually takes more than the stipulated time to get

back to his bowling. Furthermore, Steve stated that through constant appealing, Warne

sometimes convinced the umpires to adjudge in his favour.

To me they [Australian team was fielding] genuinely think it is out, I don’t think it is over the top or it is excessive appealing but at the same time I bet you Warni was asking the umpire why that was not out or what is the problem with that appeal or just continually chipping [questioning through body language] away at the umpire as he does. He puts pressure on them like that by these appeals and eventually sometimes he gets favorable decisions because of that.

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Moreover, Steve believed that if a batsman reacted similar to Shane Warne (in the

clip), then the batsman could be fined for dissent because Steve believes bowlers have more

flexibility (than batsmen) regarding expressing emotions when the umpire turns down their

appeal. This suggests that there is some leniency towards bowlers regarding emotion

management when compared to batsmen.

He [Warne] is obviously very disappointed but if you were a batter and gave that reaction, you could be fined for dissent I am sure. Bowlers I guess they have a little bit more leeway at times because they are normally upset when it is given ‘not out’ rather than given ‘out’.

Steve believed bowlers have numerous opportunities to claim a batsman’s wicket as

they have 10 ‘overs’ to bowl in a one-day match and unlimited overs in a test match.

Whereas, once a batsman is adjudged out or dismissed by the bowler, it is the end of his

innings. Also, Steve felt it was much more difficult to cope if a batsman was given a tough

decision, which might not have been ‘out’. Such situations would involve the management

of emotions to a reasonable degree. This suggests that the duration and intensity of

managing emotions may vary for batsmen and bowlers. As the quote below suggests,

bowlers are required to manage their emotions for a much longer duration because they

cannot leave the field till the end of the innings. On the other hand, the intensity of

emotions may be higher for batsmen as they are provided with a single opportunity in a

one-day game.

I guess the beauty of being a bowler is you always get another chance; whereas, as a batter if you get a bad decision, you are out- that is it- you are finished. In that sense, it is more difficult . . . . if a bowler gets hit for a four, he goes back to his mark and bowls but once a batsman is out, he is finished. That is why it is tough as a batsman and particularly when you get a tough decision, it magnifies even more.

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However, he felt even bowlers are required to manage their emotions, especially

when the umpire turns down a close appeal. But he perceived that it was essential to focus

on the task through rationalisation and reframing. Steve also believed that experienced

bowlers are better at handling such challenges due to their experience.

I guess the more experienced the bowler, they are better at doing it. They are probably better at saying ‘well okay no point in dwelling on it, there is nothing you can do about it -let’s move on and bowl the next ball’.

Steve felt dropping a catch was similar to an umpire turning down an appeal. He

stated that it was frustrating when a close appeal was turned down by the umpire, and more

so when the entire team believed the batsmen was out but the umpire decides otherwise. He

stated that such decisions could at times dampen the team spirit, especially if the batsman

makes a big score.

It is like you drop a catch or if you genuinely think you have got someone out and they are given ‘not-out’, then every run they score is frustrating and it can make things worse, especially if the whole team thinks that person is out and it gets given ‘not out’, it can actually bring the whole team down. And if that person goes on and makes a big hundred, it can be quite demoralising. I think the challenge is to think, ‘it is gone, there is nothing we can do about it – let’s try and get him out again or how are we going to get him out now’ but it can mentally deflate the whole team and sometimes it can cost you a fair bit.

Steve observed that it was less challenging to manage emotions with his teammates,

even when a catch was dropped of his bowling. This is because Steve believed that it was

unintentional and the player who dropped the catch would feel a lot worse. But the same

does not apply to umpiring decisions. In fact, Steve stated that it was easy forgiving a

teammate who dropped a catch than the umpire for turning down a close appeal.

As a bowler you might be disappointed but you know that no one ever means to drop the catch. I can promise you that the amount you are probably annoyed about it, you can times it by a million for the bloke who dropped the catch . . . I don’t

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think anyone is going to be harsh than the person who dropped the catch. In that sense, I don’t get mad or upset at people [players] who drop catches of my bowling because they didn’t mean to do it and nothing good is going to come out if you blame him for it . . . . At the heat of the moment I might be disappointed but I feel that is easier to move on than if I thought someone was out and got given not out [by umpire].

This leniency towards teammates is understandable since cricket is a team game.

Also, Steve observed that there have been many occasions when he has dropped catches

and felt bad about it. So players are able to deal with on-field mistakes by teammates as

they have been in the same situation many a times. He observed: “I have dropped plenty of

catches and it is exactly the same thing- every run the bloke makes after that you are just

going ‘oh, no’. It is a horrible, horrible feeling.”

Steve also felt that wicket keepers might be under much more pressure because they

are judged by their ‘keeping’ skills. And this would be especially difficult because they

need to focus on every ball while fielding. This suggests that the amount of emotional

regulation performed by wicket keepers might be considerably more than other players.

There is probably more pressure on them because that is what they are judged by- how well they do keep and what they do catch and what they don’t catch. I guess it is probably even more magnified for them because it is their specialist role in the team and that is what they are in the team to do.

This section suggests that Steve believes that players manage their emotions mainly

by suppressing their emotions pertaining to on-field aspects (such as umpiring) more than

dealing with teammates (dropped catches). Also, Steve addressed that the duration and

intensity of emotional regulation varies for batsman and bowlers.

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ICC Codes

Steve felt the ICC and CA rules clearly stated the behaviour that was accepted from

professional cricketers. Though he understands that these rules have been enforced to

enhance the spirit of cricket, Steve observed that it was reasonably challenging to adhere to

these rules at all times. Hence, he felt players might breach codes during certain crucial

situations.

All these codes of behaviour have come in and they sort of draw a line with what you can and cannot do . . . . I understand why they got these things [ICC & CA rules] in place but sometimes they can be a bit hard to follow . . . just being able to express yourself, there are boundaries and you can overstep those boundaries sometimes.

Since players’ emotions are governed to a large extent by the ICC and CA rules,

Steve felt it was better to regulate emotions and adhere to the rules, and thereby, avoid the

consequences associated with expressing any negative emotion. Furthermore, Steve

observed it would help to modulate emotions on the cricket field, and release emotions

once he was out off the cricket field.

We do show emotions but unfortunately it is governed so much these days and you are going to pay the penalty for it, particularly if it is in a negative fashion. And that is what we have to learn how to do- not to let it get the better of us, may be wait till you get off the ground.

Besides, Steve observed that it was challenging to a certain degree to watch a

teammate dismissed by an unfair umpiring decision. This is similar to Gilchrist’s incident

explained after the quote.

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It is a bit hard when you are at the non-strikers and you think the striker has got a horrible decision. I have seen that before where the guy [batsman] at the other end is just going ‘you are kidding me, how can you possibly give that out’.

Figure 27 shows Adam Gilchrist reacting in anger at an umpiring decision against

his teammate Symmonds (who was batting). Mike Procter fined Australian vice-captain

Gilchrist half his match fee for showing dissent at umpire Peter Manuel when he raised his

finger to signal Symonds dismissal (Tribune India, 25 February, 2004). Television replays

showed a furious Gilchrist shouting at the umpire. However, Manuel called Symonds back

after consulting with fellow umpire Billy Bowden. ICC match referee Procter said Gilchrist

twice spoke to Manuel saying, "what is going on here" and then threw down his batting

gloves. Procter summed-up the offence by saying, "Gilchrist's defence was that he was

showing his emotions, he is a very emotional guy. I think it is tough on him as he's a very

fair cricketer, but, in my opinion, he was showing dissent" (ABC sport, 25 February, 2004).

Gilchrist had been fined twice before this incident; in fact, in the fifth Ashes Test against

England in 2004, he was reprimanded for swearing when an appeal was turned down.

Steve observed that the pressure during crucial situations could result in players

reacting and behaving in an unsportsmanlike manner; similar to the way Gilchrist reacted in

the above example. However, he stated that it was a challenge to be emotionally regulated

and restrained during high-pressure situations, and react akin to Ricky Ponting (in the first

clip) who walked off the ground feeling disappointed but regulated his emotions so well

that he did not show any dissent.

It is just the pressure of the situation. If you are going really well, it doesn’t matter . . . . I think they could be built on the situation or just the intensity of the situation and sometimes you do react badly or may be how you should not react and that is a hard thing to do. For example, as Ricky Ponting did [in the first clip] just put your head down and walk off, sometimes it is not that easy.

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Figure 27. Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist reacts in anger at the umpire’s decision against his Teammate.

(Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040225/sports.htm)

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Steve stated that the State team was quite flexible and the team discussed emotions

within the team environment. In fact, he felt it was important to have some release and as

he states, without appropriate release, emotions are bound to get built-up, and it might

eventually be expressed in some manner.

We are pretty open about emotions, especially in the change rooms. Sometimes you need to talk about it to get that release, if you just keep it in you - it just builds up and gets cracked somewhere along the lines. We certainly talk about it, it is ‘in-house’ [within the team environment], so you are not talking to the press about it or to your mates, and it is in the team environment.

Most instances pertaining to this section was related to perceived unfair umpiring

decisions and the emotional regulation required in such situations, suggesting that players

constantly deal with this source of strain during competitive games to a substantial degree.


Commercialisation and Media

Similar to the first interview, Steve addressed the commercial aspect of cricket due

to the emphasis on one-day cricket. He commented that the popularity of cricket has

increased, and hence there was much more pressure and expectations on players. Also, he

related some of this pressure due to the high-profile status of these players as they are

normally seen as ambassadors for the country they represent.

The pressure I think comes down because it has become so much more commercialised with one-day cricket and all that stuff. Whereas, 20 years ago there wasn’t so much cricket on TV and they weren’t playing nearly as much cricket as they are playing now, I guess there are those pressures and expectancies to do well. The pressure comes from being such high-profile players and they are ambassadors because it is such a popular sport, people do watch it but they do expect you to do well also.

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Furthermore, Steve related the emphasis and expectation on winning to the financial

remuneration professional cricketers enjoy. He also felt that cricket fans expect Australia to

win because they have been performing well in the past few years. In fact, Australia has

won the World Cup three times in a row.

And I guess, particularly, now considering how well cricketers are paid - there is a certain level of expectancy because they get so paid well and because they [Australia] have been so successful, there is almost the expectancy that they are going to win and they are going to perform well.

Steve observed that the immense negative media attention the Australian team

received after they lost the Ashes in 2005 was not justified. On the other hand, he also

stated that the loss helped Australian cricket because Steve believed it renewed cricket

interest in the country. Furthermore, Steve felt the country was shocked when the

Australian team lost the Ashes last year (2005), and as Steve stated the shocked reaction

was because Australia is one of the best teams in the world. This suggests the pressure on

Australian professional cricketers to live up to the standards of the World Champions.

However, Steve also remarked that professional cricketers could become complacent

because they were playing too much cricket.

Even to a certain extent the Ashes last year when Australia lost the Ashes [in 2005], I mean that was blown up by the media. But having said that I think it was a good thing for Australian cricket because it just created that much interest for this upcoming series [2006] . . . . I guess because Australia has dominated for so long, to actually lose was an absolute shock . . . . And especially with the amount of cricket being played now, it is quite easy to get a little complacent.

In addition, Steve observed that first class cricketers are under constant pressure to

perform consistently, especially when a player is not in good form or when they get a

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perceived unfair umpiring decision. This suggests that career concerns are paramount to

professional players.

It is your livelihood - that is how you make your living as well. That is another big pressure on you as well because if you are not performing then all of sudden you get dropped – that is how you make your living at the moment, there is that pressure as well . . . . I think if you get a bad decision or you’re having a bad run, it can affect your livelihood.

Steve’s comments suggest that cricket-related aspects can impact the management

of emotions, especially since intense competition and commercialisation are usually

accompanied by career concerns.

Cultural Influences

Steve felt that culture played an important part in his game since values about the

game were instilled at an early stage. “You are brought up with certain values about the

game and that is instilled in you at quite a young age.” He also felt the National cricket

team could significantly influence younger and State players. “I guess it all stems from the

National team and their culture, and that flows through the whole country.”

Steve observed that appearing strong and in control of the situation was an

Australian trait. Also, not showing pain when hit by a ball was also an Australian

characteristic.

As a general rule I think it is un-Australian to speak a ‘dummy’ [not show dissent] . . . . It is un-Australian to show dissent; we pride ourselves in not letting it get to us so much . . . . It is the Australian way not to show pain if you get hit by a ball.

The other main characteristic feature of Australia as Steve explained is the emphasis

on winning. Furthermore, he felt players were treated unfairly when they encountered

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failure. He explained this aspect with the intense negative media attention the Australian

team received when the encountered defeat prior to the World Cup in 2007.

There is this winning culture within Australia because everyone wants to be the best at what they do. It is a bit unfair because when we don’t win [pause] . . . I mean you take the example when we [Australia] lost those one-dayers [one-day matches] in New Zealand, the amount of press and the amount of crap we got for it.

While not exhaustive, Steve’s comments do suggest that culture has influenced his

approach to the game, which would include the way emotions are governed or regulated.

Cricket Culture

Steve observed that sledging and drinking beer was part of the cricket culture.

“Sledging is probably part of it, may be having a beer after the game . . . . I suppose that

[drinking beer] is the Australian cricket culture.” However, Steve believed in exercising

restrain as a batsman when sledged, as he felt the bowler would eventually claim his wicket

as a batsman.

For me as a batsman I never say anything back because I have the opinion that they are always going to get the last laugh, unless you make five million [impossible score] they are always going to get the last laugh.

He also explained that the fielding team’s spirit is enhanced when a batsmen sledges

the bowler or the fielders. This could be because batsmen rarely sledge, as the opposition

team surrounds the two lonesome batters. However, there are few exceptions; for example,

previous Australian Captain Steve Waugh enjoyed sledging and chirping with the

opposition while batting.

And I know if I am out there fielding and the batsman is chirping at our bowler or one our fielders, all of a sudden you lift and your whole team lifts - there is a bit of intensity out there because this batsman has something to say back.

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Steve observed that sledging and ‘chirping’ (verbal banter) with the opposition

depended on the individual player because some players perform better when sledged and it

affected others negatively. Hence, players like Steve Waugh thrive under such conditions,

and Steve felt it was better not to sledge such players as they enjoy sledging and perform

better. On the other hand, some players were affected by sledging, and Steve remarked it

was good to gain a mental edge over such players.

I think it is almost a person-by-person situation, some people you can talk to and others you know you don’t say a word to them because they thrive under that. For some people if you get under their skin and they dig back [sledge or react badly], you know you have them but some people love having a chat, so you don’t say anything to them and that is also trying to get on top of them.

Steve stated that most of the fast bowlers he encountered had an aggressive mind-

set. And this aggression could be expressed through body language, bowling or dominating

the batsmen through eye contact. On a lighter note, Steve commented that he did not expect

a fast bowler to be polite to him when he was batting against the bowler. This suggests that

Steve expects some degree of aggressiveness from fast bowlers.

I have never come across, particularly at the first class level, a fast bowler that doesn’t have an aggressive side to him . . . . I think aggression can come in many ways – just the way they approach you, the way they bowl at you can be aggressive or a look or something like that. I have never had a fast bowler come down and smile at me, and then walk back to his mark, unless I can’t hit him and he is probably laughing at me.

It appears that competitive cricket involves a degree of banter and aggression

between players, and Steve believes it is best to equip himself to encounter these mental

and physical challenges.

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Steve provided the example of a teammate who got three bad decisions in a row,

which then resulted in showing dissent at the umpire, as the player was emotionally

unregulated. Steve attributed this behaviour to the pent-up frustration, and felt the players

built-up emotions could no longer be restrained. Hence, Steve perceived it was important to

have a release, and avoid emotional leakage on the cricket-field.

A brilliant example is one of our guys - he got two really bad decisions in our last game and then went back to grade cricket the following week and got another bad decision, so he got three bad decisions in a row. He just exploded, abused the umpire and just carried on- it was just built-up so much that ‘bang’, it just came out. To see that happen, it does show that for some people it does build-up and if you don’t have an outlet it is going to come out eventually, and if you are in the middle off the field it is going to be costly.

Also, Steve observed that in such situations the player would be labeled as a bad

sport because he disputed the umpire’s decision and behaved unsportsmanly. Furthermore,

Steve felt that players who were emotional would find it a lot more difficult to suppress and

regulate emotions. Steve believed that he was emotionally well regulated; yet he has been

upset and given vent to his emotions in the change rooms when a decision has gone against

him.

If you do get reported and suspended, then all of a sudden everyone has this idea of you as someone who disputes the umpires’ decisions or someone who is a bad sport because they got a bad decision and it carried on . . . . Some people do show their emotions naturally more than others, in that sense for them to suppress it would probably be more difficult. I don’t think I am an overly emotional player, so it is not as difficult for me. Having said that I have thrown a few good tantrums in the change rooms if I have got a bad decision or something like that.

Steve did not state it was difficult playing cricket for lengthy periods. He felt,

however, that it was physically and mentally challenging to be away from his family during

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that time. This suggests that dealing with emotional challenges could be a lot more difficult

when a major source network (family) is unavailable for lengthy periods, as players are

constantly on tour. This has been called ‘life on the wheels’ (Dixon, et al., 2006).

It is tough, particularly when you are away from home so much as well. To not see your family and your friends . . . not have those people for a good period of time. I know during our summer I am away, I am away a **** of a lot and that is quite difficult, and it is mentally and physically quite challenging.

Steve reported that he tried to remain controlled even when he was not doing well at

cricket or if he had a few bad decisions. Yet, he exclaimed this was difficult to do at all

times. He also reported that it was unfair to displace his frustration about cricket on his

family. This suggests that work-related frustration may affect other areas, such as personal

life (Wharton & Erickson, 1993).

If I had got a bad decision and I am in the dumps, I try and leave that at cricket- when I get home I try and not be this person who has got a shitty decision . . . Whether I have done well or badly, I try and be the same the person at home- I might be a bit different at cricket . . . . And that is unrealistic in a literal sense, I don’t think it is possible to be completely the same but I try and do that as much as I can because at the end of the day it is not anyone else’s fault at home that I got a bad decision or I am not playing well at the moment, so I think it is a little unfair to take it out on them.

The importance of releasing pent-up emotions was addressed in this section with

concrete example. Also, Steve explained how managing emotions on the field could have

an impact on other aspects of a player’s life such as personal life.

In this interview, Steve once again emphasised that professional cricketers mainly

managed their emotions by suppressing their emotions. The video-clips facilitated in

obtaining further information regarding emotional management pertaining to competitive

aspects (such as umpiring). Also, Steve addressed that the duration and intensity of

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emotional regulation varies for batsman and bowlers. Furthermore, his comments suggest

that the media, commercialisation of the game, culture and cricket culture could influence

the management of emotions to a substantial degree. Finally, Steve observed that the

consequences of regulating emotions over lengthy periods could be detrimental to the

player’s career and personal life to a significant extent.

Case Study 2 – “Shane”: An Insight into the Emotional Challenges of Professional

Cricketers.


“Shane” is a specialist bowler with five years experience in professional cricket. Shane

was interviewed around the same time as Steve (first case study). However, the difference

in their responses was striking. In fact, Shane came across as a reserved individual and he

did not express much; the interview ended within 20 minutes. Shane was hesitant to discuss

the emotional challenges related to cricket. Moreover, his response to most questions was,

“no problem, it is all good” and “I don’t know”. He took a good couple of minutes before

answering any question, indicating that he was thoughtful and probably mindful of his

actions.



In line with Hochschild’s (1983) view, Shane reported that he managed his

emotions to a certain extent. “Definitely we need to manage emotions.” However, Shane

prefered to keep his emotions under control and to himself. “I get emotional but I don’t

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show it . . . I keep it inside, to myself.” But, he also stated that he would express his

emotions if it got too much to handle. “If it gets too much I will express.” This suggests

that in addition to managing his emotions, Shane might not be releasing his frustrations.

Furthermore, Shane felt cricket is an emotional game, and hence he suppressed his

emotions to a certain degree. “It is a pretty emotional game because you cannot say many

things you want to say.” He also believed that managing emotions could affect

performance. “It can affect your performance because you can get emotional and stuff like

that.” This comment suggests that Shane believes that unregulated emotions could be

detrimental to performance.

Mixed Emotions

Shane observed that it was not pleasant to encounter mixed emotions. In a recent

game, Shane explained that he had performed extremely well but the team lost. “I was

happy that I got ** [a big score] but disappointed that the team lost, it was a weird

situation.” Though, Shane was disappointed about the team result, he observed that he was

relieved with his performance. “I am disappointed but also relieved that I did well.” This

suggests that professional cricketers might be dealing with numerous forms of emotional

regulation than what is described in the literature. This aspect will be dealt in detail in the

discussion chapter.

Coping

Shane did not provide an adequate explanation regarding his coping mechanisms.

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This is what he said: “. . . wait till I get into the dressing rooms . . . I keep quiet, I don’t

know actually; I am disappointed but I get over it pretty quickly.” Hence, it is unclear

whether he is able to handle these emotional challenges effectively.

This section showed that Shane managed his emotions mainly through suppressing

emotions, and also by dealing with mixed emotions. However, the type of acting performed

and his coping mechanisms are unclear.



ICC Codes

Shane stated that he was absolutely fine with all the written ICC codes. “I think they

are fine, no problem at all.” In fact, he stated that accepting these rules and codes was part

of a cricketer’s job. “It is your job; it is a choice you make as a cricketer. It is part and

parcel of cricket.” Abiding to these rules involves a certain amount of emotional regulation,

and hence Shane might be performing EL to a certain degree, though the kind of acting

performed is unclear. Also, Shane believed it was in his best interest to exercise caution

regarding his off-field action because professional players are under constant scrutiny by

the media and public. “Obviously, being a sportsperson you are going to be in the spotlight,

and you have got to realise what you can do and what you cannot do.”

Shane stated that perceived unfair umpiring decisions were frustrating but he

accepts them as part of the game, since such decisions are final and it cannot be disputed.

Shane stated that he already had three umpiring decisions go against him early in the

season. This reveals the many facets on which cricketers have absolutely no control, yet,

these factors could affect their game and emotions to a substantial extent.

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I have already had three decisions this year that have gone against me . . . . three in a row . . . but you cannot do anything about it, you can’t go tell the umpire that you are not out . . . Obviously you are disappointed that you got a bad decision but that is the game of cricket, you get good and bad ones.

Shane mainly coped with perceived unfair umpiring decisions by reframing and

focusing on future games but not on missed opportunities. Also, Shane felt it was important

to get past a bad decision to perform well in the next game.

Obviously I am angry at the decision, I am angry with the umpire . . . . it does affect you but there is nothing I can do about it, so get over it and focus on doing well in the next game . . . . Not dwelling about it or thinking too much about it, having a clear head and trying to forget about it.

Shane reported that he found the challenges of professional cricket tougher when he

started his professional career as a young player. In addition to mastering the technical

aspect of the game, Shane felt it was imperative to be mentally tough since cricket is mostly

played in the mind. This suggests that managing and regulating emotions might be much

more difficult for younger and/or rookie players.

I pretty much dominated junior cricket, so I thought it would be the same, it’s completely different. It’s 90 percent in your mind at this level; you have to be pretty mentally tough . . . . It was pretty difficult because I didn’t really understand what I had to do to be successful at this level.

Shane considers ‘sledging’ (Table 20, ICC code # 4) as an inherent component of

the game but Shane focuses on his performance by blocking out sledging. Also, he revealed

that he did not sledge unless the opposition provoked him; however, he felt it did not affect

his concentration and/or performance.

I think it is just part of the game. If a bowler or a group of fielders are having a go at me, I just try and block it out . . . . I don’t sledge back because it will get to you . . .

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. I don’t sledge unless someone throws something to me, I might say something back but I am not a big sledger.

Regarding pre-game thoughts, Shane felt it was important to appear confident in

competitive sport. He revealed that it was a lot more difficult when he first started playing

cricket at the first class level. This was mainly because he did not anticipate the demands

in professional cricket and hence he did not know how to cope with them.

Definitely, I am nervous all the time. I have improved over time. I was pretty young when I started and didn’t really know what it was all about . . . . I try to look confident all the time. If you show your weakness that you are worried or look nervous, they are going to get on top of you. So obviously, you need to look confident and stick your chest out a bit, I think that helps.

Shane also observed the challenges and differences between one-day and four-day

cricket. It was apparent from Shane’s comment that the demands are much more in one-day

cricket because of the pressure to win the game in a shorter span. This means total

concentration on every ball while fielding and scoring maximum runs at the quickest rate

while batting. This would involve managing emotions, and more so under a certain degree

of pressure.

You are probably more tired in a four-day game but you don’t have to focus on every ball as in one-day. The pressure is a lot more in a one-day game as you are thinking about every ball. It is more upbeat in one-day, try to score runs and take wickets quickly.

This section showed that emotional regulation is required regarding many aspects of

cricket. More specifically, the pressure encountered by Shane during his debutant days,

suggest the pressure on rookie and new players.

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Cricket Admirers (fans), Media and Commercialisation of Cricket

Shane felt the pace of cricket has become much quicker than what it was earlier,

especially since the Aussies are performing very well. “A lot quicker, the tempo is a lot

quicker. The way the Australians are playing now, the tempo is huge.” Due to this fast pace

and the growing popularity of cricket, it becomes essential for cricketers to entertain the

cricket fans. Shane observed: “We just try to put up a good show for the audience.” Also,

Shane observed that he tries to utilise the crowd to improve his performance; however, he

stated that he blocked off the crowd if they were not supportive. “I try to use the crowd to

my advantage…. If they are not supporting then I just smile at them, I try and ignore them

and block them out of my thoughts.” This suggests that players need to regulate emotions

related to the game, and also with external factors, such as the crowd.

Shane’s experiences with the media have generally been good but he admitted that

negative criticism affects him to some degree. “Obviously they write stuff about you when

you are not playing well . . . . Yeah it can get you down a little bit . . . . I probably wont

read it, just hear it.”

This section suggests that cricket related demands might necessitate a certain

amount of emotional regulation.


Shane felt cricket might affect a player’s personal life. This may be because it

involves managing emotions to a significant extent. He made this comment with reference

to Marcus Trescothick’s incident. The England opening batsman abruptly withdrew from

the Ashes series in 2006. However, this is the second time the player backed out prior to a

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game. It has been speculated that severe stress and pressure associated with cricket and

inadequate support in his personal life were the main reasons for Trescothick’s depression

(The Advertiser, November 15, 2006). “Definitely, especially if you have a wife and kids, it

will get you upset a fair bit and for being away from them.”

It is apparent from the interview that Shane was not comfortable discussing aspects

related to his game or the organisation. However, he stated that cricket requires managing

emotions to a significant extent; but he did not consider it as demanding. He addressed the

challenges he faced as a young cricketer at the professional level. No other conclusions can

be drawn from his comments. Due to his hesitancy to speak, Shane was interviewed only

once.

Case Study 3 – “Martin”, First Interview: An Insight into the Emotional Challenges of



“Martin” is a professional cricketer with three years experience in first class cricket.

Though predominantly a bowler, Martin is considered an all rounder in the team due to his

prowess in batting as well as bowling. Similar to Steve (first case study), Martin provided

numerous examples since he was interviewed during the cricket season. Martin also

provided insight into the emotional challenges of rookie (younger) players. Also, he

believed that older players were better at handling emotions and the pressures of the game.

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Martin believed that professional cricket necessitated the management of emotions

to a significant extent. “It is all about how you deal with things emotionally during the

whole day . . . you could be emotionally up and down quite erratically.” He related this to

the emotional nature of cricket. “I think it is 80 percent mental; international and first class

cricket it is more mental.” Hence, Martin believed a player’s emotions could involve

suppressing anger, frustrations and similar emotions for the entire duration of the game,

which Martin perceives is around seven hours. “So you’ve got to suppress anger and

frustration and all that for the whole seven hours.” It may be argued that these demands are

related to the game per se, however, it involves regulating emotions to abide by the ICC

rules; and hence may involve EL to some degree.

Furthermore, Martin stated that players suppressed and regulated their emotions on

the cricket field, and vented/released their frustration once they were in the dressing room:

“Once you are in closed doors, you can do what you want- a lot of frustration there, a lot at

stake because it is a pretty high-pressure stuff.” The reference to high-pressure might

involve selection/career concerns and that of competitive matches. This might be because

players’ continuity in the team depends on their performance; hence, the pressure to

perform consistently is paramount. This would be especially difficult for young entrants

like Martin who might be trying to establish their place in the team.

Also, displaying sportsmanship for the audience or cricket spectators is essential.

Martin explains it in the following manner: “So once you have your back towards the

spectators and no one can see it, you are on your own you can do what you want.”

However, Martin believed it was important to regulate emotions because it could affect

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performance. “If you are emotionally up and down, I think it will affect your performance

like really, really.” Also, Martin perceived that older cricketers are able to handle their

emotions effectively due to their age and experience. “They know how to handle their

emotions much better during the game due to their experience.”

Mixed Emotions

Similar to the two participants, Martin also commented on mixed emotions. Since

cricket is a team game constituting eleven players, the occurrence of mixed emotions is not

surprising, hence as Martin explained, players tend to modulate emotions for themselves

and also for the team. “That sort of situation is a little bit hard in cricket because it is an

individual game, yet it is such a team game as well where you sort of have to curb your

emotions for the team and not for yourself.” Martin provided instances where he had dealt

with such situations. In the first, Martin stated he was happy because he performed

exceptionally well but disappointed that the team lost the match. “I got a ten wicket haul in

the match and we lost by few runs . . . It’s a bit of both you are happy but not. It’s a little

disappointing, hard and I’m angry but more batsmanly.” In the second situation the team

had the won the match but Martin was disappointed with his poor performance: “At times

the team wins, you are happy but then you got a duck and no runs but you got to be happy

because the team won.”

Coping

Martin explained that triggers and switches helped him to focus on the task at hand,

which helped in managing emotions and performance. “A lot of it is about letting go and

focusing. Also, I have been working a lot on triggers and rituals.” Martin reported that he

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strives to maintain a pre-delivery routine even while training and Martin felt it helps him

during match situations. “I practice it at training as well, I practice it at routines, so every

single ball I bowl I do exactly the same thing.” Furthermore, Martin models himself

according to a reputed previous Australian bowler. He regards this player as emotionally

well-regulated. “The biggest person I look at for emotions is X (previous Australian

bowler).” In addition, Martin felt his role model’s experience and age aided in managing

emotions. “I think also his age comes in; the older you are the better you are at managing

your emotions.”

It is clear that Martin manages his emotions mainly through suppression; however,

the player does not view it as harmful. In fact, Martin believes it is good to be emotionally

regulated. This suggests that EL can have positive or negative consequences, depending on

the individual perception of the situation. This will be further explained in detail in the

discussion chapter.



ICC Codes

Martin’s initial comments regarding ICC codes were that they were quite easy to

adhere to. “I think all of them are pretty much fair.” However, when questioned about

specific codes, he stated that it was emotionally challenging to adhere to a few of these

codes. More specifically, Martin provided an example where he showed dissent at the

umpire’s decision (Table 20, ICC code # 3) and was subsequently fined for his action. “I

was done for one match suspension . . . they were really harsh, I didn’t swear, I kicked the

stump.” Martin believed the fine that included a one-match suspension was severe because

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the officials didn’t take into account his previous good or clean record. “But at that time it

was sort of quite a frustrating time generally and they didn’t really take into account the

good record I had.” Moreover, Martin felt he would have escaped the fine if the spectators

had not commented on it. “The spectators saw it and a spectator made a comment and that

is when the umpire took note. If no one saw it and it was only the umpires, it would have

been fine.” Hence, Martin perceived if cricket actions did not leave the field, they would be

ignored and forgotten. “And that is the biggest issue if what happens on the field stays on

the field and no one else can hear or see it, it gets shoved under the carpet but when the

spectators can hear it, that’s when they take action.” He explained that his frustration was

built up over the previous few deliveries where crucial and close LBW decisions went

against him. Also, his teammates had misfielded in a few instances. As a result, Martin

believed that his emotions were built-up. This suggests that pent-up feelings might leak in

an unexpected manner at emotionally charged crucial moments (Bailey & McCollough,

2000; Ekman, 1992).

I had few LBW [leg before wicket] decisions – big one’s go against me. These were LBW’s I was absolutely sure but the umpire gave it ‘not out’ so that sort of built up a bit . . . . And the fielding in the side I was playing was very poor [not good] as well. There were few shots I bowled that got hit to the fielders went through their legs [misfielding] for fours and that built up to the frustration.

Martin felt the Captains code (Table 20, ICC code # 1) was a strict rule because the

team Captain is responsible for the actions of the entire team, and stated that the other

players ought to understand the Captain’s demanding role. “It is a little bit hard, I think the

other ten blokes in the side have to be aware of that rule and know how hard it is [for the

Captain].” Martin once again emphasised that cricket is an individual game but within a

team setting, and hence felt players need to take responsibility for their actions. “It is built

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on individuals but in a team environment.” This is because Martin felt a player’s individual

performance was as important as the team’s. “So I go in there and bowl for myself and if I

get five wickets, I am really, really happy but I’ve done well for the team.”

Martin’s views on sledging (Table 20, ICC code # 4) revealed that if a player

seemed angry, edgy or nervous the opposition would take advantage of his predicament.

This might be especially difficult for a debutant player and players returning from poor

form (slump). Also, such situations might require the expenditure of a significant amount of

emotional resources.

Massively . . . if he [a bowler] just runs to his mark, rushes in and gets really angry and frustrated, you feel ‘oh I am on top of him’. . . . If you are bowling at a person who gets easily distracted, aggressive and angry, you keep on sledging and niggling at him [batsman] until he loses the plot and plays a rash shot or bowls a bad ball . . . and that is sort of where you get targeted and lose.

Martin remarked that there was a difference in adhering to the rules (ICC & CA) at

first class cricket and international cricket. He explained this by citing how swearing

(Table 20, ICC code # 4) was interpreted at the first-class level. Martin felt the umpires

were lenient towards players as far their swearing was not audible to spectators, as it would

lead to criticism by the spectators and the player could face reprimand and penalties.

There is a little bit of difference between first class and international cricket; in first class cricket there is quite a bit of swearing going on but if the swearing can be heard by the spectators, then the umpires will take some action but if the swearing is just on the field and the spectators can’t listen to it, then that is ok.

Furthermore, Martin believed that at the first class level umpires were more lenient

to the players. Hence, Martin felt sledging, excessive appealing and aggression by fast

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bowlers was expected to a certain degree, and players were reported only when they

repeatedly committed these offences.

I think what they say on paper and what the umpires put up with when you are out in the field is a little different. So there is sledging that goes on and the umpires let it go because it is part and parcel of the game. So a lot of the rules can be bent a bit as long as it is not broken. Similarly, sledging, excessive appealing and aggressive manner towards batsmen or bowlers are accepted . . . . and they [umpires] give you a couple of warnings but if they [players] do it the third time they [umpires] will step in and say ‘you have breached the conduct’.

On the other hand, Martin felt interpretation of ICC rules was a lot stricter in

international matches. This perception stems from the fact that a player’s perspective is not

taken into consideration when fined for dissent. However, Martin felt it was necessary for

the ICC officials to look into the circumstances behind a player’s misdemeanor because

there might be an important reason behind it, such as a player’s selection could depend on

the performance of this match.

I think in international games it is a bit over the top sometimes with sort of a bad LBW decision or a bad umpiring decision; the umpires do take view if he has shown any dissent at all; they will have a go at him and ping [fine] him than sitting back and think why he has been upset. And he could be playing for the position in his side; he could have got four of five bad scores and suddenly get a bad umpiring decision and that will sort of restrict the score and then he will be dropped from the side.

This section indicates that Martin considers some of the ICC codes challenging to

adhere to, and the management of these involve a certain amount of emotional regulation.


Martin believed that organisational expectation increased with a player’s age and

experience because he felt older players can handle the challenges and expectations much

more effectively. “I think the more the expectation gets put on you, the older you are

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getting”. Martin also feels that younger players between 19 to 21 years of age might not be

able to handle the responsibility during the early phases of their career, and as a result many

drop out during the early stages of their career.

If you are really young and a good player, if lot of people put their expectations, they can’t handle it. So that’s where you get lot of younger players like 19-21 [years] who fall off on the wayside [drop out] because they can’t handle the pressure. Whereas, when you are older like 25 [years] and lot of expectations get put on you, you can handle it because you are a bit older and you know your game.

Martin felt the pressure on him was increasing since he has been playing in the team

for few years. “I think it is getting more at the moment; I am getting up at the moment.” His

perception also takes into consideration the monetary aspect involved, which Martin

believed was important. “I have only started getting paid and getting more money and that

comes into it as well.”


Cricket Admirers (fans) and Media

Martin believed it was essential to exercise caution while expressing his views to

the media. “Basically you chat to the media and whatever you say does come out, so you

have to be a little careful and be on the safer side.” Also, Martin stated that he refrained

from making any negative comments on other sports personalities because he did not want

to provide the media any opportunity to present his views in a controversial manner and/or

disrupt the team spirit. “The big issue is I don’t talk about anyone like if someone is testing

positive for drugs or someone doing something wrong, then you just say ‘no comment’ and

let them sort it out.”

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Furthermore, Martin felt the media was interested in interviewing him only when he

performed well. “And if they do it’s only when you have done well anyways, so you just

talk about yourself and how you bowled.” Martin admitted that the media could invade on

player’s privacy, but he mentioned that the organisational media personnel handled such

aspects. “Yeah they can be a little intrusive sometimes but obviously we have got media

guys to sort of separate the players from the media.”

Martin also explained that abusive crowds were common in many first class and

international matches. He provided an instance when the team received abuse from the

spectators, and Martin related this to the influence of alcohol. Though Martin admitted that

it was challenging to cope with such situations, he believed it was essential to focus on the

game and his performance. Focusing on performance under such circumstances would

necessitate a good amount of emotional regulation.

It happens a lot in first class cricket like we went to the country [side] and drink [alcohol] takes effect. As a result a lot of the blokes [players] were getting abuse from the crowd and some of it was serious abuse and you don’t really need it. There was some really nasty comments made but at the end of the day you just have to cope with it . . . . It can be hard sometimes but you just have to take it and ‘shut off’ and keep doing what you have to do.

Martin’s comments in this section suggest the need for professional players to

portray themselves and the organisation in a positive light, indicating the amount of EL

professional players perform on a regular basis.

Similar to the previous two case studies, Martin manages his emotions mainly

through suppression and by dealing with mixed emotions. However, the participant

believed it was essential to regulate emotions to perform well. This suggests that Martin

might be performing more deep acting than surface acting. This is because he regulates his

performance as he thinks it is essential for performance and not just due to organisational

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rules. Yet, he also provided instances where bottled-up emotions could leak out during

unexpected, critical situations. This suggests that players switch between the types of acting

performed depending on the situational context (Brotheridge & Lee, 1998). Also, Martin

stated that the ICC codes pertaining to umpiring decisions, sledging and swearing at self

were challenging and required emotional regulation. In addition, he addressed the

discrepancy between first class and international cricket regarding ICC rules. Finally,

Martin observed the effect cricket audience and media could have on players’ emotional

regulation, suggesting the constant performance of EL by professional cricketers.

Case Study 3 – “Martin”, Second Interview: Video-analysis of match situations and

player perceptions of the ‘role of culture’ in professional cricket.

Video-analysis: Focusing on the Management of Emotions form an EL Perspective

Shane Warne’s LBW Appeals

The clip displayed Warne’s unsuccessful appeals and his reaction when the umpire

ruled against him (favouring batsmen) three times in the first test match of the Ashes in

2006. According to Martin, Shane Warne was very frustrated (in the clip) and Martin

related Warne’s frustration to the umpire for turning down three close appeals (LBW’s). He

commented: “I think he [Shane Warne] is feeling a lot of frustration, especially at the

umpires.” Also, Martin linked Warne’s frustration to the high-pressure associated with the

‘Ashes’, more so because it was the first test match of the series. In most instances, both

teams would be eager to gain a psychological advantage and win the first test match of the

series.

Yeah considering how frustrating it can be with the umpire and with the situation of the game [Ashes]. He would have wanted to get wickets, and with sort of three

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close LB’s [LBW] . . . . Obviously the Ashes is a pretty intense game, so we sort of have to look at the situation as well.

He then explained the difference between a high-pressure Ashes series with

England to a relatively low-pressure test match against minnows Bangladesh. Furthermore,

Martin felt Warne was under much more pressure to perform well due to his responsibility

as a senior player. Hence, Martin believed that Warne handled himself very well

considering the situation, high-pressure and the frustrations of the first test match of an

Ashes series.

It [Ashes] is a massive game, probably if it was against Bangladesh and it was just a test it wouldn’t have been so important. But because it is the Ashes, it is a big test and a big series at the start of it as well, he [Warne] is under a lot more pressure and responsibility to do well, so his frustrations would have come a lot more and I thought he handled it really, really well to be honest . . . . I think he [Warne] handled himself massively well.

Martin also made an interesting observation regarding Warne’s persistent appeals.

Martin explained this from a bowler’s point of view, since he is a specialist bowler similar

to Shane Warne. Martin felt Warne’s first LBW appeal (in the clip) was very close but

since the umpire turned it down, Warne applied continual pressure on the umpire while

appealing for the other two decisions, and as explained by Martin this was typical of

bowlers (in this instance it was Warne) to pressurise the umpire to make up for their

previous judgment.

May be the first LB [of Warne’s] coming from a bowler’s point of view was pretty close, and the others might have been appeals where they weren’t that close, but he has appealed so that hopefully the umpire will make up for the bad decision earlier. So, Warni will keep on appealing [in the next two] - so the umpire will go ‘all right that one is out because I sort of made a blue [wrong decision] 20 minutes ago, so I want to make up for that’.

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In this regard, Martin felt bowlers ought to apply pressure on the umpires to adjudge

a decision favoring the bowler. “In all these games you also have to put pressure on the

umpires.” And Martin believed that Warne was applying pressure on the umpire with his

persistent appeals. “He [Warne] puts pressure on the umpire to try and give him decisions

[in favour of bowler], so that is why I think he appeals a lot.” Though not the primary

purpose of this study, these comments highlight the amount of pressure umpires encounter

in such situations, which would involve the modulation of emotions to a substantial extent.

Furthermore, similar to the first interview Martin emphasised that the umpires and

officials ought to consider the circumstances before reporting or penalising a player for

breaching codes (e.g., excessive appealing, emotional outbursts). This perception stems

because Martin believed high-pressure games such as the Ashes involves tremendous

pressure, and hence, emotions could get out of control. Also, he expressed concerns

because the ICC was currently not taking into consideration these aspects while reporting

or penalising a player.

If it is a high-pressure game, the aspect of leniency towards bowlers is needed . . . . I don’t think they [umpire] do unfortunately but I think they should definitely because there is a lot more pressure on players and lot more feeling in the game and emotions can get over flown lot quicker in such games . . . . I think the umpires need to look into that sometimes, look at the circumstances and situations they are in.

As Martin states above, high-pressure games such as the Ashes involve much more

pressure and correspondingly higher emotional regulation.

Ricky Ponting’s Dismissal

The second clip shown was the dismissal of the Australian Captain Ricky Ponting

and his reaction when he was adjudged ‘out’ (by the umpire) in the third test match of

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Ashes 2006. Martin felt Ricky Ponting managed his emotions remarkably well, especially

since he believed that Ponting was ‘not-out’. He commented: “I think he handled himself

well, brilliantly, and it was definitely, definitely ‘not-out’ . . . . The way Ponting handled

himself was second to none.” Furthermore, Martin believed that England players exerted

immense pressure on the umpire with their appeal, and hence Martin felt the umpire ruled

in favor of England (against Australia’s Captain Ponting). “First of all I think England put a

lot of pressure on the umpire as well.” Interestingly, he stated that in similar situations, he

would also apply the same amount of pressure on the umpire to rule in his favour. “I know

that is exactly the same thing I would do.”

In addition to the players exerting pressure on the umpires, Martin felt England also

had the home crowd advantage, which he believed added further pressure on the umpires to

decide in favor of the host country (England). In most instances, the host country would

have tremendous support from the spectators. So in this instance, when the English players

appealed for Ponting’s wicket, they were backed from many English supporters in the

stadium. The quote below also highlights the pressure experienced by on-field umpires.

The appeal that went up and also the home crowd [test match was played in England] . . . it made a big difference. I think it makes a huge difference when the whole crowd goes up. And it can have an effect on the umpires, although they are professionals – I think the crowd and noise still does influence them a little bit. And when all the eleven blokes [fielding team] like England go up on a huge appeal, it is an important wicket and under huge circumstances, the umpire would surely be pressured.

Besides, Martin emphasised that the pressure on umpires would be different in

different countries. He believed that umpires could be under much more pressure while

umpiring at the Eden Garden stadium in India than at New Zealand. This is because Indians

passionately follow cricket and as described by Martin the entire crowd would be cheering

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and appealing most deliveries bowled by Indian, especially spinners. The chances of an

LBW or caught behind is more frequent when spinners bowl, compared to that of a fast

bowler. Also, Martin felt the pressure was immense on the umpire and players in such

situations. In this instance, he exclaimed that the pressure to perform and win matches was

more on Indian players. This suggests that the potential for EL might be relatively high

among Indian cricketers.

Different countries will have lot more pressures than others, like 100 thousand people in Eden Gardens in India, and X and Y [Indian spinners] bowling, there would be more pressure [on the umpires] instead of a test [match] in New Zealand with a couple of seam bowlers bowling. I think it is still high-stakes but I think just the pressures on umpires is different. I couldn’t imagine a 100 thousand people going up for an appeal every single ball [in India], just shows how much pressure umpires and players would be under . . . . I think the pressure is bigger in India.

Martin’s Examples

Martin provided an example of a situation wherein he failed to regulate his

emotions. Martin explained that in a match, the umpire ruled a close LBW decision against

him, and in the very next ball a catch was dropped. Both these incidents affected Martin

negatively and as he explains below, he failed to modulate his emotions. Specifically, he

questioned the umpire and also kicked the ground and stumps, which is a breach of the ICC

code (Table 20, ICC code # 3 & 6). As a result, Martin was reported for code breach and

suspended for a match.

I have definitely been in few situations where I have lost it a little bit. One time I bowled and it was a really, really close LBW, I thought it was out, everyone thought it was out, even the batsman thought it was out but the umpire decided not to give it out. And I sort of questioned the umpire . . . And then the next ball the bloke sort of French cut locked between bat and pad [an LBW appeal], it went to fine leg and it was dropped. And somewhere I just lost it, so I kicked the ground and kicked the stumps as well. So I got reported and got suspended for a match.

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Furthermore, Martin revealed that these two incidents affected his performance for

the rest of the match. In addition, Martin felt his performance deteriorated since he lost

confidence, and his emotions had taken over. In spite of bowling a few more overs after the

incident, Martin stated that he did not bowl well.

Yeah I kept bowling but I bowled poorly, so emotions took over a lot . . . . I was disappointed and lost confidence because I was not getting wickets. You have two wickets but unfortunately the umpire did not give you the decision, and also your teammates are not backing up to catch it when you did get a wicket because some one dropped a wicket as well.

In this regard, Martin once again emphasised that the ICC officials ought to provide

players with an opportunity to explain their case before they are fined and/or suspended. He

felt it would help if a player’s circumstance behind a code breach was taken into

consideration.

When there is a report and chatting to players, they should take into account what happened that day, what happened in the past and what sort of pressure the player is under . . . . It’s good if they know the circumstances under which such things happen.

Also, Martin believed that in some situations it was much more difficult for bowlers

(than batsmen) to regulate their emotions. This was because Martin felt bowlers have to

continue bowling and focus on their role of dismissing batsmen (claiming wickets), and this

could be difficult when a bowler has had one or two close decisions ruled against him. On

the other hand, Martin observed that was once a batsman was dismissed, he has a couple of

hours to vent out his frustration and manage his emotions. This indicates that bowlers may

need to regulate their emotions for extended time. Steve (first participant) expressed similar

views.

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I didn’t show any emotion on the field but when I got into the change room that’s when you sort of let your emotions out a little bit. And I think when you bat and you are given out, you can afford to let your emotions go because you are not going to be batting or fielding for sometime after that. It is a lot different to bowling because when you bowl 20 seconds later you have to bowl the next ball, so you have to keep going. Whereas batting once you’re out - obviously you are out [of the game] and you have few hours to think about it. So I think it is a lot harder for bowlers some times get some bad decisions and keep going, you have to be a lot more mentally tougher in such situations as a bowler than as a batsmen.

Similar to Steve (case-study 1), Martin’s examples of emotional regulation were

related to umpiring decision, suggesting the amount of emotional restrained required by

professional cricketers in most competitive matches, and it could be much more during

high-pressure games such as the Ashes.



ICC Codes

Martin expressed that there were many occasions when an umpiring decision has

gone against him. Yet, he believed the sooner he overcame the disappointment, the better it

was for him.

Oh all the time, it happens. The umpires are usually pretty good but you have times when they don’t make the right decision and I think you just have to get over it. The quicker you get over it, the better you will be.

Since, the rules (Table 20, ICC Code # 3) require the appropriate handling of

emotions, Martin stated that he tries to regulate his emotions when dealing with frustrations

over umpiring decisions. Focusing on ‘routines’ has helped Martin to cope a lot better with

perceived unfair umpiring decisions. His action shows that routines help him in

concentrating on the present rather than the past or the future. Also, Martin believed that

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regulating emotions is a sign of mental toughness. This suggests that regulating emotions is

considered an important facet in cricket.

I think if you sort of control yourself and control those emotions in those sort of situations. You can’t get it out . . . . Something I have done a lot this year is ‘routines’. . . . You don’t sort of worry about the past and you don’t worry about the future either. If a bad decision has gone your way, that is gone, you can’t do anything about it. I think routines definitely help and if you don’t show many emotions, you are mentally very, very tough.

Martin perceived sledging (Table 20, ICC code # 4) as a sign of confidence and

arrogance. For example, “I think it is just more when they are confident in their own

abilities and sledging is just a form of arrogance.” He explained that sledging could become

abusive in many situations. Martin illustrated that in a match he faced abuses (such as

weakling) because he had ‘retired’ hurt from the field. However, these abusive comments

did not affect Martin. But, Martin observed that such abuses and comments linger off-the

field, even though it was meant to be left on the field.

It does get abusive, one game this year got very abusive . . . . I was batting. I was injured so I came off the field, and then went back to bat, so when I started scoring runs they started sledging me saying ‘my injury wasn’t as bad as what I made it to be’, they called me weak and sledged me a lot but it didn’t affect me a lot and you just say ‘whatever’. . . . I think there is a borderline when they say ‘what goes on the field, stays on the field’. I think it can get too heated and too abusive, it does linger off the field.

Martin coped with sledging mainly by switching-off, as it did not break his

concentration. Instead of involving in a verbal duel, Martin stated that he tried to keep his

emotions under control and concentrate on the game.

I just deal with it by switching off; a lot of it is a waste of breath from them. So when they sledge, I listen to it- you can’t not listen to it, some blokes tell them to shut up and that works for them. But I tend to stick to my game and try not to let my emotions take away. Whereas if you do get involved in sledging, sometimes you get

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too involved by trying to tell them to shut up and you lose concentration on what you are trying to do, so I just try to concentrate on the game.

Aspects related to the game such as umpiring decisions, sledging and abuses from

the opponents require a substantial amount of emotional regulation. Yet, as Martin

observed it is essential to block out distractions and focus on performance. This might be

especially tough on younger players like Martin; yet, it appears that he is coping reasonably

well with the challenges of professional cricket by employing various techniques such as

routines (pre-game deliveries) and rationalisation.

Selection

Martin expressed disappointment as he was dropped from the State team for a few

games to accommodate a senior Australian player. This comment suggests that

performance might not be the only criterion employed for the selection of a player.

“Unfortunately I was dropped for a few games because an Australian player came down.”

Martin also addressed the manner in which a dropped player was side lined and ignored by

teammates and coaching staff. “When someone is not playing in the side . . . they just get

pushed aside- a little bit in the corner, and no one is really worried about that player.” This

suggests that professional cricketers might require additional sources of support-network to

deal with deselection and related concerns.

On the other hand, Martin believed deselected players ought to treat such situations

as a challenge and seek help, whether it was from senior players or elsewhere. Hence,

Martin coped with de-selection through reframing and rationalisation.

It is also up to the player to seek help and sometimes when you are down in the dumps, you just want to be left alone and consolidate yourself. I think that is

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sometime poor [not good], the player has to get up and treat it as a setback, so not worry about it and look to the future . . . . It is a lot harder than it sounds.

Also, Martin believed emotional management was influenced a great deal by the

situation, especially with players’ selection concerns. In this regard, he felt emotions could

leak out when players are under immense pressure to perform.

Different situations can affect such decisions in a different manner. Let’s say, for example you need to perform that game or you are going to get dropped, so that could spill over and let your emotions out because you have to get wickets to keep your spot. So selection issues come into it . . . . I think quite a lot of pressures come into it at different moments.

Similar to the first two studies, selection concerns appear to be a particularly

sensitive topic. This is also in line with the findings of Woodman and Hardy (2001). In this

case, we also need to bear in mind that Martin is a young and up-coming player, who is

trying to find a permanent place in the team. This also suggests that these concerns could

play a crucial role in a player’s emotion management of a particular situation.

Team Atmosphere

Martin reported that interacting and seeking advice from teammates has helped him

in dealing with his emotions. As Martin describes below, the macho culture of not

expressing feelings to teammates has taken a back seat. Also, Martin felt having a good and

approachable team was important for performance and the management of emotions,

especially since players are touring for lengthy periods. This suggests that if the team

atmosphere is unfriendly, it may add to the existing pressures of high-profile cricket.

I find the most value when you talk to your teammates and confide in them because they are the blokes that help you on tour and the mental skills trainer can’t travel away with us on tours. So players turn into your real mates and that is who you talk

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to; so this idea about being macho and not talking about your feelings to your mates has taken a bit of a side-step now, you do talk to your mates about your emotions and feelings . . . . Also, when you have really good teammates around you it makes a big difference like when you are not going that great, you have your teammates to pep you up.

As explained by Martin, unfair umpiring decisions sledging and selection matters

require the management of emotions to a certain degree. Hence, this suggests that perceived

demands might significantly influence the performance of EL.


Media and Senior Cricketers

Martin’s experiences with the media have been a mixture of good and bad instances.

Martin stated that he preferred to read favorable performance reviews and tries to be

disconcerted by unfavorable reviews. “Good and bad, usually pretty good . . . . I try and not

take it that much like I read it – if it is good I read it and if it is bad, I don’t worry about it.”

Martin also felt the media exaggerated most events because their aim was to reach more

clientele. However, Martin felt events reported by a spectator or media spokesperson was

quite different from the actual proceedings on the cricket field.

A lot of it is hyped up a lot . . . they report on what they watch whereas if they are out in the middle it is a different feeling. And I think with media, they are there to sell newspapers so they are not going to write anything boring and very truthfully. They want to sell newspapers and they have got a job to do, it is part and parcel.

Martin believed the pressure on first class cricketers has increased, and he instantly

linked this pressure to the commercial nature of cricket and the media hype. In order to

handle these challenges related to cricket effectively, Martin felt there was a need for more

support and welfare staff.

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I think the pressure now on cricketers is probably a little bit more with the money and the media thing, a lot of things coming into it now and there is lot more pressure on players. That is why I think there has to be more of support staff like helping players- welfare people who work on players. Martin felt the media’s emphasis on winning every match was exaggerated to a

certain extent. Also, Martin believed it was important to enjoy the game as much as

winning a match.

I think it is sometimes poor from the media about winning all the time, it is really important but it is not everything. That is what I have tried to do this season - I have worked really, really hard but come to game days what happens, happens like you can’t control those things that happen. At the end of the day you’ve got to love the game and enjoy it, enjoy the training and enjoy the hard work.

Martin also commented on the criticism he had received by cricketers and cricket-

related people. Though Martin perceived that such criticism affected him to a certain

extent, Martin felt it was up to the player to accept the criticism as a challenge and prove it

wrong or feel low about the criticism.

Sometimes people criticise me, not so much the media, but other people and other cricketers . . . . It affects a bit but also when people do criticise, it can work in two ways. You can say I will listen to him and sort of lose confidence or you say ‘no, I am a very good cricketer’ and prove them wrong. So it can work both ways.

It appears that cricket-related criticism and the media can influence the management

of emotions and performance to a significant extent.

Cultural Influences

Martin believed the foremost characteristics of Australian culture included the

attitude of hard work, never say die and play to win attitude. He felt these characteristics

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were an inherent part of the Australian society and it would not change for the next fifty

years.

The main culture is never say die, never give up, always work very hard, and also play the game to win but fairly- these characteristics of Australian culture will never sort of go. I think it has been there for fifty years and it will be there for another fifty years.

On the other hand, Martin believed the Australian cultural emphasis on ‘win at all

cost’ was overrated, especially with the younger age groups. He felt this pressure should

not be applied from an early age. Furthermore, as Martin states the ‘win at all cost’ attitude

includes ‘you are not there to make friends’ concept; however, he perceived it was

important to communicate with the opposition team.

I think Australians are brought up to win, sometimes win at all costs, which I think is too much, especially with different age groups, it is about winning at all cost . . . . It is definitely important in Australia but when you can cope with it, like a 12 year old shouldn’t be put on like ‘you have to win, you have to do this and have to do that’. . . . I think the idea in Australia is ‘you are not there to make friends’ so that is come into the game a bit, I think you should still be able to talk to your opposition.

Martin revealed that the Australian cricket culture did not influence him much

because his views regarding certain aspects were different from the National teams.

Specifically, he refrained from sledging and demonstrating emotions on the field, two

characteristics that Martin felt was a part of the Australian team. Also, he did not feel the

need to follow the Australian cricket culture regarding these and other aspects.

It does not help me a great deal; I don’t really look up to it. With the culture I keep to what I like doing personally like I don’t go there and sledge, I don’t sledge at all . . . . and I don’t really get emotional on the field, it is a little bit hard sometimes. I don’t try to follow the Australian cricket culture.

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Martin’s statements suggest that the Australian cricket culture has not influenced

him to a great extent. Also, Martin doesn’t feel the need to follow Australian culture’s

emphasis on ‘winning at all cost’.

Cricket Culture

Martin addressed the changing trends of modern cricket, emphasising the

professional attitude of the Australian cricket team. However, Martin felt the emphasis on

professionalism was taking more precedence than cricket, and playing the game for sheer

joy. He believed most cricketers were adapting to the highly professional attitude to get

better than other players; abstaining from alcohol, fitness and nutrition were examples

provided to explain the emphasis on professionalism. The following comment expresses his

perception regarding the changing trends in Australian cricket.

I think it is changing in Australia, like the Australian culture used to be quite beer drinking, have a good time and not sort of really professional, but now it has turned into a very, very professional game. Like 20 years ago if a nutritionist came and talked to an Australian side, they would get laughed at but now they are all very keen towards nutrition and fitness and be the best possible athlete they can be and sometimes cricket can take a back-seat which I think is bad. I think you should work hard on your skills, and then your fitness and nutrition is second but I think it is getting a lot more professional and everyone is trying to look for that one percent to get better, whether it is not drinking alcohol at all or things like that.

On the other hand, there were also some positive changes. For example, he

expressed that cricketers these days were much open regarding their feelings and emotions.

He felt players could talk about their emotions to mental skills trainers and also to senior

players, and benefit from their experiences.

I think with the modern day cricket you can talk about emotions, there are lot of people like coaches and mental skills trainers who can help you out . . . . they might be ex-players [coaches] who are about 50 or 60 years old but they have been through what you been through because cricket is the same, it never changes. A young cricketer would go through exactly the same.

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Martin addressed the emphasis on professionalism in this section, which put cricket

on the back seat. It also suggests the highly competitive nature of professional cricket with

each player trying to gain an edge over the other in order to retain his spot.


Martin considered regulating emotions would help him to retain focus on the game,

and this in turn would ensure consistent performance. This is consistent with the findings of

Wharton (1993), because they found that EL was found to correlate positively with job

satisfaction.

It helps to be more consistent with your performances. Whereas, if your emotions waver a lot and you either get really, really stressed when you do badly or you are happy when you are doing well and that is when your consistency wavers a lot in your performances . . . . And that is when consistent performances get helped out a lot . . . I think it is so important to keep your emotions in check and keep them constant.

On the other hand, Martin also emphasised that it was not always possible to

regulate emotions, especially during high-pressure games since he felt emotions were much

stronger. Also, he added that if frustrations were built-up over a period of time, it could

leak out, either on the cricket field or elsewhere. This corresponds to the findings on

breaking character (Bailey & McCollough, 2000). Breaking character refers to an employee

reacting in a manner not appropriate to the organisation such as expressing negative moods

or reactions to customers (Bailey & McCollough, 2000). Ekman (1992) revealed that as

suppressed negative feelings can leak out.

You can say ‘I am never going to let my emotions out’ but sometimes you can’t help it because circumstances come in, especially in high-pressure games your emotions can be a lot stronger. Therefore, if something doesn’t go your way and

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you have built it up and built it up, it has to come out somewhere and hopefully it is not on the cricket field.

Besides, Martin felt it was essential to discuss about one’s feelings and emotions.

He made the following comment on Marcus Trescothick’s stress-related break down prior

to the Ashes of 2006-2007. “I think you have definitely have to talk about your emotions a

lot in cricket.” He also stated that the personality of a player would eventually emerge at

some stage, even if the player tried to control and regulate his feelings. For example, he

stated that if a player was temperamental and angry by nature, he would be abusive on the

field.

Natural personality still comes out in the field, I am not going to sledge or get abusive, whereas, players who are angry off the field are quite abusive on the field. So it is different for different personalities.

Switching-off from cricket has helped Martin to manage his emotions effectively

both on and off the cricket field. Martin explained that his part-time job was unrelated to

cricket and this aided in switching focus from cricket to his job.

Personally I am pretty good with emotions because I have got things outside cricket. So I am not one of those who just comes for training and that is the only thing I do during the day, like I work and that is really, really important . . . . I think because I work [part-time work outside cricket] I am focused on my work and not just cricket.

Furthermore, Martin believed it was essential to mentally detach from cricket

related activities. He emphasised the importance of non-cricket related activities because he

felt thinking and playing cricket over a period of time could lead to a lot of frustration,

especially without proper sources for release of emotions. Also, bottling-up emotions

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related to cricket over a period of time could spill over to other areas, and as Martin

explains below it could get displaced into the player’s personal life.

You need to definitely mentally detach yourself because cricket is more mental than physical. A four-day game is more mentally draining so you definitely need time away from it mentally . . . . It helps massively because I think as a person if you think about cricket day-in and day-out you get wound up and you haven’t got any release. So it keeps on bottling up like all your emotions and you let your frustrations out on people who don’t deserve it like your parents or your girl friend. So if something little happens, you just snap at them. Finally, he summarised that senior players handled emotions a lot better than

younger players, and this was because he believed their age and experience helped in

dealing with the emotional challenges of the game. Again, these views are consistent with

Steve’s (first case-study).

I think with emotions, the older you are and the more experienced the better you get at it . . . . I think experienced players are a lot more consistent and a lot better because they handle their emotions a lot better than an 18 year old due to their experience.

The evidence from this interview suggests that Martin perceives that high-pressure

games such as the Ashes could necessitate larger expenditure of emotional resources due to

the pressure and intensity of the game. However, Martin also believed that suppressed or

unexpressed emotion and frustration over extended lengths of time would eventually leak

out. Also, Martin felt aspects related to perceived unfair umpiring decisions, abusive

sledging and selection aspects require the management of emotions to a certain degree.

Finally, Martin reported that the Australian culture in general and the Australian cricket

culture did not influence him a great deal.

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Summary and Conclusions

From the study data, it is evident that all the three professional cricketers in this

study stated that they manage their emotions. This could be due to organisational rules

(Morris & Feldman, 1996; Harris, 2002), societal rules (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993),

cultural expectations (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993; Hofstede, 1980), audience expectations

(Fineman, 1993; Harris, 2002). In addition, most of this emotional management requires

the suppression of genuine emotions and handling of mixed emotions. Also apparent in the

data was that most emotional management instances quoted related to performance and

umpiring decisions, and not organisational factors. Firstly, this could possibly be due to the

primary purpose of this study which was to identify EL during performance and

competitive situations. Secondly, since it was a face-to-face interview and participants

exercised some caution while addressing aspects related to the organisation and

organisational rules, involving in a form of impression management for the organisation

and themselves (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993).

Once again selection related aspects evolved as a pressing issue to the players.

These results concur with that of Woodman and Hardy (2001). In addition media,

spectators and commercialisation evolved as central issues in the public management of

emotions. Harris (2002) suggested that barristers manage their emotions and ‘act’ to

appease their audience. Likewise, professional cricketers in this study stated that they

manage their emotions in a manner expected by the audience; however, this could vary

according to the culture of a particular place (Singh & Hofstede, 1990). Furthermore, the

consequences of regulating emotions privately and publicly could be positive or negative

depending on the role internalisation, job satisfaction and situational context (Ashforth &

Humphrey, 1993; Grandey, 2003). Though, definite conclusions cannot be drawn regarding

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the method of acting employed (deep or surface acting) by these players. Moreover, the

participants employ both surface (response-focused) and deep acting (antecedent-focused)

methods to perform depending on the context. However, it appears that younger players

employ surface acting (Hoschschild, 1983) or response-focused regulation (Gross, 1998b)

much more than older players.

In-depth case study analysis along with video-prompting techniques helped in

understanding the EL phenomenon. However, due to the sensitive nature of the study and

the high-profile status of these cricketers, validity was restricted to source triangulation. In

addition, the three participants interviewed were from Australia. In order to understand the

cultural perspective more adequately, it is essential to conduct in-depth interviews on

cricketers from a culturally distinct context. Study 4 was specifically designed for this

purpose.

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CHAPTER 6: STUDY FOUR

CASE STUDY APPROACH OF INDIAN PLAYERS

Having examined emotional labour (EL) within the Australian cricket setting with a

variety of techniques (i.e., focus groups, survey and in-depth interviews), it was considered

important to explore the EL phenomenon in a culturally distinct context. Hence, four

international Indian cricketers with similar backgrounds to the Australian cricketers were

interviewed regarding their perceptions of the emotional demands in cricket.

A brief background of cricket in India is provided to explain the importance of

cricket in the sub-continent. Cricket in India is equivalent to Australian Rules Football in

Australia. Though hockey is the national game of India, cricket is the de facto national

sport due to the wide following by its populace (Bose, 2006; Majumdar, 2007). As a

consequence, fans turn out in large numbers, cricket stadiums are generally full, and cricket

matches have a festive atmosphere. There are tri-colored Indian flags waving everywhere,

thousands of fans wearing the official Indian cricket t-shirt or painting their faces and hands

with the Indian flag, and drums beating in the corner. The loud cheer that the Indian team

receives as they enter the pavilion is deafening.

Support for the Indian team is also seen in countrires like Australia and England due

to the large number of Indian immigrants in these countries. A number of official fan

groups have also been formed over the years, including the Swami Army or Bharat Army,

the Indian equivalent of England’s Barmy Army. These fan groups are very active in their

support when India tours abroad. For example, the Swami Army were highly visible when

India toured Australia in 2003/2004. A number of popular Indian songs have also focused

on the cricket team.

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Cross-border tensions and fanatical support have led to a strong rivalry between the

Indian cricket team and the Pakistan cricket team. India-Pakistan matches can be rightly

called the subcontinental equivalent of the Ashes (Australia–England matches). Cricket

visas are often employed to accomodate the thousands of fans wishing to cross the border

to watch these encounters. This ardent fan following is one of the major factors in the

Indian Cricket Board's financial success (Gooptu, 2004; Businessline, August 19, 1998).

There is, however, a down-side to the intense support for cricket in India. Losses are

not received well by the cricket-loving population. In some instances, defeats against arch-

rival Pakistan or a string of poor performances have led to player effigies being burnt in the

streets and vandalism of player homes. On many occassions, high-profile players have

received negative media attention, and it has been specualted that such negative attention

was one of the main reasons for Saurav Ganguly (previous Indian Captain) to be left out of

the Indian team during 2005. Similar scenes of vandalism and negative attention occurred

after the recent debacle of India at the World Cup in May, 2007.

At times, poor performances or controversies have resulted in public debacles. For

example, when India was losing to Sri Lanka at the World Cup semi-finals in 1996, the

match (played at the Eden Garden stadium in Kolkata, India) was abandoned due to

disrputive crowd behaviour. Most of this disruptive fan behaviour was directed at the

Indian team for their lacklustre performance. In that instance, an armed guard had to be

placed at the home of the team captain Mohammad Azharuddin to ensure his safety. At the

same time, however, poor performances are soon forgotten by the loyal fans, and the next

series is characterised by intense passion and support for the team. Furthermore, victories

against archrival Pakistan or victories in major tournaments such as the World Cup are

greeted with particular enthusiasm by the Indian fans.

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Because cricket is a national obsession in India, cricketers are publicly adored and

admired. They enjoy a high-profile and a high-social status, with countless youngsters

viewing them as role models (Bose, 2006; Majumdar, 2007). The financial remuneration

cricketers receive from the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) and their sponsors is

tremendous. This level of financial support is possible because the BCCI is the richest

cricket organisation in the world, even richer than the International Cricket Council (ICC)

(Chatterjee & Unnikrishnan, October 24, 2004). Moreover, the Indian Cricket Team is

currently the highest paid sports team in the world based on sponsorships (Wikipedia, the

free encyclopedia, 2006). In view of these factors, it is plausible that Indian cricketers

would be under reasonable pressure to present the organisation and the game in a

favourable manner. Some of this pressure occurs because the ICC and BCCI expect players

to adhere to written and unwritten codes of conduct. Additional pressure is exerted by fans

and the media, who hold certain expectations about how players should perform and

behave. Internal sources of pressure may also exist due to the expectations that players have

for themselves and their desire to project a positive public image. Thus, there is

considerable potential for EL to occur within the role of a high-profile Indian cricketer. An

analysis of how and why this occurs as well as how it is managed will therefore be

informative for obtaining greater understanding of the EL phenomenon.

Purpose

This study explored the extent to which EL exists within the Indian cricket context

and how it affects international cricketers in India (whose social status is arguably different

than that of cricketers from other countries) (Bose, 2006; Gooptu, 2004; Majumdar, 2004).

The role that culture plays in the EL phenomenon was also explored.

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Method

Participants

Four professional Indian cricketers aged 20, 24, 31 and 34 years participated in the

study. Only current first-class male cricketers were chosen. All the athletes had more than

two years experience in international cricket as members of the Indian cricket team. Names

and other identifying characteristics were avoided to ensure confidentiality and negative

ramifications to participants. While two players were pursuing their education at the tertiary

and masters level, the other two were employed in part-time jobs (outside cricket). In India,

many organisations offer jobs to sportsmen for public relations and marketing purposes.

Cricketers are wooed by organisations, especially if a player has been performing

reasonably well for his State and is therefore seen as a definite prospect for the Indian

National team. In addition, employers provide generous leave packages to accommodate

sporting schedules and allow the athletes to concentrate on their sports career.

Players were purposively chosen via scrutiny of media reports and consultation with

Indian administrators and coaches. Participants included two batsmen and two bowlers, of

which two were experienced players (one bowler and a batsman), and the other two were

relatively inexperienced players (one bowler and a batsman). The categorisation of

experienced and inexperienced players was determined in consultation with Indian coaches.

Specifically, players below 25 years were considered relatively inexperienced, and those

above 25 were considered relatively experienced. This is because in most cases, players

would have represented India A (Junior National Team) until around 21 years. The four

professional cricketers were from urban areas of India and were key players for the States

they represented. This combination was considered ideal since it helped in obtaining

information from players with a variety of perspectives. More specifically, it involved

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gathering data from experienced and inexperienced batsman as well as experienced and

inexperienced bowlers.

Procedure

Coaches and administrators from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in India

assisted in establishing initial contacts with participants. An Indian administrator

introduced two of the participants; the other two were contacted through telephone. They

were then informed the purpose of the study and invited to participate. All the participants

indicated that they were keen to take part in the study, and face-to face interviews were

conducted at a time and location of their choice. The cricketers were provided with an

information sheet, and written consent was obtained prior to conducting the interviews.

This case study approach was considered the most appropriate method of enquiry

because it allowed the researcher to focus on contemporary events in great detail. In

addition, participants were free to discuss individual experiences in their own words rather

than through research-imposed constructs and language (Walter, 2000). The information

obtained during the interviews was subsequently verified through alternate sources such as

media reports and discussion with administrators and coaches. Source triangulation was

preferred to participant checks as a validity mechanism due to negative associations with

the terms EL and managing emotions.

Since the term EL can have negative connotations, it was not mentioned at any

stage of the data collection process. Questions were framed to address aspects of EL

without directly referring to it. The study therefore employed a semi-structured and an

indirect interview approach [see Cresswell & Eklund, 2006]. Furthermore, due to the

sensitive nature of the study and the high-profile status of these players, probing was

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conducted in an indirect manner, which at times included challenging some of participants’

statements. The interview questions were modified and finalised after conducting a pilot

interview with a (previous) junior level female cricketer.

Similar to the previous chapter (Australian case studies), the first interview focused

on eliciting information about the meaning of EL to Indian cricketers and how it was

manifested within the Indian setting. Also, participants’ perceptions were obtained on a list

of ICC Codes to determine if certain codes were emotionally challenging to adhere to (see

Table 21). The second interview utilised a video-prompting technique. Specifically, a clip

from the India-Pakistan Hutch Cup (2006) was shown to the players. The incident occurred

towards the end of the first one-day match in Peshawar, Pakistan. The clip shown was that

of a visibly distressed Indian team walking back to the pavilion after Pakistan was declared

winners by employing the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method due to bad lighting. In fact, the

match was very close, and either of the two teams could have won if the match had not

been abandoned due to bad light. Pakistan needed 18 runs from 18 balls with three wickets

in hand. The Pakistani team was accused of taking advantage of the situation since they

refused to play when the umpires offered them light.

The clip (see Figure 28) showed the dialogue between the umpires and Pakistani

players before they left the field. It also displayed the disappointed Indian team walking off

the field. Even the normally placid and emotionally regulated Indian Captain Rahul Dravid

failed to cover his disappointment. It was shown to obtain information regarding how

players dealt with circumstances (weather, light) that were not under their control, what

they felt, how they coped with these situations, and how they prepared for the remaining

matches in the series. In fact, the team had not breached any code and was in a position to

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Figure 28. Images of the Video-clip Shown to Indian Players

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win the match, but they were declared losers due to uncontrollable external conditions.

Also, this happened against India’s archrival Pakistan. Hence, perceptions of playing

against the Pakistani team and the pressure that may be involved were potentially revealing.

Moreover, there was considerable pressure on the Indian team to perform well since they

were defeated by Pakistan in the test series played in India in December 2005. In most

instances, elite players exercise caution when questioned directly about matters related to

other teams and players. This incident-based prompting was used to increase the probability

that players would express themselves in an unrestrained manner because the clip showed

the whole group and did not focus on anyone in particular. Snyder & Ammons (1993) used

similar incident-based techniques to elicit information regarding the emotions they

experienced during game situations.

Data Analysis

Data analysis was conducted by the same researcher who conducted the interviews

and focus group discussions. Two interviews were conducted with each participant, with

the exception of one participant who was only interviewed once due to heavy travel and

competition commitments. All the interviews were audio taped and lasted from 40 to 100

minutes. Verbatim reports were transcribed and qualitatively analysed. Face-to-face

discussions with coaches and administrators, behavioral observations during the sessions

and media reports were incorporated while presenting the case study data. Language issues

were not a problem because the researcher was born in India and was fluent in most Indian

dialects. Data were analysed using both inductive and deductive methods to extract vital

themes related to the cricketers’ emotional demands. Data saturation occurred when

participants provided the same examples for different questions or repeated what other

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participants in the research had previously stated, thereby not adding anything to the

findings.


Case study data for each participant is presented in detail. Individual interview

sessions with players are also presented separately. The results and discussion are presented

in three sections. The first section deals with the management of emotions from an EL

perspective. The second section discusses perceived demands that players believed resulted

in perceptions of EL. The third and final section addresses indirect cricket-related demands

such as media and cricket fans.

Case Study 1 – “Jim”, First Interview: An Insight into the Emotional Challenges of



Jim is an elite male cricketer, a batsman with six years experience in first class

cricket. The first interview was held on the evening of a National Day, which is celebrated

with vigour and enthusiasm. Most international players, especially cricketers, are honoured

at various public functions. Moreover, Jim had scored 85 runs in a match the same

afternoon, and his team had won convincingly. His score is considered reasonably good for

a one-day match, and he seemed happy and jubilant. He also appeared keen and interested

to talk about his experiences in cricket. Jim’s body language was open and relaxed, and he

greeted the interviewer with National Day wishes.

When first questioned, Jim stated he could handle any emotional challenge

effectively. Later, when probed, he expressed how doing so had bothered him or changed

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him as a person and/or cricketer. Firstly, this could be due to the fact that he is an up-and-

coming cricketer who probably does not want to reveal his weaknesses, especially to an

“outsider”. Image management is very important to cricketers in India, as they are under

constant scrutiny, and it may have been especially important to Jim given his status as a

newcomer. Thus, Jim seemed eager to convey that he was very tough and could effectively

handle the challenges of being an elite cricketer in India.

Jim came across as an emotional person and cricketer. He revealed that he has

learnt to manage emotions, especially negative emotions, as failure to do so could

jeopardise his future selection and also affect his relations with teammates. In addition, he

addressed the emotional challenges of rookie (debutant) players. The role ‘culture’ exerts in

expressing or dealing with emotions was also obvious in the interview. The cultural

surroundings of an individual influence his emotional management strategies, as do local

organisational rules that are sometimes different from those of the ICC. In addition,

commercialisation of cricket, media hype, and expectations of cricket fans emerged as

central themes in dealing with the public display of emotions in elite cricket.


Hochschild (1983) suggested that EL is performed by suppressing genuine

emotions, expressing unfelt emotions, reading emotions of others and managing emotions

of others. The interview questions aimed to address these EL processes. As mentioned in

the previous study (Australian interviews), questions regarding reading emotions of others

were merged with managing the emotions of others. This is because results from the first

two studies implied that managing emotions of others involves reading the emotions of

others to some degree.

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Jim reported that he frequently managed his emotions mainly through the

suppression of negative emotions. “Oh I suppress negative emotions all the time actually.”

He also stated that this was because he is a highly emotional player. “I am very emotional

on the field, I am very expressive.” Due to this emotional nature, Jim stated that he

generally expressed his feelings when frustrated with his teammates. However, he felt he

needed to regulate his emotions in many situations, especially when interacting with

seniors.

If I am upset about something, I just go ahead with the person but there are times when you are playing with cricketers who have played a lot more than you have and who have seen a lot more than you have. There are times when you can’t really express yourself.

Unrestrained emotional displays in the past have affected Jim both personally and

professionally. He stated that it was in his best interest to refrain from expressing himself,

as it would ensure that he does not get into the wrong books of people in authority.

I think there are times when you can be so emotional and express yourself, that can turn negative sometime . . . . People [teammates, coach, administrators] can take it in a negative manner. So I think there are times when you have to control. If it is positive, that’s fine but when it is negative you have to control . . . . You don’t mean it but people take it wrongly, so you have to manage your emotions to a certain level.

This quote suggests the extent of surface acting Jim might be performing since he

controls his emotions because he is expected to. Surface acting refers to exhibiting an

emotional display that is not genuinely felt or inhibiting the expression of a genuinely felt

emotion. Jim felt the need to suppress negative emotions because it is not acceptable and

hence it could lead him into further trouble. Surface acting is called “faking in bad faith”

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(Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987, p. 32) because players conform to the display rules to protect

themselves, not to help the organisation, the game or the fans. Also, the above quote

suggests that positive emotions can be expressed but not negative emotions. This view is in

line with the gentlemanly spirit of cricket. Furthermore, managing emotions for players

who are highly emotional by nature might be inherently more difficult. In addition to

dealing with the stressor, these players require a continual monitoring and suppression of

their natural reactions to avoid unwanted displays of emotion. Failure to do so could

hamper chances of future selection and invite disciplinary action to be taken against them.

Vinod Kambli, one of India’s ex-batsmen, is still remembered for crying when the 1996

World Cup semi-final match between India and Sri Lanka was disrupted due to crowd

misbehaviour, and Sri Lanka was declared the winner.

Figure 29 shows another player (blue cap) comforting Vinod Kambli (with bat) as

the latter was leaving the field in tears. Later in an interview Kambli explained why he

broke down in public, “I think I just became very emotional, at that point. Losing more so,

having the match abandoned, going down without fighting all the way, felt very bad”

(Vinod Kambli Encyclopedia, 2005).

Jim also elaborated that being one of the younger, newer members of the team; he

needs to regulate his emotions while interacting with senior teammates. This suggests that

the “private” EL (Harris, 2002) of younger players could be much more demanding and

different to that of senior or established players.

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Figure 29. Vinod Kambli leaving the ground in tears following India’s loss to Sri Lanka during the semi-final of the Cricket World Cup in 1996. (Source: http://experts.about.com/e/v/vi/Vinod_Kambli.htm)

The additional pressure junior players encounter along these lines is evident from

the following quote:

There are times when you can’t really express yourself, especially like I have joined the Indian team, you know a junior; all of them have played a lot more cricket than I have and they know the international scene a lot better than I do.

In the above quote Jim addressed the unique pressure rookie players experience in

terms of emotional demands. In addition to conforming to the organisational rules, younger

or junior players are also expected to be respectful towards their senior counterparts.

Younger players expressing their opinion may not be seen in the best light. This is

consistent with the general culture of India, where contradicting and/or disagreeing with

elders (whether it is a coach, selector, parent or older sibling) is discouraged from a young

age. In the 80’s and 90’s, senior Indian cricketers would not mingle with younger players

off the field. This trend has changed to a large extent, but senior players still demand

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considerable respect. Indeed, during the interview this participant referred to senior players

as ‘bhai’. Bhai in Indian refers to brother, and the use of this term illustrates the respect

senior players command. The need to publicly convey such respect is an example of the

type of pressure younger players encounter, while interacting with senior cricketers in

terms of emotional regulation.

Managing Emotions of Others

In addition to managing his own emotions, Jim expressed how he also managed

emotions of others to a significant extent. He reported that he tried to be as positive as he

could while interacting with teammates. As Jim stated, he had received unwanted negative

remarks from senior players, and hence he did not want to treat his juniors or other

teammates in this manner.

Yeah when I am playing cricket, I am very conscious about myself, I am very conscious about what I say, I make sure I say the right thing. I have seen even with me seniors [players] coming and saying things and suddenly you think, ‘oh god’. Is it the right thing that he says, have I done something wrong somewhere? I have felt that through people before and I don’t want others to feel that through me, so I am very positive with my thoughts and my words with all of that.

This quote demonstrates that Jim could also be performing deep acting on a daily

basis. As explained elsewhere, deep acting has two variations. In the first variant, actors

imagine that they feel the actual emotion and present a display accordingly. In the other

variant, actors exhort themselves to feel the appropriate emotion and then present the

associated display because they genuinely believe and feel the emotion (Morris & Feldman,

1996).

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Coping

Initially when Jim started playing first class cricket, he was not very adept at

controlling and managing his emotions or the emotions of others. This got him into trouble

with the team administration. In his own words:

When I was playing junior cricket I used to be very, very aggressive and people would never take that in a positive manner . . . and they took it in a very negative manner [coaches and administrators], which back-fired on me really hard, so I have had to [control emotions] . . . that’s where I have learned about controlled aggression . . . . There was a time when I was playing cricket where I would just go to the ground; bat, bowl, field not talk to anyone just come back home. You know just to change the complete impression of how I could be . . . . and I knew the only way to do that was to control my aggression and bring it out in a more controlled manner . . . . The thing here [India] is what happens on the field is taken out of the field also, if you can leave what is done on the field, on the field that’s good.

Jim is talking about backbiting wherein on-field exchanges and/or clashes between

teammates and/or opposition members reach administrators and coaches. “Aussie rules are

good . . . it is different in India than elsewhere. I think it’s quite different.” This mainly

occurs due to the immense competition between players to get selected into the Indian team

or even the State teams at the next level down. Since cricket is a team game, in addition to

performing well, players are required to demonstrate good attitude and gel reasonably well

with teammates.

Jim stated that international exposure with the Indian National team has helped him

to learn to manage emotions effectively: “A lot, lot better now, since international cricket a

lot better now.” However, he felt he was still in the process of learning the best way to

manage emotions. Consciously analysing the situation and focusing on the positives seem

to be helping the player:

I say to myself ‘probably not this, I could have done this instead of that.’ I look at it like that. That’s the way I kind of suppress my emotions, I don’t really express

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myself completely. I try to learn a lot, I watch and just try and grasp as much as I can. This is probably a good way to cope since it appears that suppressing and managing

emotions happens day-in and day-out in high-level cricket. This also suggests that players

engage in surface acting initially and deep acting later (Brotheridge & Lee, 2002).

Jim regards certain Indian cricketers very highly and tries to model them. Having

role models, especially from one’s own team, can be beneficial since there is constant

interaction and therefore numerous opportunities for vicarious learning.

I have always wanted to be as cool as ‘X’ is; he is in total control of what he is doing. You can see the man; he is a complete icon by himself . . . you know there is so much inside but it is not coming out . . . Comes out in short spans; once or twice in a year or once in six months, it just comes out. It does not come out otherwise.

It is fairly evident from the above quote that Jim wants to emulate player ‘X’ who

happens to be one of the most respected players in international cricket. While it may be

helpful to learn from ‘X’, the standards he is setting regarding emotion management might

be unrealistic at this early stage of Jim’s career. In India, young players are expected to

conduct themselves in a stately manner by emulating Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid or

Anil Kumble (three internationally respected players). This could be due to the expectation

of the organisation, seniors and media (including fans) regarding the manner they conduct

themselves on and off the field. Also, this throws light on the extent to which other players

could be regulating their emotions.

This section showed that Tim manages his emotions mainly through suppressing

his emotions and at times managing the emotions of others. Expressing unfelt emotions was

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not considered to be emotionally challenging by this player, hence it was not examined in

detail.



ICC Codes

Jim initially reported that most of the on-field codes (Table 21) were fair and easy

to adhere to. However, as the session progressed he stated there were some codes that were

difficult to adhere to since they were not entirely under his control. More specifically, Jim

expressed difficulty in complying with the ICC code referring to ‘swearing in frustration at

one’s own play’ (Table 21, ICC code # 4). This code was moderately difficult since

‘swearing in frustration at one’s own play’ was directed at the self and it came out

involuntarily. Jim stated that it was often used as an arousal strategy when things were not

going well. It could also be used as a cue to concentrate on the task and not on other

distractions, such as sledging by opponents or the noise in the stadium: “There are times

when you do something wrong [technically] and you tell self ‘ahh, come on man’. It just

comes out, it is very involuntary, not intentional and that is a little hard.”

‘Agreeing with the umpire’s decision at all times’ (Table 21, ICC code # 3) was also

found to be challenging, especially when Jim perceived he was ‘not out’ and the umpire

adjudged him ‘out’. At times, due to intense involvement in the game, Jim reported that he

tried in vain to explain (e.g., gesture at hand or point at pad) to the umpire when an

umpiring decision (LBW) went against him. He observed:

Sometimes it does happen because you are working so hard, trying so hard to do something; to perform for your country and suddenly [you get an LBW decision], you know it’s just an error, it is not intentional. It is just an error [by the umpire], where you want to tell no, no, it’s not; where you are just saying it’s not true, and this is what actually happened. It’s not like you are fighting a decision, just trying to explain to him. It is more like a plea than an argument.

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Table 21

ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials that was provided to players during the interview (same as Table 20)

1. The Captain is responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit of

the game as well as within the Laws.

2. The Captain shall be held responsible if his team does not meet the minimum over rate requirements. 3. Players and Team Officials must at all times accept the Umpire’s decision. Players must not show dissent at the Umpire’s decision. This includes disappointment with an umpire’s decision with specific actions such as shaking of the head, snatching cap from umpire, pointing at pad or inside edge, other displays of anger or abusive language directed at the umpire or excessive delay in resuming play or leaving the wicket. 4. Players and Team Officials shall not use crude or abusive language (known as “sledging”) nor make offensive gestures. This also includes swearing in frustration at one’s own poor play. 5. Players and Team Officials shall not make any public announcement or media comment regarding match officials or players or teams against which they have played. 6. Players and Team Officials shall not abuse cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings. 7. Players and Team Officials shall not engage in excessive appealing. This includes the practice of celebrating a dismissal before the decision has been given. 8. Gesturing towards the pavilion in an aggressive manner by a bowler or other members of the fielding side upon the dismissal of a batsman is not allowed. 9. Deliberate physical contact (walk/run into or shoulder another player) between players in the course of play should be avoided. 10. Players and Team Officials shall not engage in any act of violence on the field of play. 11. Players and Team Officials breaching the code of conduct and committing any of the

offences (Level I- IV) will be penalized. This can include 50 to 100% fine of their match fees or

being banned from a few matches depending on the level of offence.

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Jim provided an example of how pleading with the umpire happened during a match

situation. The umpire had declared him ‘out’ in a match (same day as the interview) though

he perceived he was ‘not out’ and tried to convince the umpire. This example was useful

because it was recent, and hence he remembered specific details.

It happened today . . . . I was batting on 85. I got hit on the hand [it cannot be an LBW if the ball hits the batsman’s hand because the ball could not have hit the stumps/wicket in any way]; he [umpire] gave me out. I was like ‘it hit me on the hand’ [gestured to the umpire]. So you know I wasn’t arguing with him, I was just telling him this is what happened . . . He [umpire] said, ‘no it hit you on the glove’. I said ‘sure, ok, fine, what ever’ and I walked out [off the pavilion]. So I do gesture but not in a manner of anger or frustration.

On another such occasion, Jim felt that the umpiring decision affected his selection

to the Indian National team since it was the finals of the Ranji trophy (domestic

tournament). He stated that it took him over a week to recover from the incident and move

on.

I was batting really well . . . . ball hit my helmet and it just flew up . . . . I was given out; it had not hit my gloves in any way [it cannot be out if the batsmen has not nicked the ball] . . . . I was like ‘ahhh’, I was terribly disappointed. I thought if I got huge runs, then I could have got somewhere [played for India earlier] because that was a big, big game, two full sides [Indian National players on both sides] and you get runs, its huge. That, that was a little disappointing for me. That probably held me back a little bit; it took me about a week or so to get over it.

In terms of management of perceived unfair umpiring decisions, Jim stated that he

focused on opportunities in the future. This was how he put it across: “At that point of time

just a little depressed and upset at what happened but after that you just let it go. Then you

just have to let it go.”

As stated in the previous chapter, sledging (also known as chirping) is the verbal

exchange between players, mainly employed to ‘psych’ or destabilise an opponent. Jim

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considers ‘sledging’ (Table 21, ICC code # 4) as interesting, fun and challenging, as long as

it did not become physically abusive. He emphasised that sledging is an inherent part of

cricketing culture. Although, there were instances wherein Jim has lost his cool and then

his wicket (out) due to sledging, Jim believed sledging brings out the best in a cricketer.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with sledging; it shouldn’t go to physical sledging . . . deliberate physical contact, it should not go up to that [emphasised] level, just about at the verbal level . . . . There are times when like I have just turned away… just looked at them and smiled . . . . They would come up to me, if I hit them for a boundary, they would come up to me and say ‘**** you’ right on to my face. I am running and they do that and I just move away. You just have to do that [move away]. Its fun, its fun, its very challenging. Its good fun to be in that situation. It brings out the cricketer in you, brings out the mental toughness in you, I love it, I totally love it.

Figure 30 shows the batsman reacting to sledging by the bowler. Sledging is most

often employed by fast bowlers since dominating batsmen is important for their success. It

is generally targeted at the isolated bastman by bowlers and fielders, since a single mistake

by the batsman signals the end of an innings or in some instances the match. “There are

times when someone [opposition bowler or fielder] said something and I was ‘arrrrr’

[angry] and ‘tish’ [silly shot] and get out.”

Jim accepted sledging as part of the game. Most cricket teams sledge their

opponents; Jim also felt that when the opposition team engaged in sledging, they would

receive a fair amount of it when they came in to bat. As explained in the previous chapter

this aspect (sledging) would require players to regulate their emotions to some degree.

If you finished batting and you are fielding last and they need a score to chase, you give them a lot. If they give you a bit [sledge], then you give them a lot because you are not going to see them for awhile, so you give them a lot.

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Figure 30. Batsman terrified by fast bowler’s sledge

(Source: http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2001/feb/03diary.htm)

An example to elaborate the above quote is the on-field clash between Michael

Slater and Rahul Dravid during the first Test at Bombay during the 2001 series. Slater

(Australia’s previous opening batsman) was annoyed at not being able to convince anyone

that he took a ‘clean’ catch, and he sledged Dravid repeatedly. The normally placid Dravid

(current Indian Captain) returned the favour and asked him to get back to his position

(fielding position). Both teams quickly left the incident behind and resumed play (Rediff

Cricket, December 9, 2003). Slater probably employed this strategy in an effort to annoy

Dravid and claim his wicket. Whether he stretched it a little far and was lucky to escape a

penalty is a different issue.

Similar to sledging, deliberate physical contact (Table 21, ICC code # 9) between

players exists to a substantial extent in cricket. Yousuf Youhana and Irfan Pathan’s clash

during the BCCI platinum jubilee match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2004 is a good

example to elaborate on this code. The young Indian pace bowler in his follow through (run

up) accidentally clashed with Youhana (Pakistan's batsman). The Pakistani middle order

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batsman, however, responded with a push to him and also hit Pathan on the leg with his bat.

This was followed by a verbal duel between the two players prompting the skippers of the

two teams and an umpire to intervene to bring order (Cricket Zone, November 14, 2004).

Nonetheless, in this instance both the players did not consider it as fun; in fact, it turned

into a serious argument between the two, involving fines for both of them.

Jim acknowledged that ‘deliberate physical contact’ exists in cricket, and he

enjoyed it to a certain extent. Here again, the ICC code states that players should not

involve in deliberate physical contact. His views on this:

Yeah it does happen; the pushing of shoulders and banging into batsmen . . . When I was in X country it happened to me . . . . They [bowlers] just came right into me and I’d be like ‘oh, oh’ . . . . When you are running, the bowler would just follow you and I had to move out and run away from the side and all of that, just to avoid it.

It is evident from the above quote that there is a fair bit of verbal and physical

banter between teams. Jim stated that he was not affected by it; in fact, he seemed to enjoy

it. This suggests that there is a discrepancy between players’ perception of the codes and

the ICC interpretation of the code.


Jim referred to the organisational (BCCI’s) expectations, especially when

international players compete during domestic or state level matches. This is an important

revelation since researchers most often focus on the international scenario. The pressure to

conform at the National level seems equally tremendous, if not more. Though Jim did not

refer to the BCCI directly, one can notice a tinge of disappointment with the BCCI.

Once you play high [international] level cricket, you obviously have to give more because you have gone to another level . . . So the expectation is bigger and they

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expect you to play in such a way that can build confidence in the team. You know be a source of information to the team . . . There is that extra responsibility on you to perform than you have in the past. Debut and High Pressure Matches

As mentioned previously, pre-game jitters may also be considered EL since players

are trying to cover/hide negative emotions. Debut and high-pressure matches might involve

performing EL to a significant extent. This is because, in addition to focusing on

performance, players are required to demonstrate their skills in handling pressure at the

international level, which definitely involves managing emotions of the self and of their

teammates. As explained by this player:

I obviously don’t want to show what I am feeling to the opponent. I want to show them that yeah, I am up for it . . . . Got to bat with ‘X’ [Indian player] and it was a very high-pressure game and we needed to win the game . . . we needed to chase lot of runs and it is my debut game. I went and batted, I got a good score and ‘X’ and myself put up a good partnership. So that itself makes me feel that I handled pressure really well because I was making my debut, it was my first international game and I could pull it off that well and I could contribute to the team and lay a good, a very good- solid foundation to win.

Cricket matches against archrival Pakistan are eagerly anticipated by the entire

country. It is promised to be thrilling, exciting and enthralling. Jim admitted that India-

Pakistan matches are exciting but not to the extent portrayed in the media: “I think . . .

[pause] it is presented in that way to the public.” Indian cricketers generally tend to

downplay these encounters, though it is fairly obvious that they are extremely important to

both the teams. The normally busy Silicon Valley of India (Bangalore) or the Capital (New

Delhi) is deserted during an Indo-Pak encounter.

It is still very exciting. If it’s a World Cup match, then the feeling is ‘wow’; we have to win that game. If you play a series of seven matches, one after another, then obviously it is reduced.

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It is also interesting to note that Indian cricketers have been noted for breaching the

ICC code mostly against Pakistan. Jim reinforced this belief but felt that it was because the

Pakistani cricketers generally started most duels and provoked the Indians.

Whatever happens is always initiated by the Pakistanis . . . I am not being biased, I am just telling you what I have seen and experienced. ‘X’ [Pak fast bowler] came and first ball he gave me ‘maa bhen ki gali’ [abusing mom and sister] . . . . I was like dude first ball. I just left the ball immediately. Obviously, he is charged up, so you are not going to be stupid and going to talk back at him . . . There are times when, see even when Aamir Sohail [previous Pakistan Captain] did that [sledged] to Venkatesh Prasad [previous Indian fast bowler and current bowling coach for India], Venki [nick name] did not say anything. He just went back to his run up, next ball he got him out, and then he said something [sledged back].

Jim pointed out that Indian cricketers retaliated because the Pakistanis instigate

them. He illustrated this with the unforgettable Venki-Sohail incident, which is implanted

in the memory of the entire nation (Mahajan, December 19, 2001). Aamir Sohail, stand-in

Pakistani captain for an injured Wasim Akram mocked bowler Venkatesh Prasad (previous

Indian fast bowler) after hitting him for a boundary. Prasad dismissed Sohail in the very

next ball and then directed the Pakistani to the dressing room with a torrent of words.

In addition to being a high-pressure match, players are required to deal with

sledging and probably abuse but make sure to be in control of their emotions, and hence

avoid code breaches and penalties.


Selection and Negative Feedback from Cricket-related People

Jim accepted selection and deselection as a part of professional cricket. Hence, he

takes it as a challenge to prove his credibility to selectors, critiques and public.

This time when the team [Indian National team] went to ‘X’ country, I thought I deserved to be there in the side but I was not selected but then I know that I am young and I have still got time . . . and I know that to be a part of a team which has

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the world’s best batsmen . . . is going to be difficult . . . . So I understand that and I know I have to perform, that’s what I am going to do.

However Jim expressed his frustration at receiving negative feedback on a regular

basis. He emphasised how players are rarely applauded, even when a cricketer has scored

his career best. These negative comments or feedback had considerable impact on him

during the early stages of his career. However, increased exposure to international cricket

has taught Jim to deal effectively with criticism and/or negative feedback from cricket-

related people (previous cricketers or senior teammates).

You always get negative feedback. There was a time when I got a big score in the finals of a tournament and one of the selectors said he is going to drop me from the state side because there are people around me who think that I am very arrogant and very aggressive and I have a lot of head weight . . . . I was shocked; I was shell-shocked. I did not know what had hit me, as in I was in tears, in bits . . . . I was just playing the game in the best way I need to play it, played my shots, very aggressive when I batted . . . . I was thinking something good will come of this and he [selector] tells me this. And I was thinking ‘ohhh God . . . . that was really, really hard for me . . . I don’t know what all that was about. I was in the side, I led the side actually . . . I was the highest run scorer for that whole tournament when I played that tournament again for the State.

When things happened the second time around, Jim was able to handle criticism

much more effectively and not let any negative feedback affect him.

It happened to me a couple of years later again with the same person. Again he came and advised me, he came and told me you are this, you’re that and all that. Then I thought, it is no point, when you are not doing anything wrong and still people are going to tell things like this to you; you might as well play cricket and not let things affect you. If you believe what you are doing is right, do it. There is no point trying to please people, especially in India. If you are trying to please people, you are not going to go far.

The frustration towards the organisation and, especially the administrators is evident

from the above quotes. In India, cricket commentators are usually previous Indian players

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and the composition of the team is intensely scrutinised before and after a tournament. For

instance, if the team has not performed in a particular match, discussion will invariably

focus on the composition of the team and questions will be raised about the inclusion of

youngsters: “Yeah there are people who played the game [commentators, previous

cricketers] who are sitting and commentating . . . saying lots of funny things . . . but then

you wont really know the situation unless you are in the situation.”

Jim was convinced that being focused on one’s game was the solution to deal with

criticism. The following quotes demonstrate his conviction:

Initially, I used to be very bad at it. I used to deal with these negative things very, very badly. I used to get worried and have sleepless nights, not sleepless nights but troubled sleep, worried and you get up in the morning with a frown, all of that would be there but now I have learnt to handle it much better. I think I have got a lot of it . . . . I said to myself, it’s nothing, just cricket, go there and get runs and don’t talk to anyone, you don’t need to. When I did that, got lots of runs, got back into the Ranji trophy [state] squad, Played India A [junior team], played against Pakistan, got selected for India [National team], played India. Everything has worked well for me from there. Then, I knew it was all about managing my emotions properly, people (administrators, coaches, team) can take it very, very negatively.

Cricket Admirers (fans), Media and Commercialisation of Cricket

Australian cricket legend Don Bradman sums up what cricket means to the sub-

continent nation: "Indians are mad about the game. Sometimes, I do think they are mad.

But the unbridled passion is infectious" (Cricinfo, 2006). Cricket players in India are often

seen as larger-than-life characters and therefore the expectation on these players is

unrealistic. For example, Sachin Tendulkar (India’s aggressive batsmen) is expected to

score a century or win the match for India every time he bats. Cricket is equivalent to

religion in India and hence Sachin or any other Indian cricketer can never be wrong on or

off the field (Versey, November 1, 2001). Hence, cricketers need to be seen by the public as

saying and doing the right things at all times.

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Jim explained the immense expectation fans place on cricketers with an emphasis

on winning every match and providing thrilling entertainment with big shots (fours, sixes).

He also revealed how cricketers were criticised over the manner they played in a game.

This is especially the case when the team has been defeated.

Oh yeah the country expects a lot. Here the people are mad about the game. Everyone wants you to win every single game . . . . there might be small technical errors that you might have done and you might have gotten out and people [general public] will say, ‘ah, he could have played that ball, oh he could have managed that ball’ . . . . I think people [general public] understand the game a little lesser, they want to enjoy it. They want to watch some big shots, big sixes and fours, quick running, they want to watch something exciting. It is a lot of hard work, there are times when you got to work it out and I think that’s the difference where they (normal public) don’t understand the difference.

As Jim expressed, it is a lot easier to comment on how to play than to actually play.

Victories place cricketers on a pedestal with immense adoration; whereas, losses invoke

criticism from all sections of the community. Moreover, there is intense discussion in the

print media and television regarding how India could have won the game or the manner in

which certain players were dismissed. This praise or criticism continues till the next

tournament featuring India commences. This clearly demonstrates that cricket in India

involves not only the players and the organisation but also the passions of the entire country

(Majumdar, 2007).

International cricketers in India are under constant scrutiny from the media at all

times, be it on or off the field. Rahul Dravid, the current Indian cricket Captain remarked

that the media in the cricket crazy subcontinent is similar to the public or fans. They place a

cricketer on a pedestal if he is performing well, if not they pull him down. “That's the law

of life, I suppose" (Cricket India Times, 2006).

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The ICC code states that players should not make media comments about players,

officials or the game (Table 21, ICC code # 5). In addition to this, Indian cricketers are not

supposed to talk to the media during tours or camps; it is a part of their contract. Jim stated

that he avoided commenting about teammates, officials or opposition in order to avoid

controversies.

Well we are told when to talk to the media and when not to talk to the media . . . . I make it very obvious that I am going to talk only about myself, about my game and probably what happened in the game. I will not talk about the other team; I won’t talk about my teammates.

Jim’s initial comments regarding media and media experiences were favourable.

For example, “I have had very good experiences with the media. I’ve never had anything

bad with them; it’s always been enjoyable.” However, in another statement his perception

and frustration was evident though it was not stated in a direct manner:

Since we are in India, this freedom of speech thing happens a lot, so one’s allowed to say whatever they want to say but most of the cricketers want to say non-controversial things. Yeah they have said something, it is not meant very controversially but then the media turned it around and made it look very controversial.

This suggests that the media generally presents statements made by players in a

controversial manner, which can get the cricketer into trouble. Hence, players tend to be

cautious about what they speak. This probably happens with high-profile individuals in

other domains. Since there is immense competition in the print media, providing

information in a more entertaining manner ensures more sales. In India, Bollywood (Indian

film industry) stars, politicians and cricketers come under the most scrutiny. It would not be

presumptuous to say that cricketers top the list, as numerous youngsters look upon them as

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role models. This reveals the unreasonable expectation on the way cricketers should behave

on and off the field.

Jim believes that cricket has become very commercial with too much emphasis on

winning each and every match. He related this to the financial remuneration players receive

and media emphasis on winning every match. Commercialisation of the game is not a huge

surprise considering the financial success of India’s Cricket Board (BCCI) mainly due to

the popularity of the game.

On the field, I think you play to win, you don’t want to lose. I think everything around has a lot to do with it because I think the media has made it that you have to win every game. You know they [media] criticise you so much . . . money plays a huge role in this, it’s a little beyond my understanding.

Jim’s comments reveal the importance placed on winning. This element of the game

was also noted in Study 1 and 2, where players revealed that they questioned themselves

whether this is the game they once loved.

Professional cricketers in India travel almost all year due to playing commitments.

There is a minimum amount of break from one tour to another or after a competition, which

hardly allows the player to switch-off from cricket. Constant travel has been referred to as

“life on the road” (Dixon, et al., 2006, p. 88) due the tediousness associated with it. Jim

described how it could affect performance.

Sometimes it gets to you, it is not the cricket, it is just the travelling that gets to you . . . flying for 24 hours, 26 hours and the jet lag. You get up in the middle of the night and suddenly you get up and you are up and about to go [play] that is tough- it gets to you. During the match you are tired and fallen off. That is when it is tough and the travelling I think is a lot . . . . It should be played, probably certain set of matches in a year should be fine, test matches in a year should be fine. Over and above that, can be a little too much. I think the money plays a huge role in this.

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Too much cricket may also affect a cricketer’s personal life as they struggle to

maintain their work-life balance. “When my family has said, wish we could spend more

time with you. I wish I could spend more time with them . . . but it’s not possible . . . and

that is when I feel too much cricket comes in the way”.

These quotes reveal that in addition to being physically tired due to playing

excessive cricket, cricketers are away from their family for extended periods. Being away

for lengthy periods means their support network is significantly reduced. Managing and

suppressing emotions under these conditions must be more difficult; hence they may be

performing more EL. Emotional demands due to work-life balance was a finding which

emerged in the first two studies. An athlete’s family can be a source of support or strain

(Dixon, et al., 2006) as players would be constantly worried about their family (wife,

fiancée and children) during tours. Hence, managing a sporting career and family can be a

constant emotional and physical strain. This suggests that elements such as these that are

not directly associated with cricket could influence the management of emotions or EL.

Cultural Influences

During the initial stages of his career, Jim was very aggressive and abusive at times

to himself as well as to his teammates. This worked negatively for him as aggressiveness

and abusiveness is not perceived very well in India, especially against one’s own

teammates.

There were times when I was over abusive or aggressive, probably to myself even. I was very aggressive on the field, even when I was fielding and someone was doing some non-sense while batting, I would give it to him . . . As in if he was having a free go or riding on his luck, I would give it to him, I will just be really, really aggressive but all in my teams favour, nothing against it. But still people held that against me.

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Being loud or abusive to others on or off the field is not acceptable in India. An

unnecessary display of aggression is not tolerated, and criticism of others, especially by a

younger player, will not be regarded well. The player himself addressed this restriction, but

also pointed out that attitudes were changing. Also, Jim believed that other international

teams took advantage and provoked Indian players due to this attitude.

People [non-Indians] think, Oh Indians yaar [man], whatever you do, they will take it. You throw **** at them, they will take it but now it is not like that; if they throw **** at us, we are going to give it back. We don’t care who you are . . . . people [other teams] try to provoke us since we don’t talk back . . . . They try to provoke us because we don’t do much. Now we give it back a bit.

The concept of politeness and keeping face is very strong in India and also in most

South Asian countries (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2006). Personal insults are

regarded as boorish and uneducated. This explains why Indians are not adept at sledging or

abusing their opponent. However, Indian cricketers appear to be learning the more subtle

aspects of cricket culture such as sledging and mind games. As Jim stated, Indian cricketers

have also started resorting to the tactics employed by other teams. “We do sledge but not in

the manner that Australians do. The Australians do it in a very, very provoking manner;

they provoke a batsmen.”

The incident of Dravid and Slater’s on-field clash mentioned earlier (Rediff Cricket,

December 9, 2003) is a good example that reinforces Jim’s statement. Slater verbally

sledged Rahul, so the Indian Captain told him to get back to his position and then resumed

play. Also, the humorous clash between Ravi Shastri (previous Indian all rounder and

current Indian manager) and Mike Whitner (who was the Aussie 12th man for that match)

is noteworty. Shastri hit the ball to mid-on and looked for a single, Whitner (Australian

bowler) got the ball and said “if you leave the crease i’ll break your ******* head.” This

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induced Shastri to say “if you could bat as well as you can talk you wouldn’t be the

******* 12th man” (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2006).

Jim’s quote clearly reveals the influence of culture in determining how a player

reacts and interprets the rules. Players are also under pressure to conform to societal rules

and expectations in addition to those of the organisation. The difference between Indian and

Australian culture is also noticeable. It would create a huge uproar in India if a cricketer

sledged the opposition team in an abusive manner without any provocation. However, this

trend is changing as the younger generation are accepting the Western standards of the

game including sledging as well as verbal and physical abuse.

Stereotypes play an interesting role in this context. Not just in India but ‘men’ in

society are in general expected to be strong and have control over their emotions. Excessive

display of emotions would be viewed as ‘sissy’ and not manlike. On the other hand,

aggressiveness seems to be very much part of any sport especially in team games in the

West. However, it is not appreciated in India, and this places the young player in a difficult

position. If he tries to emulate Shane Warne or Glenn McGrath [aggressive ex-Australian

players] by being aggressive and perhaps abusive, he may not gain popularity with the

selectors, teammates, and also cricket fans in the nation. In India, fans adore Sachin, Rahul

and Anil (international cricketers) because they are known to be modest and well-controlled

players. One rarely sees these players breaching codes or sledging or abusing an opponent

without obvious provocation.

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Consequences of Performing EL

This section focuses on the consequences of EL. Jim describes how playing cricket

year-round requires considerable management of emotions. Loss of self and personal

change seem to be natural consequences of these demands.

Day in, day out you are going to play, focus, handle pressure and control your emotions; you got to watch what you say sometimes. It’s going to be difficult; you might change as a person . . . and suddenly you don’t see your family for so long. You go back and everyone says ‘what happened to you, you were all right 3 months ago’. That gets a bit disturbing. I think it is possible to lose yourself when you play too much of cricket as in you will be so mentally drained at the end of it, focusing day in and day out, you are going to play and focus and manage your emotions.

These comments are consistent with the literature on work-family conflict; which

suggests that the more time and energy players devote to one role (cricket career), the less

time they have for the other role (family) (Dixon, et al., 2006). Focusing more on cricket

involves absence from family for extended periods. This, in turn, means a weaker support

network while experiencing daily demands due to the game and thereby increasing EL

significantly.

Jim explained that the constant need to regulate emotions in cricket produces a

change in the way emotions are typically expressed, and this spills over into other domains

(e.g., the handling of personal situations). The transition from being a cricketer to being a

non-cricketer can get complicated during interpersonal interactions.

There are times when I don’t react to situations at all. For example, if something happened and someone is crying, I don’t react and people say ‘what the **** man’. It is an emotion which I don’t respond to. I just keep quiet, I just say ‘don’t do it’ and sit quietly, and I think that is not right. It is not right to anybody, who ever it may be. That is where it has worked negatively. . . there are times when I fell ‘ah’. . . as in these negative aspects, I can’t react in some situations, something I have to change. I have to make a conscious effort to change. Its like second nature to me, once I have done it so often, then you think ‘**** man’.

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The following quote throws light on how Jim is required to mentally detach himself

in order to remain calm and concentrate on performance.

Yeah, you have to sometimes. Imagine someone is going to yell at you, scream at you, down your throat; you have to just mentally detach yourself from what ever he is saying. If he is going to abuse your mum, sister and who ever it is and he is going to say something bad, you just have to detach yourself from that and that sometimes carries, it becomes second nature; something negative is thrown at you, you just shy away, you tend to not listen to it, you tend to say ‘oh that is not my piece of cake’.

Jim is a young player who has been trying to find a permanent place in the National

team. As evident through his comments, Jim mainly manages his emotions by suppressing

emotions and managing the emotions of others. In addition to suppressing negative

emotions, Jim might be performing surface acting to a significant extent. This is because he

feels he needs to manage his emotions to abide to the rules and appease people in power

(such as coaches and selectors). Jim also addressed the pressure that younger and debutant

players’ experience in terms of emotional management. Furthermore, Jim highlighted the

role of culture in the management of emotions. In addition, commercialisation of cricket,

media hype, and expectations of cricket fans emerged as central themes in dealing with the

public display of emotions in elite cricket. Finally, Jim came across as an emotional

cricketer who seems to be adapting to the demands professional cricket in India

necessitates.

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Case Study 1 – “Jim”, Second Interview: Video-analysis of match situations and player

perceptions of the ‘role of culture’ in professional cricket.


As explained previously (methodology section), a video-clip of the first Indo-Pak

encounter (Hutch Cup 2006) was shown to the players. Specifically, the clip showed the

dialogue between the umpires and Pakistani players before they left the field. It also

showed a visibly distressed Indian team walking back to the pavilion after Pakistan was

declared winners by employing the D/L method.

Jim appeared visibly disturbed and upset while watching the video-clip of the Ind-

Pak match. He stated that it was distressing to see a close match called off in that manner,

and felt that Pakistan did not play with the spirit of cricket. “I think that was very sad. They

[Pakistan] were taking advantage of the D/L method. I think if it was us [India], we would

have played.” Jim reiterated that Pakistani cricketers did not display good sportsmanship in

the clip shown. According to Jim, they were not confident of winning the match and hence

took the easier option of walking away instead of playing under lights. Eventually, Pakistan

was declared winners by employing the D/L method, but the match could have gone to any

side. “Obviously, we [India] knew they [Pakistan] took advantage of that situation and

normally they should not have, they shouldn’t have but they did. This goes to show their

level of confidence is what I feel.”

Jim was not a member of the Indian National team during this Pakistan tour (2006).

We can imagine Jim’s disappointment had he been a member of the team. In fact, he

seemed very upset watching the clip (during the interview), his emotions were high and he

was making a conscious effort to control himself and not to express hostile feelings. “Oh, if

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I was there, I would be very, mighty disappointed . . . . I would be angry actually, because

they, they . . . [long pause]. I would be quite upset.” Indian captain Dravid said the defeat

was disappointing but still publicly congratulated the Pakistani players for their

performance. He commented, "It's not a nice way to lose the match. We were always

behind on the D/L method, and after Butt and Malik [Pakistani batsmen] put on a brilliant

partnership we were left to play the catching game” (One India, 2006). This suggest that in

addition to suppressing the apparent disappointment of losing a match, the Captain is

required to publicly applaud the opposition, since every match is invariably followed by a

presentation ceremony. This would certainly involve curtailing emotions to a reasonable

degree and could be much more difficult for the Captain of a team after a series of defeats.

In fact, this tournament was played during the early part of 2006 (February), and

Jim was interviewed in mid-August of the same year. Possibly Jim could have watched this

clip a few times earlier, but it still evoked strong negative feelings. This suggests that

unexpressed emotions may be suppressed over long periods, and yet still be experienced

with intensity at a later point in time.

If Jim had played in the Hutch Cup 2006, it is likely that he would have been “fired-

up” for the next match. The question, however, is whether he would have been able to

perform well or would have been over-aroused (Hanin, 2000). As stated by Jim: “I would

go in there and beat the **** out of them in the next few matches [quite demonstrative].”

This was what eventually happened. The Indian cricketers were a determined group when

they faced the Pakistan team in the remaining four encounters. In fact, India won the

remaining four matches convincingly and clinched the series 4-1, without giving Pakistan a

chance to get back into the series.

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ICC Codes

In the first interview, Jim expressed that certain ICC codes were difficult to comply

with, mainly because they were not entirely under the player’s control. However, in the

second interview, he spoke about codes that were consciously breached due to the intense

involvement in the game:

I agree there are certain codes we cricketers obviously have to follow. I think we do most of the time but then there are times when you really want to do well, you really desperately want to do something. I mean get a wicket or get some runs or just whatever it may be, you just try and do everything possible to achieve that; even if has to be abusing someone or just disturbing or perturbing their concentration or whatever it is.

Many international players have made similar comments, emphasising that verbal

abuses or ‘run–ins’ are employed to gain a competitive edge over their opponents. It is not

meant to insult or abuse anyone at the personal level. This occurs due to the intensity,

passion and pressure involved in high-level encounters. For instance, Rahul Dravid (current

Indian Captain) explained his famous showdown with Allan Donald (previous South

African fast bowler) during the finals at Durban in 1994, "I am not justifying what he

[Donald] did. But what I feel is that he was not abusing me, he was just trying to win the

game for his country, and I can understand where that sort of a feeling comes from. If I was

trying to win a game for my country, then I would also be trying as hard and even my

behaviour might get out of hand" (Cricket India Times, 2006).

The intense desire and passion to win matches certainly exists in most competitive

games, but where does one draw the line? Can this intensity be used as an excuse for

physical, racial and personal abuses? Is it good for cricket or the players? These are some

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of the questions that cricketers engaging in these kinds of abuses need to consider. It also

implies that such abuses and breaches cannot be curbed by codes alone.

Subsequently, Jim addressed controlled aggression in a positive light, saying it can

benefit players, but he also stressed that there should be a limit on such aggression. In

addition, he commented on fast bowlers being especially “charged-up” and aggressive. This

suggests that managing emotions may be especially difficult for these players.

Aggression to a certain extent is good. Controlled aggression is very, very good. When you know what you are doing; but you got to control it. Once it gets out of hand, then it is not very good. Being a fast bowler, you are going to be aggressive and charged up, but there is a thin line.

Jim cited incidents wherein players (mostly bowlers) had ‘ran into’ him on

purpose, mainly with the intention to perturb him. He stated that he did not mind such ‘run-

ins’ and generally tried to avoid such bowlers, but he admitted running straight in to the

bowler if he was upset. Also, Jim reiterated that he did not mind bowlers verbally sledging

him.

I have had bowlers running into me but I obviously stay away, I think it is unnecessary. Players come right in to me, unless I am like really upset, I go straight on [run in to bowler] but if I am not, I just sway out of the way. I don’t mind them just talking, jabbering [sledging] for awhile.

This comment reveals that Jim expects some confrontation, but he remains

unperturbed and stays away from bowlers, unless he is upset. This implies that it may be

relatively easy to be in control when things are going well for one’s self and/or one’s team.

On the other hand, unfavourable situations may require much more effort to regulate

emotions. This, in turn, means that crucial high-level games demand much more emotional

control due to the pressure and the expectations involved.

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Jim also cited incidents wherein deliberate harm was intended, and bowlers have

thrown the ball back at him. In cricket, bowlers usually pretend to throw the ball at or near

the batsman. This strategy is generally employed by fast bowlers to intimidate batsman and

prevent them for taking quick singles or hitting the bowler for a boundary or six. However,

there have been several occasions wherein bowlers have behaved in an unsportsmanlike

manner and thrown the ball at the batsman with the intention of causing deliberate injury.

In such situations, if the batsman is not alert, it could lead to serious injury. Jim stated: “I

have had instances where people have thrown the ball at me and I have moved out of the

way, swayed off because they just want to perturb you and disturb you when you are

batting.”

There obviously exists a discrepancy between ICC codes and player perceptions of

the same, as apparent in the previous quote. Cricket is known as a mental game, and players

believe that obtaining a psychological edge will benefit performance. Hence, it is not

surprising that mind games and sledging are employed often, especially in high-profile

matches. Australia, England and South African cricketers are most noted for employing

these strategies, and other countries have needed to develop strategies to deal with these

tactics.


Media and Invasion of Privacy

Jim stated that he could deal with the media effectively and he had no problems

with them. However, in the first interview Jim quoted instances where the media portrayed

information in a controversial manner and also, how critical the media was regarding team

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losses. This suggests that professional players strive to present themselves and their game

in a positive light.

I know I have to be in a certain way with them, but they are also human beings. They understand you are having an off day. I have never had problems with them; never got irritated with the media.

As a young player who has recently joined the Indian National team, Jim did not

feel his privacy was invaded. However, he is aware of the lack of privacy concerns that

senior or well-recognised cricketers experience, due to the intense scrutiny by fans in India.

He also felt it happened more in India than other cricket playing countries.

As of now I don’t, but I am sure there are cricketers who feel their privacy is invaded. And I think in India it happens quite a lot because people adore their cricketers, they love them. Whereas, if you go to Australia, they do have a certain amount of respect for cricketers but they are very cool about it, ‘Ah, there is Matthew Hayden’. It is not an issue for them but then here nah [no], its different.

Jim expressed that it felt good to be admired but there needs to be a limit.

Admiration can become frustrating, especially when the cheering and excitement goes on

for extended periods and fans become overly demanding.

Imagine 600 people screaming for you, yelling for you and waiting for you. It’s a good feeling for sometime but not after that . . . . I got upset . . . They just wanted to see us, take some autographs and all that but there were 600 of them, so it was quite difficult. I had people jumping over my gate, which I felt was a little too much. I felt they should not have jumped, you know they were almost breaking the gate. So I had to push and shove a few people, which I regret.

Security Issues

The ICC tri-series between India, South Africa and Sri-Lanka was scheduled in

August 2006. The political situation in Sri Lanka was very tense prior to the tournament,

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but the BCCI still decided that India would play at the tri-series. Unfortunately, there was a

bomb blast a day before the tournament started, and it was only a few kilometres away

from the hotel where the Indian team was staying. The Board (BCCI) came under severe

criticism from all quarters in the country for endangering the lives of the players. On the

other hand, the South African team decided to pull out of the tournament as the players

were undoubtedly shaken.

I think it is pretty dangerous; it is pretty scary actually. I can imagine what the boys [Indian players] must be feeling right now. You are there and a bomb blasts a kilometre from where you are; it is pretty scary. I am worried about them; just hope they finish the tournament and come back safely . . . It can be difficult to focus under so much pressure but if they are going to perform, you can see how mentally strong they are and how they are prepared to face it.

The danger that high-profile players encounter in many parts of the world is a

growing concern. The Australian and England cricket team must have had similar concerns,

as there were reports regarding Al-Qaida plans to attack both the teams when the two

played against each other during the Ashes tour in Australia in 2007. Sachin Tendulkar

(India’s batsman) was given ‘Y’ (high) security due to the threats on his life.

Players’ mental status during such hazardous or life-threatening situations is rather

difficult to imagine. However, they still need to appear brave and composed while dealing

with the media and general public. Also, they are expected to deal with such situations in a

manly or heroic fashion and perform well. The effort required to put up such a façade and

perform at the same time can be tremendous, suggesting that high-profile players may be

expending energy on both surface and deep acting to deal with such situations.

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Cultural influences

According to Jim, the behaviour of cricketers on the field is definitely influenced by

their local and familial cultures. He pointed out that there were inherent differences with

cricketers from different countries since the cultural background was different. Thus,

Aussies were aggressive on the field but friendly off the field. Players from the West

Indies, on the other hand, have a laid back attitude both on and off the field.

Culture definitely plays a huge role; it plays a huge, huge role. See the Aussies - they are very aggressive guys on the field but when they come off the field, they are really, really cool guys. They really, really talk to you, they are nice to you, friendly and they talk to you off the field, they interact. You see the West Indians they are very laid back, they are aggressive also but on the field they don’t show it much only when they have to . . . . unless they are provoked they don’t really show it.

He also commented on the inherent similarities between Indian and West Indian

culture regarding people’s attitude. This could be one of the reasons why Indian and West

Indian cricketers do not have many on-field clashes and code breaches compared to that of

Pakistan or Australia.

I think Indians are like [West Indians] that as well, you never find anyone [Indian cricketer] going and barking at someone. You always have people really as in going about their job in a very subtle way and doing whatever they have to do.

Finally, Jim expressed his views about Pakistani cricketers. In fact, he stated that the

aggressive Pakistani attitude was the key distinguishing feature between Indian and

Pakistani cricketers. This could be one of the reasons why India- Pak matches are so

intense, with emotions running high on both sides. Of course, the political history of the

two countries and the existing cross-border tensions are factors that cannot be ruled out.

I think the Pakistani’s are a little aggressive. I think they come out and talk a bit . . . . Just because we are Asians does not mean, we are pretty much the same, I think

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we are very different from each other . . . they are pretty brash . . . they go about doing things in a very . . . [pause] blunt manner, they are very arrogant sometimes. But we Indians are not like that; we are pretty much simple people, don’t go about and really doing things in a very brash manner; we just go about doing it. Yeah there are some boys [Indian players] who are really happy about themselves and they have lot of airs about themselves but inside they are just good guys, nothing else.

Culture has played an immense role in Jim’s career. However, there seems to be a

clash in certain values between his ethnic culture and the cricket culture in India. This could

be because India is a multi-ethnic country with noticeable differences even between

communities from the same state or region (Hofstede, 1980). Though education and

modernisation have reduced these differences to a certain extent, there are still some

noticeable inconsistencies. He observed:

Culture has played a huge part . . . . I have been aggressive, very aggressive all my life but then I have had to control that and keep it under watch. You know be conscious of what I say when I am batting or when I am playing the game.

In cricket, bowlers can be expected to be aggressive in their approach towards

batsman but not with their teammates. At the same time, batsmen such as Adam Gilchrist

and Ricky Ponting (Australian batsmen) are very aggressive on the field and also in their

batting approach. Australian sporting culture, especially cricket, supports this aggressive

approach (Mahajan, December 19, 2001; Woodcock, 1989) and hence it works perfectly

well for these players. On the other hand, aggression is not regarded well in India, except in

some regions and communities. Hence, in this context Jim may have experienced

dissonance as he would have liked to be aggressive (like Gilchrist or Ponting) but he

restrains himself because of cultural values. “Ricking Ponting for his batting, I like the way

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he bats, his approach to batting. I love the way he bats, his approach to batting is beautiful.

I always watch and try to learn from him a lot.”

Jim models himself according to two respected Indian cricketers. However, there

was a variance regarding his role models, as the two are completely different players on the

field. More specifically, one player is a calm and composed (non-aggressive) batsman,

whereas the other player is a spinner with an aggressive mindset. The two players are,

however, very similar off the field, as they are known for their modest gentlemanly

behaviour. Trying to be a combination of these two players might prove difficult for Jim.

Like ‘X’ and ‘Y’ [Indian players]. You want to be like them. You see ‘Y’, he is a fighter on the ground, he does not let you go and he is on you all the time, like a tiger and ‘X’ is something else. ‘X’ is very cool and calm, emotionless, does not show much. So you want to be someone like ‘X’ and ‘Y’, need to be cool at times and need to be aggressive at times.

Emulating senior teammates also helps in understanding and adapting to the cricket

subculture. These players may have influenced Jim when he joined the State team as a

young player. Interestingly, both these players are from the same state as Jim. In the 70’s

and 80’s the Indian team was criticised for not being united, as players from a particular

state would form cliques. The trend has changed with the inclusion of many youngsters

from various states, and the team seems to function as a cohesive unit. It will be interesting

to see how Jim balances the contrasting cultural influences and establishes himself as a key

Indian player.

In addition to his experiences in first class cricket, Jim explained how culture

influences the game, especially when encountering teams from different countries and

cultures. Also, Jim’s interview revealed the changing attitudes of younger and older

players. For example, displaying physical aggression seems to be gaining approval with the

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younger generation of Indian cricketers in particular. Also, on many occasions the

participant would reiterate a negative facet with a positive statement, revealing the

importance of image management to professional cricketers.

Case Study 2 – “Tim”, First Interview: An Insight into the Emotional Challenges of



Tim is an international male cricketer, a specialist bowler with seven years

experience in the first class game. At the time of this study, Tim had been an international

player for three years. Early in his international career, Tim had been dropped for

inconsistent performance and regained selection a year later. A few months prior to the

interview, Tim had been dropped from the National Team again due to injury.

Tim responded to most of the interview questions in a very general manner, similar

to players’ media interviews. For example, when enquired if he had to suppress his

emotions, his response was “every individual cricketer will have to suppress emotions in

many situations.” This could imply that he was not comfortable to address certain aspects

related to the study directly. Moreover, there were few instances when Tim abruptly halted

after making a negative comment about the board (BCCI or ICC rules), and then

immediately generalised the point. The following quote explains how Tim spoke about the

monetary aspects related to BCCI, “They [BCCI] are paying good money and they are

expecting . . . [pause], the demands are more when you have competition. So it is very

good for Indian cricket, it has shown very good results in the past and I am up for it”. Tim’s

response pattern may be linked to image management concerns, especially considering his

high-profile status. In order to elicit information probing was conducted in an indirect

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manner, which also included challenging some of Tim’s statements. This has been

explained in detail in the methodology section.

Tim expressed managing his emotions primarily through suppressing his emotions.

He also stated that he found certain ICC codes such as ‘excessive and under appealing,

swearing in frustration’ reasonably challenging to adhere to. Interestingly he has been fined

a couple of times for breaching these ICC codes, mainly for ‘excessive appealing’ and also

for ‘not appealing’ (celebrating the dismissal of a batsman without appealing). Tim also

addressed concerns regarding his cricketing career and believed this to be closely connected

to the immense competition in India.



Tim reported suppressing emotions regularly within his cricket involvement and felt

this was common among other players. For example Tim commented “every individual

cricketer will have to suppress emotions in many situations.” Tim believed the need to

suppress emotions was intimately related to the popularity of the sport in India with

millions ardently following every match. “You cannot express emotions in international

cricket because international cricket is covered by the media and everyone gets to watch it

in action.” He provided an example of a match situation when he suppressed his emotions;

though, Tim did not use the word suppress or fake.

You have to overcome your emotions. You can share it with your teammates only if it is good . . . It happens lots of times . . . . the first final in Melbourne, ‘X’ [Australian batsman] was plump in front [LBW] . . . in the sense LBW [leg before wicket] appeal was very good and everyone [Indian fielders] thought it was plump [out] but the umpire turned down the appeal. He went on to score 80 odd runs and they [Australia] won the match . . . . There are lot of if’s and but’s, so you cannot just blame the umpire all the time. They are also human beings; they cannot be 100 percent all the time, so sometimes I take it in a sportive manner. I get poor decisions

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also in my tally, so I have to cope with it. I should not be blaming the umpire . . . it is like your teammate dropping a catch; you take it in a sportive manner because he is your family [teammate] man.

In addition to suppressing his emotions, it is evident that Tim is not externalising

the problem by blaming the umpire or any outside source. When further probed, Tim

admitted that such crucial perceived unfair umpiring decisions were frustrating; yet, he

tried to overcome the disappointment swiftly. He reported that he coped with such

situations through positive thinking, reframing and rationalisation.

I get disappointed, I get depressed but you have to cope with it. And it is not a batsman’s game, I am a bowler, I have lot of chances. Make up my mind fast and move on in the next ball. I keep telling myself ‘you have to move on’.

Tim emphasised the need for emotional control and felt it was in his best interest to

mentally prepare to deal with high-pressure situations. Therefore, he employs imagery and

visualisation techniques during training sessions to help in his mental preparations. Tim

also perceived that it was essential to cope with the challenges of first class cricket by

himself, as support-networks were not always available to players.

You have to overcome it by self. If it is a positive emotion then you can share it with your teammates. Whereas, if it is negative emotions, you have to deal with it. May be find someone who can help you overcome it but then if you don’t have someone, you will be left alone. So I think it is best to deal with it by myself. I believe in people correcting their own mistakes. I try to put myself under pressure during non-competitions and overcome such situations. For example, through imagery I try to do what is expected from me.

Once again, Tim stated that negative emotions needed to be controlled and

restrained. Even Jim (first Indian case study) emphasised this aspect in his first interview.

Moreover, even during mental preparation, Tim appears to react and behave in the manner

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the organisation and cricket officials expect him too. This suggests that Tim may be

performing deep acting to a significant extent since he genuinely believes the rules and

expectations would benefit his cricketing career. As a consequence, he attempts to mould

and manage his emotions accordingly (Morris & Feldman, 1996).

In addition to suppressing negative emotions, Tim reported that he believed even

positive emotions could not be fully expressed on the field. “On the field I like to take

wickets because my dream is to take wickets. I try to overcome obstacles and when I do

that, I am happy but I cannot express it fully”. Firstly, Tim’s restrain on expressing his

happiness in totality could be due to self-imposed reasons. Secondly, it could be to adhere

to the sportsmanship spirit of cricket where unwanted emotional displays are not

appreciated.

Tim also provided an example against archrival Pakistan wherein he was required to

manage his emotions and also that of his teammates to a certain extent. He reported that

though the Indian fielders had dropped many catches of Tim’s bowling, he motivated the

team through his bowling and eventually India won the final test and thereby the series.

Test [match] in Pakistan. We were bowling; they [Pakistan] had lost 2 wickets the previous day. Lot of catches was dropped [by Indians while fielding] but I did not get disappointed because I was enjoying my bowling since I was in a good rhythm. Then, I got three wickets in the same spell. So, I did not bother too much about the dropped catches and at the end of the day, we [India] won the match. I got three wickets in the same spell and it helped the team to win . . . in Pakistan. So that was one of the most challenging moments that I overcame by myself. Even though my teammates dropped catches, I just focused on my bowling and did not get disappointed. I did not think of other things like, ‘what is going on and all’. I put in effort, believed in my teammates and we won the series.

From the example provided above, Tim comes across as a mature and emotionally

regulated bowler. Moreover, there have been very few occasions where Tim has been fined

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for losing his temper or arguing with the umpire and/or opponent players. However, we

have to note that in the example provided, he was in a good rhythm and bowling well.

Managing the Emotions of Others

Tim evaded answering questions on managing the emotions of others. For example

when asked how he would motivate a friend or teammate dropped from the team, Tim’s

response was, “it can happen to me also. If my friend plays and if I am dropped with injury

or bad performance, the other person has to be given a shot [chance]. I have to take it and

accept that there is a better person in the team.” This statement indicates that Tim was

hesitant to discuss aspects related to selection and the management of a dropped player or

friend.

This section shows that Tim manages his emotions mainly through suppressing his

emotions. However, he rarely had to express unfelt emotions or manage the emotions of

others.


Organisational and Performance Related Demands

ICC Codes

Tim expressed that some of the ICC codes were much more challenging to deal

with, since he believed it involved natural expressions to be curtailed. More specifically,

he felt codes such as ‘excessive and under appealing, swearing in frustration at one’s own

play and Captains fined for teams over rate’ (Table 21, ICC code # 2) were reasonably

demanding. The following quote explains Tim’s perspectives on excessive appealing and

under appealing:

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Excessive appealing [ICC Code], you cannot avoid it in the heat of the moment, you’re enjoying, and you are in a celebration mood . . . . Not appealing is different, once you get a wicket, you are celebrating so you do not turn around and appeal because it is a nick [out] and everyone knows it is out, so to turn and appeal for that is a different thing for us cricketers. We are not used to it. It is a very strict rule for which I have been fined.

Tim illustrated how he was initially fined for ‘excessive appealing’ and later for

‘not appealing’ in the same test match. His frustration at this rule (Table 21, ICC code # 7)

is understandable because his task as a bowler is to claim wickets; therefore, he is required

to appeal and as he indicates above, being caught up in the game may at times lead to

excessive or/ and under appealing. Many bowlers have been fined by the ICC for breaching

this code (excessive and under appealing). Also, as Tim explains, a bowler’s celebration on

claiming a wicket is a natural expression, and hence, he felt it was all the more difficult to

adhere to this rule. Therefore Tim felt such codes were not good for the spirit of the game.

He commented: “These codes are not good for rules and regulations [players and cricket].”

I was fined in the test match, in the first innings for excessive appealing and in the second innings because I did not appeal . . . . It was out so I just ran through and celebrated without appealing. Getting fined for these things is a little disappointing because sometimes as a human being, you tend to enjoy as you have done something really good for the team. At such times you may forget these ICC rules.

Tim also found the ICC code ‘swearing in frustration at one’s own play’ (Table 21,

ICC code # 4) severe to deal with. Tim emphasised that most players swear in frustration to

motivate self and improve performance. Jim (first case-study,) had also stressed on this

point; however, Tim emphasised a great deal on the team perspective. He commented:

Swearing in frustration at one’s performance is difficult, it is individual. You try to get out your emotions; you are trying to do something to get back to the positives . . . . It is not just swearing in frustration at one’s own poor play. I don’t think it is a good rule; it will not help the team to improve . . . . I do swear at myself. Everyone,

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each and every individual does it, not just in sports but also in all walks of life. If they set a target and are unable to achieve it, then definitely there will be frustration and it is expressed though self-talk or swearing at self

Match bans and fines have taught Tim to exercise caution when appealing for

wickets during game situations. Rectifying this mistake was very crucial for Tim and

hence, he explained that he visualised such situations during training (non-competition) to

be fully prepared and avoid being penalised in the future.

I have to. Every time I take a wicket, I turn around and start appealing. I practice it in the nets and get used to it mentally. It should come from here [gestured to head] . . . . because umpires really expect players to appeal but you should be careful not to over appeal. You need to be careful . . . . I have tried to get it into my mental strength. I visualise to get used to appealing for nicks [sure outs].

However, he stated that he would consciously breach certain codes (e.g., swearing

in frustration or over appealing) and was willing to accept match fines and penalties, if it

helped his performance to claim wickets and thereby ensured the team to perform better.

He commented: “You have to live with it, if it helps my team to perform better; I have to

live with it . . . It is like controlling your ability.” Tim’s perceptions appear to stem mainly

from a collectivist or group perspective (Hofstede, 1980). In fact, most of Tim’s references

placed the team on the forefront, even before his own. This aspect of team or collectivist

perspective will be dealt in more detail in Tim’s second interview while discussing cultural

influences.

Unlike Jim, Tim did not consider sledging (Table 21, ICC code # 4) as fun or

interesting. Since Tim is a specialist bowler, he claimed not to be affected by sledging

because batsmen do not normally sledge at a bowler. He commented: “Actually I don’t care

about sledging because batsmen rarely sledge. Most of the time my opponents are batsmen,

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so I don’t really have to worry about it.” Sledging is usually a bowler’s strategy aimed to

claim the batsman’s (opponent) wicket. As illustrated by Tim, even when he is required to

bat and encounter sledging, his responsibility to score runs is much lesser compared to

batsmen. This is because in most cases, as a bowler Tim would bat at the last or second-

class wicket. Tim’s comment suggests that in addition to handling the regular pressures of

high-profile games, specialist batsmen may also need to tackle and regulate their emotions

with bowlers’ strategies (such as sledging), which are mainly employed to perturb them.

Sometimes when I bat, I receive sledging because they [opposition bowler] want to take my wicket but I don’t really care. The responsibility when I come down the ladder [batting order] is a lot less, I know what I have to do and hence don’t get affected by sledging.

In line with Jim, Tim felt that the ICC code stating ‘the Captain shall be held

responsible if his team does not meet the minimum over rate requirements’ (Table 21, ICC

code # 2) was severe on the Captain of a team. According to this code, a Captain could get

fined up to 50% of his match fees and banned from two one-day matches or a test-match if

he fails to control his team and/or meet the minimum over rate requirement. Saurav

Ganguly (previous Indian Captain) was fined 50% of his match fees and banned from two

one-day matches and one test match since he failed to control his players (BBC News,

2001). As Tim emphasised the Captain of a team needs to ensure that bowlers complete

their overs in the stipulated time frame. Tim felt this rule was severe because the Captain

did not have much control over a bowler’s run-up, and fast bowlers normally take a longer

time to complete their overs because of their long run-up. This quote suggests that the

Captain of a team may need to expend much more energy than other players to effectively

handle the challenges associated with their role.

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I think the code that states ‘Captains get banned if they don’t control the teams minimum over rate requirements’ is not fair. If you have good fast bowlers like ‘X’ and ‘Y’ [very good fast bowlers], you have to use them because they can win matches. I feel sorry for Captains because they have to rush and use a part-time bowler because they are not in the stipulated time [due to their long run up, fast bowlers take more time to bowl an over and hence may slow the match].

It is evident from the above quote that Tim perceives certain ICC codes to be

challenging and that it requires a good deal of emotional modulation.


Tim stated that the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) was working in the

best interest of Indian cricket. While referring to the financial benefits Indian cricketers

receive from the BCCI, Tim began to comment about the pressure and expectation that

accompanies such benefits. However, he abruptly stopped the sentence and stated the

demands were due to international competitions. The following quote suggests that Tim

was uncomfortable to mention or discuss such sensitive aspects related to the Board.

Everything is perfect within the BCCI because cricket is a growing game. The way it is in India, it is very good for the cricketers because our career is very short. They are paying good money and they are expecting . . . [pause], the demands are more when you have competition. So it is very good for Indian cricket, it has shown very good result in the past and I am up for it.

Nevertheless, at another point in the interview, Tim acknowledged the pressure and

expectation international cricketers encounter, especially cricketers in India due to their

high-profile and high-social status.

Your age, experience and you have become a very important person in the team, the responsibility goes high, the team and organisation also expects lot of things from you. You also have to mentally boost the team because you are an inspiration in the team and physically you have to perform very well, be consistent with your

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performance. I mean everyone should follow you when you are at the peak, if you are the top guy in the team. You are the trendsetter and take the team to greater heights with your effort.

Pre-game and Debut Matches

Tim believed it was essential to adapt to the numerous demands associated with

international cricket. In fact, he attributed his adaptation and learning skills for regaining

selection within a year.

I made my one-day debut in **** [year] but I was dropped because I did not bowl well and I did not cope well with international pressure. I made my come back one year later and became an experienced bowler and also became stronger mentally . . . You have to react fast when you are at the highest level of the game as there is less time and lot more demands from people [general public] in India, the team and everyone; I did very well in that part . . . . I started performing well at the international level.

While referring to pre-game jitters, Tim believed that his cricketing experiences

helped in dealing with the stressors of high-profile cricket. Even regarding this aspect,

Tim’s statement draws attention to complying with the expectations of the organisation,

teammates and fans.

A little bit nervous, everyone gets the nerves and stuff but once you’re experienced in the grade of cricket, you try to overcome those things. Whether you are a cricketer or any sportsperson you get to know what is expected of you and what you should avoid, because you know how the situation will be, the entire atmosphere is known. So you try to put it in the right place because you are experienced and you know what is expected from you, you are clear with it. Whereas, if you are a newcomer, definitely you will have confusion, you don’t know what it is like and what it feels, it will take some time.

Hence, the above quote suggests that younger players or newcomers might be

performing EL much more than older, experienced players. Research also states that EL

declines with age (Hochschild, 1983). As Tim quoted players learn through experience and

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hence they are able to understand and deal with what is expected of them. Furthermore, if

rookie players are not provided with adequate coping resources, they may fail to deal with

the pressures of international competitive games.


Selection

Tim perceived selection and deselection as part of elite sport and believed consistent

performance was the key to ensure his place in the playing eleven. “I have to prove myself.

Take it as a challenge, I am expected to do something in the team, if I don’t then they

[selectors] will go for a better person. It is very good for the team because it is a team

game.” His comment draws attention to the expectation and immense competition in

professional cricket, especially in India.

Tim believed the best way to cope with deselection was by aiming to regain his

position and he achieved this by focusing on improving his form, rhythm and thereby

performance. As Tim explained: “I take it as a challenge. Try to get on a par with that other

guy who is performing in my place.” He provided an example of how he performed

extremely well in the domestic tournament soon after he was dropped from the National

Team for inconsistency.

I was dropped from the Indian team but I did not lose heart and bowled really well in the Ranji trophy [domestic tournament], I got many wickets in the season. We [State side] entered the final after a long time that felt really good because I helped my team, in the sense lead the side in my bowling. So it felt really good because I got wickets after being dropped, it was tough but I did well.

In addition, Tim believed it was the trademark of a good cricketer to focus on events

he/she can control as this helped to enhance performance. Tim has modeled himself to do

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the same; and thereby, he avoids concentrating on uncontrollable aspects such as selection

and media.

There are things I can control and some that I cannot control. So it is best to think about the controlling things that are in your hand, bowling in the right place and work on the technique, if it is not at its best. But the media and selection you cannot control, it is not in your hand, so it is better to leave it and not think too much about it because it should not affect your cricket. Take control of what is in your hand, like your cricketing ability- take control of that.

Media, Cricket fans and Commercialisation

Tim addressed the manner in which cricket was commercialised; especially in India

wherein cricket fans and media routinely follows most of their actions. The quote below

highlights the lack of privacy high-profile players’ deal with.

Nowadays especially yaar [man] lot of disciplinary action is taken because everything we do is exposed; whatever you do on the field and may be off the field too is exposed . . . Everything is exposed in a lot of ways like the television, media, and paper media and made public. Everyone gets to know about a celebrity at the highest level of the game. They [general public] want to see what we are doing, how we are living and coping up at the highest level, this is what we undergo when we are at the peak.

Tim believed being guarded on and off the field was the key to avoid disciplinary

action against players. Also, Tim felt the off-field demands encountered by elite cricketers

was partially due to the role model status of these players.

Discipline wise, we make sure our common activities apart from cricket does not invite attention, we try to avoid funky stuff, like bungee jumping and all that, which will create trouble, especially since the younger generation follows us, so we try to play low profile and be disciplined. We don’t want to show many things. We have contract system in India which states you should not to do bungee jumps, mountain climbing etc which is not good for your career [cricket].

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In the above comment, Tim justified the Board’s contract clauses since he felt they

were investing considerable financial benefits on international cricketers. In addition, he

linked such clauses to the expectations from cricket fans and the country. He addressed it in

the following manner. “The Board is spending . . . [pause]. The country is expecting a lot

and hence the Board does not want you to get into such things, which is good in other

ways”. It is also apparent that Tim was hesitant to talk about the Board, perhaps because as

his early comments indicated it was a sensitive topic, which he was not comfortable to

address.

Indian cricket fans have often been referred as ‘schizophrenic’ because of their

‘love-hate’ approach to cricketers. Cricketers are placed on pedestal when they perform

well, but they are publicly condemned after losses or poor performances. Tim confessed

that he was surprised and affected to a certain degree by this varied treatment from cricket

admirers.

It is very different. You expect that your country people should behave differently. I mean sometimes people are very polite and treat you very well. You are amazed by the reception that you get and at other times they don’t care. It makes a big difference when they greet you well.

The evidence collected in this interview suggests that Tim manages his emotions

mainly through suppressing his emotions and at times he is required to manage the

emotions of others but rarely by expressing unfelt emotions. Tim reported attempting to

adhere to the rules and regulations of the ICC. The only codes he has been fined are for

what he regards as the more severe ICC rules (such as excessive and under appealing).

Most of Tim’s comments lay emphasis on team goals than individual goals. Finally, Tim

believed that the organisation and ICC rules (that includes expectations) are in the best

interest of the game and players. As a consequence, this suggests that Tim might be

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performing deep acting more than surface acting. This is because employees (players)

perform deep acting when they exhort themselves to feel the appropriate emotion and then

present the associated display as the employee genuinely believes and tries to feel the

emotion.

Case Study 2 – “Tim”, Second Interview: Video-analysis of match situations and player

perceptions of the ‘role of culture’ in professional cricket (Interview 2).

Video-analysis: Focusing on the Management of Emotions from an EL Perspective

At first, Tim merely summarised the incident of the India-Pakistan clip shown and

emphasised on the rules, indicating that rules were final. He spoke, however, about

uncontrollable factors such as bad light and rain that could affect the result of the match,

and highlighted the need for players to accept such situations.

It happens you cannot do anything about it. Well it [D/L method] is a rule; you cannot do anything about it . . . . It happens in cricket because it is a sport and anything can happen. Nobody expected rain or bad light at that point. If it does [happen], you just have to accept the rules, as there are rules for everything. When further probed, Tim expressed that it was very disappointing when such

incidents happen, especially since it was against archrival Pakistan and the country

expected the team to win. Yet, he did not comment on how the Indian players felt or looked

in the video-clip. Also, he refrained from making any comment about the Pakistan team.

You will definitely be disappointed . . . . It counts when you are playing against your archrival [Pakistan] and people [Indian fans] will be expecting a lot from each and every player. But you cannot do anything about these things, it is not your fault, you have not made any errors, so you just accept the decision and move on. The rules take over, that is all.

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The only point Tim emphasised about the video-clip were regarding rules and the

finality of the situation. “So there are rules, umpires and referees and they know what is the

correct thing to do; you just have to accept it.” This quote explains the manner in which

Tim may have internalised the rules, and hence might perform deep acting to a significant

extent (Morris and Feldman, 1996).



ICC Codes

Tim appeared to emphasise the positive aspects of ICC rules and he also tried to

portray that most cricketers follow the ICC codes. While it is true that most cricketers aim

to conform to these rules, many codes are breached on purpose. For example, sledging is

still rampant in cricket and when questioned on this aspect, Tim denied that cricketers

sledge. However, since the interviewer was aware of the ICC code breached by players in

most international matches, she probed and challenged his views regarding sledging. As

stated earlier, Tim initially stated that cricketer did not sledge due to the ICC codes and

penalty involved but after he was challenged and probed, he justified sledging as it might

help a cricketer’s performance.

Yeah because it [ICC codes] is controlled, so Australians do not sledge because they will be fined . . . . They used to sledge before 3 - 4 years before but not now. There is code of conduct, there is match ban, life ban, penalty, fine, everything . . . No body will sledge if they are going to get banned or fined…. It is different from person to person . . . If a person sledges and performs better, why not? He might lose some money but he is still performing for the country . . . It is different. As I told you, if you are ready to accept the fact that you may get penalty and fine. I mean if it is sill helping you, then go ahead. You cannot control your natural emotions. If it comes naturally to you, then you have to live with it.

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The above quote suggests that Tim intended to present cricket in a positive light.

Firstly, he could have intended to promote the game to an ‘outsider’, and secondly he could

be merely confirming to the expectancies of organisational rules, that would include

emphasising the positive aspects related to the game and the organisation.

Although Tim stated that he did not engage in sledging, he justified sledging and

physical aggression (see Figure 31) employed by fast bowlers. This is because Tim felt

Figure 31. Batsman facing bouncers from bowlers (physical aggression)

(Source: http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2001/feb/03diary.htm)

bowlers are usually at the receiving end from batsmen, and hence bowlers might need

additional strategies to dominate batsmen in some way.

Fast bowlers try to be aggressive and show that attitude [sledging] because they are meant to be mentally strong as they are at the receiving end. You bowl the ball and the batsman can do anything to that ball [four, six]… I am a different kind of bowler. I don’t sledge and get wickets [like other fast bowlers].

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Cricket Matches in India

Due to the huge popularity of cricket in India, the Indian cricket team enjoys

tremendous support when they play at home, and hence packed and noisy stadiums are a

characteristic feature. While Tim enjoys this atmosphere, he explained that it was tough to

concentrate and perform under such conditions. It may be argued that this facet is one of

the demands related to elite-sport and not EL. However, performing and managing

emotions under such circumstances would require expending much more energy in order to

remain in control of the situation and their emotions. Tim’s quote also highlighted the

expectations of cricket fans, especially when the team plays in India. Tim explains it as

follows:

The atmosphere is different in India. You enjoy cricket here [India] because there is so much of energy in the stadium, there are so many things happening. But at the same time you have to concentrate and perform, it is very tough because there is so much noise and so many things are going on.

Furthermore, Tim addressed the immense pressure of playing in India with

expectations from the country. In addition to this pressure, additional sources of internal

pressure exist with the standards players set for themselves. Hence, Tim stated that he

enjoyed playing in front of the home crowd if he was performing well.

To be honest it is very tough. At home [India], everyone [Indian players] feels pressure because you want to prove your best at home. And there is high expectation from everyone [country]. Definitely there will be pressure when you play at home, but, you enjoy if you start performing [well] at home. Once you start performing at home, you know the expectations; the atmosphere and you start enjoying playing, especially in India.

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Tim’s quote suggests that performing in front of the home crowd might be a source

of strain or support depending on the performance level of players. Hence, if the player or

team is not performing well, it could create additional emotional demands. Also, Indian

fans are not always supportive to the home team. For example, South Africa’s (2005) tour

of India witnessed the entire Kolkata crowd supporting the visiting team, South Africa

(Cricinfo, November 28, 2005). This was because local boy and Indian player Saurav

Ganguly was dropped from the team for what seemed to be political reasons (Majumdar,

2007). Many in the 90,000-strong crowd jeered at India’s Captain Rahul Dravid and his

team during and after the match. They also raised slogans against the team coach Greg

Chappell and the selectors. One can imagine what the Indian team members might have felt

when the packed Kolkata stadium supported the opposition. In addition, the Indian team

was under severe criticism due to its lackluster performances. The Indian team was already

having an appalling tournament; hence it is not surprising that India lost the match in

Kolkata.

Matches against archrival Pakistan are awaited with a special fervour in India.

There is obviously much more pressure and expectation from the cricket fans during these

encounters. Tim initially denied the pressure against Pakistan and felt the media created the

hype. However, when probed he revealed that there was pressure from all quarters in the

country. Also, he expressed that even he did not want to lose to Pakistan, and this was

related to his cultural upbringing in India. This probably has to do with the history of the

two countries, the hostility of years, and the existing border dispute over Kashmir. Most

Indians born and brought up in India still experience immense patriotism in this regard and

cricket happens to provide an outlet to support the country, especially against Pakistan.

Hence, Tim and similar players might be creating additional pressure on themselves in this

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regard. This also throws light on the pressure Pakistani cricketers may encounter when they

play against India.

It is definitely challenging playing against Pakistan. More challenging because of the expectation, the media and all that. They [media] put too much pressure by saying ‘you should not lose to Pakistan’ but it is just a game and can go either way . . . It is another team . . . . Everybody plays to win, especially if it comes to Pakistan [stated quite assertively]. As an Indian born, you’ve grown up watching the hyped cricket matches, immense expectation and competitiveness . . . you don’t want to lose, nobody [Indians] want us to lose against Pakistan because they [Pak] are our rival.

Career Concerns

Tim drew light to the dilemma a prospective cricketer may encounter while making

the crucial decision of choosing cricket as a career or pursuing education. In order to play

cricket at the National level, a youngster would be missing out on his education. This

decision is tough for youngsters due to the emphasis on education in India. Hence, an

aspiring cricketer may face additional pressure, as he might need to prove himself to the

family as well as others. This suggests that young aspiring players may need to manage

emotions even to their family, which may be their main source of support. Tim’s

perspective on this matter:

As a cricketer you take cricket, this is my life. I give it my best, whatever happens I have to live with it. You need lot of guts and courage to take such a decision. Lot of parents will not allow their kids to choose sports, especially in India as they expect kids to be a doctor or engineer, which will ensure that they are settled. Now it is improving.

Tim emphasised the financial benefits he received as an elite cricketer. Also, his

comments suggest the plight of cricketers who failed to perform at the elite level. Such

players would have no financial security or education to support them. Sportsmen in India

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are provided with many job opportunities but their continuation depends upon their

performance, especially during the initial stages.

You get recognised only when you perform, if you don’t perform you don’t get recognised by the people or media . . . . So whatever I have achieved or learnt from this game is paying me, otherwise I would not be sitting in this five-star hotel, I don’t know where I would be if I was not an Indian cricketer. There are lot of cricketers who have suffered in the past . . . . If a cricketer fails early, it is hard.

However, Tim observed that he was aware of the organisational expectation and

considered it a challenge to fulfill his responsibility in the team. Also, Tim addressed the

intense competition in professional cricket.

They [organisation] tell you what is expected and your responsibility, if you are not coping well with the expectation or pressure, there will be a guy to fill your place . . . I have to fulfill others expectation, it is a challenge for you.

Cultural Influences

Tim perceives Indians to be unassuming people who reply to aggression with a

befitting reply but not through aggression. He felt family views and parental influence were

important factors in the making of a person and cricketer (Hofstede, 1980).

Indians are soft-spoken people; we are very humble and modest cricketers. We are not aggressive; we are soft. This is our culture . . . We have many more rules and societal norms, that is how we have been brought up. If parents say something, we obey them . . . . We are aggressive in our own way but not through physical aggression. Our aggression is to prove with silence and perform better.

Tim believed that Indian cricketers usually refrained from sledging because they are

technically good. However, he felt the younger generation had a more aggressive mind-set,

due to influences from the media.

Indians are meant to be quiet and very good skill wise and so we don’t need to sledge but the era is changing, may be youngsters are going to be different. They are

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aggressive and are learning a lot from their childhood. Nowadays kids are very aggressive . . . . the aggressive attitude is coming in.

Tim felt it was better to utilise a player’s strengths in order to perform well, and not

by retorting back with sledging or aggression. In order to focus on performance, Tim

observed that it was essential to avoid engaging in sledging or aggression. In fact, Tim

believed that most Indian cricketers focused on their performance, and showed aggression

by performing well.

You have your own emotions but if you start an argument or sledge back, you may lose [control]. I don’t want to lose, so I show it in a better way through my performance and not by sledging. I know my strengths and limitations. I know what will help me perform . . . . Indians are very much like that; they focus on what they have to do. If you take ‘X’ [Indian cricketer], he shows his aggression through his silence and he performs well.

Moreover, Tim said he was not affected by sledging or aggression and it was rather

challenging to deal when it did occur. He provided an instance where he tackled sledging

and physical aggression (bouncers) effectively in a match against Pakistan.

When ‘Y’ [Pakistan fast bowler] tried to hit me with the ball and bowl a couple of bouncers, I kept myself cool and hit a six of his bowling, that showed my skill. I did not worry about the bouncers or sledging. He did sledge but I did not care . . . I enjoy if I can hit them [four or six] when they sledge me, I enjoy hitting them a lot. I can show my ability in batting and don’t have to retort back with sledging. It does not bother if they [opponents] are sledging.

It appears that players like Tim seem to tackle with this aspect effectively but we

need to remember that Tim is a bowler and hence, he will rarely encounter sledging as

batsmen rarely sledge bowlers. Also, his responsibility when he bats is considerably less

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since he is a bowler. However, the same cannot be said for a batsman under crucial

situations.


Similar to Jim (case-study 1), Tim felt the transition from being a cricket to a non-

cricketer (off the field) required a substantial amount of time. Also, Tim considered this

transition to be challenging due to the varied pressure of international cricket. In addition,

Tim’s quote suggests that work-related conflict might spill over into other domains such as

personal life.

It is a different life altogether when you are playing at the highest level, you have lot of pressure, expectations, so you are a different person. When you come home, you are a different person altogether, you cannot just shift to that very quickly. It takes a couple of days to adapt to your family life again, it won’t happen immediately. You have to be smart to adapt to these kinds of things very quickly. You cannot show your emotions and anger at your parents . . . It is unfair to them.

Tim appears to be a young and up-coming cricketer who tries to portray the board,

ICC and cricket in a positive light. He tried to downplay the negatives of being an elite

cricketer, probably because he has internalised the rules (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993).

However, this identification could also result in internalising anger and frustration to a

considerable extent. On the other hand, accepting failures and negatives situations as

challenges reveals that the player employs antecedent-focused emotional regulation

mechanisms, which could ensure further success. Similar to the first interview, he

emphasised on rules and regulations; his upbringing and culture appears to be a major

contributing factor to it.

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Case Study 3 – “Mark”: An Insight into the Emotional Challenges of Professional

Cricketers.


Mark is a senior bowler with ten years experience in professional cricket. During

the time of the interview, Mark was not a member of the National team as he was still

recouping from injury. While two interview sessions were held with all the other Indian

players, Mark could only be interviewed once due to his travel schedule and commitments.

However, since his comments were crucial and informative, they have been added in the

chapter.

Mark appeared relaxed and was polite throughout the session. He emphasised the

need for the uniform enforcement of the ICC code of conduct since he perceived that

cricketers from Asian countries were being treated unfairly when compared to their

Western counterparts. This point was reiterated a number of times during the session. He

also addressed the unequal treatment of players by both the BCCI and the ICC. Such bold

comments are unusual for most professional players, especially cricketers in India. This

frustration and resentment towards the BCCI and ICC could be fuelled to a certain extent

due to Mark’s injury. Besides, he was quite critical of the inherent problems related to

cricket within the BCCI. Yet, he felt the general set-up in India was partially responsible

for the BCCI’s centralisation of power. One obvious consequence of this was the lack of

freedom cricketers held in decision-making, even with aspects unrelated to cricket.

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In line with the first two participants, Mark reported that he is required to suppress

his emotions to a large extent. He observed: “I think it is always like that, in India you have

to be like that; probably more often than not, you can’t express your opinion.” Suppressing

emotions is one of the ways by which EL is performed; expressing unfelt emotions, reading

and managing the emotions of others are the other three methods (Hochschild, 1983).

Moreover, it appears that in cricket, players manage their emotions mainly through

suppressing their emotions. However, Mark also felt that there were certain occasions when

feelings need to be demonstrated. “I don’t show too many emotions but in situations in

which you have to show your emotions, I do.” Also, he expressed that even when he

expressed his emotions, it is only to a certain extent and he is quite cautious regarding what

he expressed. “It happens most of the time but if it goes beyond a point, then I don’t stop

myself . . . I wont let it cross a certain limit.” This suggests that Mark may be performing

much more surface acting than deep acting, since he knows he is required to manage

emotions to suit organisational rules.

Mark provided an example regarding deselection, wherein he was required to

suppress his emotions to a considerable extent. He felt that in spite of playing well, he was

dropped prior to the World Cup without any explanation or an opportunity to prove his

credibility. Zonal selection has been an issue in India since a long time, and it has been

finally dealt with after the India’s World Cup debacle in April 2007 (Chennai Online, April

7, 2007). Despite the apparent disappointment, Mark motivated himself to focus on

representing for the country in the future.

It was more of a selectorial decision . . . I had done exceptionally well in the one-dayers . . . . I went to ‘X’ country and they just dropped me just before the World

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Cup without having played any game in ‘X’ [country]. I was just disappointed and kept quiet but I could not do much about it. There have been million such instances . . . you can’t do much. Obviously, you are going to be grumpy for a few days but the thing is that you are not going to benefit by staying grumpy. So, might as well move on with it and the fact that playing for the country is more important, that is what keeps you going.

As noted by the other two cricketers (Jim and Tim), Mark also referred to the

control of negative emotions. Expressing unfelt emotions (one of the methods through

which EL is expressed) was stated but in a very general manner and it didn’t seem to affect

him much.

Some negative emotions are supposed to be controlled, like you are not supposed to use expletives, not abuse people, that is a negative emotion. Whereas praise is a positive emotion but you praise only when you feel like praising but the thing is even if you feel like abusing some one, you are not supposed to abuse.

Coping

Mark felt it was best to accept and deal with certain uncontrollable aspects of

cricket and the organisation. He stated that he was aware of what is expected of him as an

elite player, which included the management of emotions. Mark observed that he constantly

reminded himself regarding what he needed to avoid. However, he felt that emotions could

get out of control in certain situations. In this context, Mark may be referring to emotional

leakage, as it tends to happen when emotions are suppressed for longer periods (Ekman,

1992).

You keep telling yourself not to do it; sometimes, if things go beyond control, you tend to do it . . . some times it could, it has but the thing is that it does not become so bad. It does not become ugly . . . but I think it has been under control more often than not.

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It is clear that Mark manages his emotions mainly by suppressing genuine emotions.

Mark did not consider the other processes (expressing unfelt emotions, reading and

managing emotions of others) to be emotionally challenging.



ICC Codes

Mark felt the ICC code of conduct was essential to ensure fair play and

sportsmanship. He observed that if there were no rules, then cricketers would be totally

uninhibited in their actions. It is not hard to imagine how sledging, physical abuse and

aggression would be rampant, considering the current scenario of the game.

If there were no rules and regulations then everybody could be allowed to do whatever they wanted, that shouldn’t happen. I think there are few emotions and reactions which are bound to be there, which you are going to have. At the same time there are few negative things, which are supposed to be suppressed and not supposed to be there, I think as long as you cater to that, it is fine.

Though Mark believed the ICC codes were essential for emotional regulation and

sportsmanship, he also stated that it was much more difficult to regulate emotions in crucial

situations.

Everybody can lose their temper once in a way but I think with this [code of conduct], you tend to have a check, an emotional check . . . but a ‘shake of the head’ [ICC code] and all these things [codes] do happen once in a way because crucial situation and you are given out and things like that, obviously you are going to be disappointed.

As stated earlier, Mark commented on the perceived unfair treatment of Asian

players by the ICC and the manner in which these rules were interpreted differently. This

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aspect has received a fair amount of media attention; even ex-cricketers have raised

concerns. Whether, this is a fact or it is merely the perception of some players is worthy of

further consideration; however, that is not the primary aim of this thesis.

It’s just that the way you look at the codes with respect to different countries, I feel they are not quite equal on that, they don’t look at it in the same way; the same criterion is not used throughout . . . The way you look at a rule for say probably a white player [non-Asian] and for an Asian player, it differs. I feel Asian countries suffer.

Mark’s discontent with certain aspects of the BCCI organisational rules was

apparent in the following quote. He expressed how the Board exercised maximal power,

and hence Mark believed players had minimal control regarding aspects related to their

game and even non-cricket aspects.

Again certain things are fine but sometimes certain codes feel really funny. They seem stupid to me because all the other countries’ players do media work if they are not playing. Say if you are a one-day player they do media work when they [team] play test match cricket . . . but it is only in our country for every small thing, whether we want to sneeze or we want to drink water, we need to get permission [from the BCCI]. That sometimes irks me a bit.

Furthermore, Mark observed that careers in sport were shorter than careers in non-

sport professions. Hence, he felt it was essential to utilise the opportunities available (such

as media work). However, Mark explained that the BCCI regulations restricted players

from engaging in media work or other such jobs. His apparent frustration is evident in the

quote below:

If you look at it every player has a shelf life and cricketers do have shelf life and if they can look at it in a different career and they are getting opportunities to do it, why not do it. I don’t know why the Board should come in between . . . . our career is up to 35-36. Obviously different people are going to get paid different kind of money but the thing is if you are getting opportunities, why not take it.

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One can understand Mark’s frustration regarding this aspect, especially since a

cricketer’s career is relatively small. Elite cricketers enjoy an enviable status in India to the

extent that they dominate most commercial advertisements. However, they enjoy this status

only during their peak form; hence, they may want to make the most of the situation be it

within cricket (such as media work) or outside cricket (television commercials and

sponsors). Mark spoke about one such restriction (media work), there may be many such

restrictions imposed on these players.

Regarding the ICC codes, Mark felt it was reasonably difficult to control ‘shaking

of the head’ (Table 21, ICC code # 3) at the umpire’s decision, since it was more of an

involuntary reaction. He also perceived that Asian countries were treated unfairly in this

regard. If this were the case, these players may find it a lot more difficult to deal with such

aspects.

I think everything is fine, except for the fact that sometimes ‘shaking of the head’ [ICC code] does happen. Like if you don’t accept [the decision], it does happen at the heat of the moment, I don’t think it should be taken too seriously if the person is not doing it on a regular basis, on and off is fine . . . the way they interpret it for us [Indians] or I would say the Asian countries and the way they interpret it for the other western countries is different.

His explanation regarding ‘excessive appealing’ (Table 21, ICC code # 7) and its

recurrence in cricket was similar to the code mentioned above (‘shaking of the head’).

Cricketers are aware of the code and the fine if they appeal excessively but as Mark stated,

players appeal excessively when they are sure the opponent batsman is ‘out’. This indicates

that, in such situations bowlers may need to choose between an opponent batsman’s wicket

and the fine/penalty. In most cases a player may choose the batsman’s wicket, mainly

because a bowler goal and job is to claim wickets. In addition, it may have been a crucial

wicket or the final wicket to ensure the team wins the match. In this respect, bowlers may

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be at a disadvantage than batsmen as they may involve in excessively appealing when they

perceive the opponent is ‘out’.

You can be fined but as I said when you think it is out, purely out, plump [definitely] out; you are going to appeal till the time the umpire doesn’t give an LBW. You might be dismayed at the fact that he [umpire] has not still given it out, so you tend to appeal. Nobody does it wontedly . . . sometimes the entire side [team] feels that they have got the man, that’s when it [excessive appealing] happens . . . but then again interpretation of the rules is different for different players.

Mark’s comments regarding sledging (Table 21, ICC code # 4) were similar to

Jim’s (first case study). He considered it to be a part of cricket culture involving friendly

humour. But, he felt that certain decorum had to be maintained and players should avoid

personal remarks or abuses against their opponent.

I am quite happy with the way that if you can chirp without getting too personal on family and things like that, it’s fine. I think it is part of the game; it is banter. It’s cricket, it is part of it, you are just trying to play the mental aspect of the game, and it’s fine as long as long it does not cross certain limits. I don’t think you should get too offensive and abusive. I think that goes beyond limit but as long as you are trying to get the mental side of it, trying to psych them out or think them down a different lane, that is fine.

Mark drew light on the inherent difference between India and Western cultures

regarding chirping. He commented: “Sometimes chirping is interpreted in a very wrong

way here [India]. Chirping in the international matches is interpreted in a very different

way.” There has been a fair bit of debate in India whether sledging should be permitted in

cricket, which explains Mark’s comments. This section suggests that players code of

conduct and aspects related to the game can influence the management of emotions to a

substantial extent.

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Selection

Mark believed that there were inherent selection problems within the BCCI. While

dealing with a sport such as cricket in India, which has immense competition, many

deselected players are going to be disappointed. But Mark’s comments were fuelled by the

selection criterion used by the BCCI for different players. Also, as mentioned earlier, zonal

selection in India has been an issue since a long time.

I think with BCCI it has been a problem for a long time. Selection issues are going to be there, not everybody is going to be happy . . . different yardsticks are always there for different people. I don’t think it has changed over the years, could have become marginally better but I don’t think so it has changed.

Mark’s displeasure regarding selection matters is obvious in the following quote.

Also, he perceived that the general set-up in India is greatly responsible for the manner in

which the BCCI functions. However, he felt it was essential to accept the situation and

focus on performance.

Different yard sticks are always held for selection. You are not going to be on the right end of the stick always, more often than not you are going to be in the wrong end of the sticks. You have to take it with your chin up . . . In India you tend to do that because you will have to live with it. Either change yourself or the organisation, the other does not happen, so it is better to change yourself sometimes . . . . You just tend to be positive about the entire fact and then go about it. Lots of things don’t go as by what you expect it to but you can’t do much about it. Beggars can’t be choosers . . . . I think in India whatever happens, for us everything is ‘chalta hai’ [goes on] attitude . . . Personally such things irk me a lot because I always believe in honesty and all these things.

Mark also mentioned few concerns regarding the functioning of the BCCI. Of these,

one in particular was the support extended to injured players; this was significant as Mark

was still recouping from injury when interviewed. Although BCCI is the richest cricket

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Association in the world, Mark believed it was below par regarding professionalisation and

catering to its players. Again, Martin highlighted the unequal treatment of players by the

BCCI.

When it comes to organisational issues, there are loads . . . although our country [BCCI] is supposed to be the richest professionally we are not the best. All the other countries, I think by far they are very ahead in terms of standards. The way they go about with players starting from injuries to everything to the fact that organisation of the fact that you are going to go somewhere, the team is going to assemble, lots of them, lots of logistical issues, I think they are way ahead of us . . . . I think everybody [all players] should be treated in the same way. I think is does not happen, so it irks me a lot . . . I think in India, there are more bulls because we are all thick skinned now because we are so used to things happening.

Mark has been known to be a frank and out-spoken cricketer. He expressed that this

frankness might have affected his selection chances in the past and could probably affect in

the future because he felt he was considered a rebel for questioning people in authority.

I have always asked questions of people and I do but the thing is nothing happens . . . I have always been held for probably being too frank and too out-spoken, so it has always got me into trouble. But I think that is the way to be, I am not here to do the good things, I am here to do the right things. So, as long as I do that, I am happy with myself. I still think that, lots of times you are held as a rebel or that kind of thing, it could have affected my selection chances.

The above quote by Mark brings to focus the manner in which elite players may

encounter major challenges and hurdles in their career for not abiding to the organisation’s

written and unwritten rules. This is similar to the Saurav Ganguly incident. The ex-Indian

Captain Ganguly was de-selected from the Indian team in 2005/2006 for what appeared to

be political reasons within the BCCI (The Hindu, November 6, 2005).

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Media, Cricket Fans and Commercialisation

Mark felt there was immense expectation from the Indian cricket fans; this is not

surprising considering India’s obsession with cricket and its cricketers. “I think the

expectation is more from the country than anything else because teammates are all doing

the same kind of effort and they know the expectation.” He also highlighted the invasion of

privacy by the media by routinely following every move of these players. “As you keep

playing people’s expectations go up and the way the present day media dissects everything,

even if you sneeze or cough, they make something out of it.” The Indian media seems to be

similar to the cricket fans; and ensure that a few pages about cricket and cricketers routine

activities are reported regularly, no matter how trivial they may seem.

Furthermore, Mark stated that he had learnt to deal with the media and negative

criticism. Also, he revealed that he tried to use it to his advantage, probably by taking it as a

challenge.

You cannot do much about it [media], sometimes it upsets you . . . I think it does, it does but again it is just that how much you let it go to your head. It is going to upset anybody when somebody is going to say negative when it was not warranted but at the same time if you can use it to help you or if you don’t get it too much to your head, that is fine.

Mark’s observations revealed the problems specific to the BCCI. It also showed his

perception of the differential ICC treatment regarding Indian and Asian cricketers

compared to their Western players. In addition, Mark manages his emotions mainly through

the suppression of emotions and he observed this had to do mainly with the Indian

submissive attitude towards authority. This indicates that Mark may be performing more

surface acting than deep acting, as he knows he has to manage his emotions in most

situations. Mark adheres to most ICC codes and feels it is good to have certain rules in

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cricket. His coping strategies included rationalisation, reframing and focusing on the

positives.

Case Study 4 – “Chris”, First Interview: An Insight into the Emotional Challenges of



Chris is a senior cricketer with fourteen years experience in first class cricket. Chris

is regarded as a mature batsman; he has also Captained the State Team for a few years.

Chris appeared a little distracted during the initial stages of the interview. He appeared

polite but was not as expressive as the remaining participants. Although he did not avoid

questions, he appeared hesitant to address certain aspects related to the organisation and the

ICC codes. In fact, when the confidentiality of his responses was stated, his immediate

response was: “how can I trust what I say will be treated as confidential? If I want to

answer I will say yes, if I don’t want to answer I will say no”. Also, when enquired directly

about managing emotions or regarding the emotional demands of the game, the player did

not reveal anything. This could be mainly due to the fact that he is a senior cricketer and

hence may not want to make his struggles obvious. Furthermore, his responses to a large

extent were in the absolute terms. For example, when enquired about ICC codes he replied,

“absolutely fine”. In order to elicit responses, questions needed re-framing and

requestioning a number of times. However, Chris addressed the emotional demands of the

Captain of a team and the lack of security in professional cricket in India in detail.

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Chris was in line with the other three Indian players and stated that he manages his

emotions mainly by suppressing them, though he did not mention the word ‘suppress’ in

this instance. He provided a situation where in he was required to suppress his emotions

and manage that of his teammates for 2-3 days, which is a reasonably long time to manage

emotions. However, in the same example, he revealed that he could not control his

frustration after a few days and hence reacted in an unfavourable manner to the umpire.

This indicates that it is reasonably difficult to suppress or manage emotions over a longer

period. Also, in such situations, there is a strong tendency for suppressed emotions to leak

out.

The umpire was calling wides, just like that. I did not react to it . . . Actually the umpire was not doing a good job, he was doing it deliberately, and everyone [team] knew that. … I had requested all our players not to react but our bowler was fed up with the umpire and asked him, ‘how come it is a wide, it just missed the stumps?’ Suddenly, the umpire called me and said, ‘how come the Captain cannot control the players, where did you learn your cricket from?’ It was too much for me to control. I had waited for almost 2- 3 days, I replied, ‘where did you learn your umpiring from?’

Regarding the same incident, Chris revealed that the coaching staff and

administrators were aware of the situation, yet nothing had been done about it and the team

was informed to continue the game without reacting to the perceived unfair umpiring issue.

However, Chris felt his action was justified since there was a limit to such perceived unfair

decisions.

Yeah sometimes you need to be express your emotions . . . . Of course, there was a line drawn and we are not supposed to talk, our manager and coach had also informed us not to talk, so that was the only time I had reacted and that became a big issue. He [umpire] took the bails and walked off and he said, ‘I am calling off

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the game’. They called off the game . . . . Both the managements spoke and resumed the game after an hour.

This is similar to the incident wherein Australia's umpire Darrell Hair no-balled the

Sri Lankan leg-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan seven times in three overs on the first day of

the second Test between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1995.

Furthermore, Hair was at the bowler's end, rather than at square leg, from where an umpire

can clearly observe a bowler's action. Arjuna Ranatunga who was Captaining the Sri Lanka

team was infuriated by Hair's actions and hence took his team off the ground, although they

returned the game shortly afterwards (BBC Sport Cricket, 2006).

Chris stated that he is required to manage the emotions of others, especially junior

and younger players on a regular basis. As a Captain, he also needs to motivate players

during slumps in their performance or when deselected from the team.

We [senior players] try to explain things in the best way possible, sometimes they listen and at others they don’t. If they don’t accept, then we have to accept the situation . . . Show them the example of people who have come up from the slump. We need to make them believe that they can do it.

Coping

Chris mainly employs positive thinking to cope with the emotional demands of the

game; this is similar to the coping of the other three players. However, the downside is that

he internalises his emotions since he does not want others to know his distress. He

commented, “In one way I take it inside, I don’t express it outside because I don’t want

others to know when I am frustrated or angry . . . I take it in a positive way, as a

challenge”. This can sap a lot of energy, especially if the player does not have an adequate

support network and is not venting out emotions in a healthy way (Grandey, 2003).

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This section revealed the amount of emotional management the Captain of a team

encounters. This could prove more challenging during crucial situations, suggesting that the

Captain might be performing much more EL than the rest of the team members. The private

EL might be equal or much more than the public EL (Harris, 2002). This aspect will be

further addressed in the final chapter of the thesis.



ICC Codes

Similar to Mark (third participant), Chris emphasised that the ICC code of conduct

was essential for the game to ensure sportsmanship. Also, Chris felt it was important to

have rules because cricketers are role models to numerous youngsters. Hence, in order to

set a fine example to future aspirants, it becomes imperative for elite cricketers to

demonstrate good spirit and manners. This is especially true in India, as any negative action

is followed by criticism from all sections of the community, highlighting the influence it

could have on the younger generations.

I think what the ICC has done is in the right direction. We need to have some sort of a code, whether it is a professional game or daily life we need to have some sort of a rule . . . . It is good for the game as many people will be watching, even kids will be watching. They are going to play next; we are the role models for those kids.

In line with most of his Indian counterparts, Chris stated that players breach a code

such as ‘excessive appealing’ (Table 21, ICC code # 7) due to the intense involvement into

the game. Since players are aware of the code of conduct, they should accept the fine if

they breach a code. Yet, we need to remember that Chris is a batsman, and hence he might

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consider it to be relatively easy to deal with the consequence but a bowler’s perceptive may

be different (as we have seen with the second and third case study).

Sometimes in the heat of moment, it looks like you are appealing more but they [bowlers] don’t do it deliberately. Only this one they stretch too far, all other codes you have to avoid . . . sometimes but you need to accept the fine as you have already been informed what the penalty for excessive appealing is, so you are ready for it. You don’t want to appeal excessively but it happens sometimes.

Unlike the other players, Chris had very little to say about umpiring decisions. His

only comment regarding perceived umpiring decisions was: “I have always accepted if it is

an umpiring decision . . . I have another game, it is fine”. This could suggest that the

player copes effectively with such decision. However, it could also imply that Chris was

not comfortable to address this aspect with the researcher.

Pre-game

Chris believed it was imperative to suppress negative emotions prior to games and

matches. “You have to suppress those negative emotions. It happens to everyone; in fact

when you do anything new, you are nervous”. Chris highlighted the importance of the

‘switch on and off’ aspect to focus on the game and enhance performance. He also felt it

was essential to involve in activities that would help players to prepare for the game. He

commented:

There are two things switch on and off, if you can do that perfectly, then your performance will not be affected . . . . It is totally different for others, some of my teammates cannot sit in the room because they are so tensed, they need to go out and keep themselves occupied. They don’t want to think about the game but when they enter the field they are totally different.

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Furthermore, Chris emphasised that the pressure was much more when the team

was not performing well, and hence the negative thoughts during pre-game are much more.

Overcoming these thoughts can require the expenditure of tremendous emotional energy.

This indicates that managing emotions during such moments might be more difficult. Also,

he felt international matches involved more pressure than first class games.

If the team is winning, then everything will be in place. If the team is not doing well, then the thoughts will be more; there is lot of pressure on you to perform, lot of pressure to do well. They want to do win but it is just not happening. That is the time when you need to be very strong . . . . In an international game, the pressure is somewhat high compared to a first class game.


Commercialisation and Future Concerns

Chris addressed the immense competition and commercial nature of the game in

India. He related this pressure to the popularity of the game and numerous youngsters

waiting for a chance to play for the National or State team. Also, he related this pressure

partly to the amateur status of cricket in India; it is yet to become a professional sport.

A lot more pressure now, it is too much now because there is a lot of money involved, a lot at stake. You miss one game, then you are out of the side, you find it difficult to climb again because there are too many cricketers waiting to get in. Nowadays, the chances are very less, the opportunities are very less; you need to make the most when the opportunity is given. That is too much pressure because once you miss it; you have lost it for your lifetime. If you think in this way, the pressure gets on to you . . . . Even now cricket is not a professional sport in India, it is an amateur sport . . . . We are given the fees [match fees] but it is not the salary.

In the following quote, Chris addressed the concerns about senior State level players

due to the lack of financial support available if performance drops or after retirement.

Hence, he felt that concerns about the future would lurk largely on the minds of cricketers.

The irony of cricket in India is that there are numerous opportunities for players who are

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established but sadly these opportunities are of little use to junior, State level cricketers

(Majumdar, 2007). Mark (case study three) also spoke of this aspect. Hence, senior players

may be experiencing more concerns regarding their future. While this is not EL, it appears

to be one of the foremost causes for performing EL.

You need to make money because the cost of living has gone up. If you stop playing cricket, you are nowhere. You don’t have a career outside cricket because all our life we have been playing cricket and studied only up to a degree [undergraduation] that does not help you now. After 35-36 [years] you are stranded, so you know that when you are playing you need to make some sort of security, not for luxury. So people [cricketers] know that if you play well you are secured for your life, other wise you are nowhere. You will have to struggle for two meals. This is the case in India, I don’t know how it is in foreign countries because they can opt for social security, the government is there, here [India] there is nothing. So all these things build up. When you are playing, you cannot think of all those things. You just need to play the game and leave the rest to go on.

Chris is a senior batman who appears to know the demands related to game. Chris

observed that professional cricket required the suppression of emotions. In addition, he

stated that he has had to manage the emotions of his team. However, he believed it was

essential to be emotionally regulated and avoid code breaches and the associated penalty.

Finally, he drew light to the dismal future of aspiring or current cricketers if they failed to

perform at the International level. This is mainly due to the immense competition, short

career span of the game and the lack of opportunities to secure financial benefits.

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Case Study 4 – “Chris”, Second Interview: Video-analysis of match situations.

Chris appeared a lot more relaxed than the first interview and spoke eagerly about

his experiences in cricket. Moreover, the incident-based technique facilitated in obtaining

information emotional challenges encountered during game situations. This could be

because the player was explaining demands or situations in relation to the video-clip and

not to self. The player was less guarded when questions similar to the clip were asked, and

hence he revealed much more information than he expressed in the first interview. While

explaining certain aspects related to the game, he admitted that many other ICC codes were

difficult to follow; he had denied this in the first interview. The increasing pressure and

demands the Captain of a professional cricket team encounters was further elaborated in

this interview. The player’s perception on the role of culture and media issues could not be

obtained due to time constraints.


Similar to Jim (first case-study), Chris appeared distressed while watching the

video-clip. Also, he did not want to watch the entire clip. He stated that it was

disappointing for a match to end by employing the D/L method. However, he felt it was

best to accept the umpire’s decisions as rules were final.

It’s not real cricket, I mean not won by the bat or ball. The calculations [D/L method] give the result; it is a very sad thing. The Indians were disappointed but they couldn’t help because of the rule. You can’t change the rule . . . You need to accept the umpires’ decision.

Chris highlighted the fast pace in which events took take place in the clip. This

suggests that players may find it much more demanding to suppress natural emotions

during such unexpected circumstances. Chris also threw light on the Captain’s predicament

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in this situation, as he had Captained the State team. Not only does the Captain have to

manage his emotions but ensure that he manages the emotions of the entire team and

motivate them for the next game.

It happened so fast that Rahul [Indian Captain] did not have much time to think as it started drizzling, it became very dark and within no time they had taken the decision and called off the match. That was very disappointing for Rahul Dravid because he had no time to think or react.

Moreover, Chris emphasised that it was important to conceal disappointment in

such situations, and try to perform well in the next game. This reveals the internal sources

of pressure these players set for themselves; these standards are however influenced to a

considerable extent by societal norms. The losing team is expected to display good

sportsmanship and put on a brave face. Professional cricketers are required to behave in a

gentlemanly manner during such challenging situations, even if they are severely criticised

by the media and cricket fans. If players are unable to handle these challenges effectively,

they may attract unwanted negative attention like Vinod Kambli (ex-Indian opener) did

after the 1993 World Cup semi-final loss to Sri Lanka. This incident was explained in the

first case-study (Jim). To recap, Kambli left the cricket field in tears after Sri Lanka was

adjudged winners against India due to disruptive crowd behavior at the Eden Gardens

stadium, Kolkata (Vinod Kambli Encyclopedia, 2005).

It would have been disappointing but you can’t help. Even there [in the clip] all the players are disappointed because it was a high scoring game and a nail-biting game, anyone could have won the game, the odds were even. You have to hide those disappointments . . . You cannot show it, you need to come back in the second game and that is what happened.

Chris was not a member of the National Team during the Pakistan tour (2006) from

which the video-clip was shown. In fact, he stated that he was very upset when he watched

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the live telecast of the match, and switched off the television in disappointment after

Pakistan was declared winners based on D/L method.

I just switched off the television; I was frustrated. We have been watching the game for 100 overs and then you cannot know the climax, it was totally anti-climax; it should not have happened. They [Pakistan] were declared winners by 7 runs that is ridiculous, a team batting second should be by number of wickets.



ICC Codes

In this session, Chris acknowledged that there was immense pressure to confirm to

the ICC codes, however he felt it was important to learn from mistakes and adapt quickly to

the game. This leads us to speculate whether EL is much more during pressure and crucial

situations.

You need to deal with that pressure. It is not a small thing. Before you go into the cricket field you know what to do, you are mentally prepared even if it is a very bad decision, you control your anger, you control your temper . . . that has come to all the players right now. That is why there are so many decisions against the batsman but people [players] are not reacting, it is all because of the ICC codes.

Chris observed that professional cricketers are trained to handle perceived unfair

umpiring decisions and similar demands to tackle the challenges of international cricket.

However, he felt that it was not possible to be emotionally regulated at all times, and this

improves with player age and game experience. To what extent training helps players and

whether it is beneficial to change response patterns in the long run are aspects worthy of

consideration in the future.

Sometimes you cannot avoid it but you need to, that is why when you enter into the international side, we are given lot of examples where you cannot react and you will be told what to do . . . It still happens, later we realise we shouldn’t have done it . . .

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. You need to cut down all those things. You try to do that but so many times you try to control but you cannot . . . . Everyday we will be improving; if I am fined for this today I wont do it tomorrow.

In addition, Chris believed that emotional players might require much more effort to

regulate their emotions. Hence, Chris felt emotional players are more at risk of breaching

ICC codes and a possible fine/penalty. “Some people are totally excited or short-tempered

by nature they do that [display emotions]. They accept that they should not do it but they

can’t control, and later they repent their action.” The decision to penalise a player rests

solely at the discretion of the match referee, and in most instances the player’s situation and

predicament is not considered.

Though Chris is a batsman, he felt bowlers were more likely to show dissent and

breach codes. Chris related this to the physical exhaustion associated to the run-up of

bowlers. Cricket matches last an entire a day in a one-day match and over five days in test

match cricket. It may be challenging for bowlers to be emotionally regulated during the

entire match due to the physical exhaustion.

Bowlers can get fined for excessive appealing . . . More than the batsmen the bowlers will be running in hard, they will be very tired and then they will be frustrated if the batsman is not given out when it is obvious that he is out, they show dissent and this sort of gestures.

Umpires appear to be larger than life in cricket as their ruling is final and once a

decision is taken, it is very rarely taken back. In line with Tim or in fact most Indian

players, Chris believed it was in his best interest to resign to the umpire’s decision as it

could prove costly to show dissent or even disappointment in many cases.

The discretion lies on the umpire and the match referee; it is a very thin line between dissent and disappointment. If you are fined for showing disappointment at

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yourself, you can’t help it . . . . you know the consequences you are going to face, so it is better to accept the decision and walk off . . . . You should understand that it [emotions] comes out but the match referee does not spare even a single player in order to keep it down to the minimum.

Chris stated that he enjoys ‘sledging’ and thinks it is an essential part of the game.

Also, his quote suggests that Chris expects a fair amount of banter in professional cricket.

In addition, he believed it could motivate a player to perform. However, Chris also reported

that it was not easy since there would be some comment or chirp throughout the match.

This suggests that concentrating and performing could be reasonably challenging but the

amount of emotional regulation could vary for players and across situations.

It has to be there, otherwise there is no fun. I mean if two dumb people are playing, there is no fun . . . . It motivates you, if someone [opposition] says you won’t play that shot, you will . . . [pause] you won’t react . . . . every ball there we will be some comments. It is not easy.


Cricket Fans

Chris explained there was a reasonable amount of pressure in most international

matches but he felt the pressure was much more playing in India due to the expectation and

pressure to win the game. In this regard, Chris felt there was much more pressure to

perform well in front of the ‘home crowd’. This would obviously necessitate the regulation

of emotions to a substantial extent.

The pressure is less in another country because everyone knows it is in alien conditions. Whereas, if your playing in India, you are playing in front of one lakh [huge] crowd and one million people are watching [on television] obviously the pressure is more because you are playing in home conditions . . . You have to win no matter what, people expect you to win . . . . You need to do well because the past record says that most of Indian teams have won, so the pressure is always there.

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Chris is a senior cricketer who knows the advantages and disadvantages of a cricket

career. He drew light to the pressure senior cricketers’ encounter in India and the lack of

avenues and opportunities outside cricket. He also emphasised on the positives of the game

and considers cricket to be an inherent part of his life. He has learnt the golden rule to

survive in Indian cricket, which is adaptation and as he expressed, “it is all about survival

of the fittest in India”.

In this interview Chris addressed the demands of a Captain, especially when the

team was facing defeat due to unexpected uncontrollable events (such as rain and light). He

also observed that certain ICC codes were challenging to adhere to, yet it was best to

regulate oneself. Finally, Chris highlighted the pressure of performing in front of the home

crowd, which generally witnesses packed noisy stadiums.

Summary and Conclusions

Similar to the previous chapter (Australian interviews), the four Indian cricket

players in this study stated that they manage their emotions to a significant extent. As

evident from the results, organisational and occupational factors (Morris & Feldman, 1996;

Harris, 2002) and expectations emerged as the major antecedent for performing EL with

these participants. Also, in this context, organisation includes both the ICC and BCCI. In

fact, there appeared to be more discontent among the participants regarding the BCCI

functioning and issues management pertaining to professional cricketers. This aspect is

further addressed in the discussion chapter. However, this does not imply that other factors

such as societal and cultural expectations did not influence the performance of EL.

In fact, audience expectation and media emerged as vital factors for performing EL.

Perhaps this is because cricket is a national obsession in India, and is zealously followed its

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populace, and hence cricketers are viewed as role models by many youngsters. This is in

turn creates additional pressure on the players to confirm to societal and cultural values on

and off the field, which might not necessarily concur with that of the game of cricket,

especially international cricket (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993; Hofstedde, 1983). In this

context, the societal and cultural expectations include restraint from physical and verbal

aggression, and also appearing emotionally regulated. In addition career concerns emerged

as another important factor for performing EL, especially among the older participants. In

addition, occupational rules, especially implicit rules influenced the performance of EL to a

significant extent. Harris (2002) posits that showing ‘true’ emotions in the bar is considered

unprofessional, and hence barristers strive to live to the image of the bar-setting. In cricket,

displaying emotions is viewed as ‘unsportsmanlike’ and ‘ungentlemanlike’, which goes

against the spirit of the ‘gentlemanly spirit of cricket’. Furthermore, these players employed

both surface (response-focused) and deep acting (antecedent-focused) to perform EL, and

this depended on the situation (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993; Harris, 2002) and job

satisfaction (Grandey, 2003). For example, a player in the slump would not be necessarily

be happy with his form, and hence he may employ surface acting much more than deep

acting. Also, crucial situations could significantly influence the performance of the type of

acting employed. For example, if a team Captain who perceives the umpires decision as

unfair during a crucial and important match (such as World Cup qualifier or against their

archrival team) may resort to surface acting in order to restrain an emotional outburst at the

umpire or bowler. Also, unlike the service setting, the actor or cricketer will not gain

anything by appeasing the customer (umpire or bowler); however he regulates his emotions

to adhere to the ICC rules and thereby avoid a penalty, and also ensure that the focus is on

performance. In line with the findings of Harris (2002) on the EL of barristers, it appears

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that the EL of professional cricketers is varied and different from that of employees in the

service setting. These are discussed in the next chapter in greater detail.

In-depth case study analysis along with video-prompting techniques helped in

understanding the EL phenomenon in a culturally distinct context. However, similar to

Australian case studies validity checks was restricted to source triangulation. Future

research might consider involving larger number of participants from different cultural

contexts. This would help in identifying and understanding whether the emotional demands

of cricket players from different countries are vastly different or similar. In addition, the

four participants interviewed were from India. In order to understand the cultural

perspective more adequately, it is essential to conduct in-depth interviews on cricketers

from culturally diverse countries such as England and West Indies.

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CHAPTER 7: DISCUSSION

The main purpose of this research was to examine emotional Labour (EL) in

professional sport. Professional cricket was chosen for this purpose because: (a) It is a

high-profile sport; (b) Players and administrators are professionals who derive their income

from the sport; (c) It is a team game and therefore requires interaction as well as

cooperation with other members of the team and the organisation; and (d) Players interact

with a wide range of audience (e.g., media, fans, umpires, opposition and so forth). These

qualities give professional cricket an organisational structure that is similar to that of the

service professions in which EL has been previously examined.

Data were collected using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods, namely

individual and focus group interviews of professional cricketers and organisational staff

(Study 1), surveys of professional cricketers and organisational staff (Study 2), in-depth

case studies of Australian cricket players (Study 3), and finally in-depth case studies of

Indian cricket players (Study 4). In general, findings indicate that professional cricketers

and organisational personnel perform EL to a substantial degree, though the context and

reasons for performing varies. Figure 32 provides a framework outlining the context,

processes, and consequences of EL as it applies to professional cricketers. The discussion

that follows will elaborate on each component of the framework.

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Figure 32. A conceptual framework of Emotional Labour in Professional Cricket

CONTEXT Organisational and

Occupational rules and expectations:

1. ICC codes - Umpiring decisions - Excessive appealing - Restraint on self-swearing - Captain’s code - Off field codes

Verbal “Sledging” and

Physical aggression Team and Audience

expectations Game commercialisation,

and Media expectations Image Management

- Media - Standards set by self - Juniors, teammates &

opposition Cultural expectations

EMOTIONAL LABOUR Private EL

Situations involving: - teammates - coaches, selectors - other organisational

personnel Public EL

Situations involving: - opposition - umpires - audience - media interviews - player appearances

Processes of EL

- Suppression - Mixed emotions - Reading & Managing the emotions of others

Personal characteristics

- Gender - Emotional Intelligence - Emotional Expressivity

Acting approaches

- Surface and deep acting

CONSEQUENCES Negative Effects

- Physical & Emotional exhaustion - Bottling-up emotions - Emotional leakage - Burnout - Work-family conflict

Positive Effects

- Job satisfaction - Sportsmanship spirit - Individual goals

- Team goals - Organisational goals / Affective delivery

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Context of Emotional Labour in Professional Cricket

A number of perspectives have been put forward to understand emotions and EL.

These perspectives include a physiological perspective (Zajonc, 1985), a cognitive

perspective (Lazarus, 1980), an affective events theory perspective (Ashkanasy et.al.,

2002), a bounded emotionality perspective (Mumby & Putnam, 1992), and an

‘interactionist’ perspective (Morris & Feldman, 1996). The existence of multiple

perspectives suggests that the EL construct is still not well understood (Harris, 2002;

Morris & Feldman, 1996). However, this research has adopted the interactionist approach

for the following reasons: Firstly, this perspective postulates that emotions and their

expression are subject to the context (Hochschild, 1983). Secondly, emotional expression is

determined by expectations or display rules (Morris & Feldman, 1996). Thirdly, there is a

difference between felt emotion and what is displayed. Lastly, an interactionist perspective

suggests that even when emotional displays are congruent with organisational display rules,

it still involves a certain degree of EL because these displays have been found to be a

consequence of the interaction (Morris & Feldman, 1996; Harris, 2002).

Research by Rafaeli and Sutton (1987) suggests that EL mainly stems from the

‘context’ and emotional transactions. On the other hand, Ashforth and Humphrey (1993)

suggest that EL is caused equally by societal, occupational and organisational emotional

display rules and expectations. The findings from this study support both these views to a

certain degree. More specifically, occupational and organisational causes appear to exert

the most influence on the performance of EL by professional cricketers and organisational

personnel, and this is consistent with the findings of Harris (2002) study on the EL of

barristers. However, as Figure 32 illustrates, in addition to organisational and occupational

rules, a number of other (societal and occupational rules) expectations influence the

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performance of EL in professional cricket. This research identified six antecedents for

performing EL, namely: organisational and occupational rules, verbal sledging and physical

aggression, team expectations, spectator/audience expectation, game commercialisation and

media expectations, image management, and cultural expectations. These causes are

addressed in the following sections.

Organisational and Occupational Rules and Expectations

In sport, the extent to which emotional displays are organisationally desirable is

often encapsulated in the players’ behavioural codes and policies. For example, “The Spirit

of Cricket” serves as Cricket Australia’s guide for contracted players which includes codes

and policies they are expected to follow (Cricket Australia’s Official Website, 2003).

These codes and policies include references to on-field behaviour such as positive play,

pressure, body language and banter between opponents. The codes also encompass off-

field behaviour because off-field conduct reflects either positively or negatively on both the

individual and the game of cricket. Hence, players need to be cautious about their

behaviour especially in circumstances likely to attract public attention and criticism.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) codes that emerged as particularly

emotionally demanding to adhere to were those related to umpiring decisions, excessive

appealing, restraint on self-swearing, the Captain’s code, and restriction to off-field

activities. The ICC code pertaining to umpiring decisions states that “Players and team

officials must at all times accept the Umpire’s decision. Players must not show dissent at

the Umpire’s decision. This includes disappointment with an umpire’s decision with

specific actions such as shaking of the head, snatching cap from umpire, pointing at pad or

inside edge, other displays of anger or abusive language directed at the umpire or excessive

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delay in resuming play or leaving the wicket (Cricket Australia’s Official Website, 2003).”

Most cricketers in the study expressed their difficulty in adhering to this rule. Perhaps this

is because there exists a very thin line between what the ICC considers dissent (breaching a

code) and disappointment. Hence, it is understandable that players might find it difficult to

refrain not only from showing emotional dissent but also from making any outward gesture

(e.g., ‘shaking head’ or ‘pointing at pad or inside edge’) suggesting that it was not-out.

Also, players do not have the right to complain immediately against a decision that is

perceived to be unfair. Although, the team Captain does submit a report after the match, it

does not serve much purpose as the fate of the match is already decided. Former Sri Lankan

Captain Arjuna Ranatunga’s comment on umpiring issues explains the seriousness of this

issue: "Hair [umpire] is a misfit in today's cricket because he acts in a high-handed manner

whenever he officiates," said Ranatunga on Umpire Hair (BBC Sport, 2006).

Furthermore, the disappointment may not necessarily be aimed at the umpire; it

could be directed at the players themselves. However, the discretion to determine and

exercise a code breach rests solely with the third umpire and match referee. Also, in some

instances players have been fined for expressing dissent or disappointment at an umpiring

decision when the batsman was not-out. One example is the 65 per cent match fine imposed

on India’s batsman Virender Sehwag for showing dissent to the umpire's decision (Rediff

Cricket, October 10, 2004). Apparently the ball had hit Sehwag before rapping his pad,

which led to the umpire ruling him out (although it was not an LBW). After the conclusion

of the match, Sehwag and umpire Bowden who had adjudged him ‘out’ were seen sorting

matters out. Bowden was heard saying ‘sorry’, to which Sehwag replied, "It's cool; don't

worry about it” (Rediff Cricket, October 10, 2004). Though the umpire apologised for his

mistake, the fine on the batsman was not revoked. As Martin (Australian player, case study

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3) emphasised, the ICC ought to consider the circumstances behind a player’s behaviour

and/or code breach. Also, the ICC rules should grant players and teams an opportunity to

appeal against an umpiring decision immediately, and not after the completion of the

match.

In cricket, it is rare to see a player disputing an umpiring decision because it is

against the gentlemanly spirit of the game (Engel, Financial Times, August 26, 2006).

However, players sometimes express their disappointment, especially during crucial

situations. This raises the issue of excessive appealing. Bowlers may engage in excessive

appealing because they feel the batsman is ‘out’, and may also apply pressure on the umpire

to judge in their favor (as explained in the Australian case studies). Also, as explained in

the Australian and Indian case studies when a bowler genuinely believes the batman is

‘out’, he may appeal even after the umpire turns down the bowler’s appeal (and favors the

batsman). In such instances, the bowler can be penalised for excessive appealing. It is

understandable that bowlers find this code a little harsh (as stated by players) because a

bowler’s job is to claim the opponent batsmen’s wicket and may appeal until the umpire

judges in favor of the bowler. Also, many of the participants (who are predominantly

bowlers) reported that the restraint on self-swearing was difficult to adhere to because it

was often used as a self-motivational strategy. The reason why bowlers found this

especially difficult was because they need to focus on bowling the right line and length in

the immediate next ball or over to avoid being slaughtered by the batsman. Many players

also felt this code meant a curbing of natural emotions.

Mark (Indian player, case study 3) addressed the intentional bias regarding the

interpretation of rules against Asian players, which could include intentional bias or in

general terms ‘racism’. Indeed, the issue of racism in cricket, has caused a number of

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controversial incidents. The following examples illustrate this point: Madugalle fines

Prasad (Rediff Cricket, December 9, 2003), Darrell Hair no-balls Sri Lankan leg-spinner

seven times in three overs in a test match (BBC Sport, 2006), Mike Dennis fines six Indian

players in a test match and the Captain for failing to control the team (BBC News, 2001),

Sachin Tendulkar's famous 'shoulder before wicket' dismissal (Rediff Cricket, December 9,

2003), and umpire Darrel Hair became the first umpire to award a forfeit in the history of

Test cricket, after Pakistan refused to take the field in the wake of ball-tampering

accusations (ABC Sport, November 6, 2006).

The first example cited is explained to illustrate why Asian cricket players feel they

are prejudiced. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle fined Venkatesh Prasad (previous Indian

fast bowler and current Indian bowling coach) 35 per cent of his match fees and suspended

him for one test match or two one-day international matches. Prasad was fined for his

excited celebration after dismissing Australian opening batsman Michael Slater during the

Boxing Day Test Match between India and Australia in the 1999-2000 series. In the

previous over, Slater had exchanged some words with Prasad as he ran a single. So, when

Prasad got him ‘out’ in his next over, he went within inches of Slater and pretended to be

working out with a punching bag (Rediff Cricket, December 9, 2003). In this instance, it is

noteworthy that the match referee failed to consider Slater’s action that led Prasad to

behave as he did. How justified was the match referee in suspending and fining Prasad

while Slater, who started the squabble, and got away untouched? Is the code or the match

referee justified in this instance? Furthermore, in the same match Greg Blewett (previous

Australian bowler) greeted Sourav Ganguly's (previous Indian Captain) wicket with excess

exuberance. Specifically, the bowler went down on one knee and, with elbow bent, lifted a

finger at the batsman in a universally recognisable gesture. This was ruled as ‘boyish

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exuberance’ (Rediff Cricket, December 9, 2003), and the bowler was not penalised. The

same match referee was lenient to certain players and incidents. These incidents indicate

that there appears some bias regarding the way rules are interpreted for players from some

countries. Such situations would necessitate considerable emotional regulation, especially

since umpiring decision could prove costly and, in some cases, affect the career of a player

who is under pressure to keep his position. Umpiring decisions and showing dissent at an

umpire’s decisions were discussed in detail since they emerged as potentially strong causes

for performing EL. Indeed, this aspect of EL was emphasised by most of the participants in

all the four studies. It would be interesting to explore the perspective of umpires in this

regard and to determine if they too are required to perform EL in these circumstances.

EL is especially relevant to the Captain of a cricket team, because he is responsible

for the actions of the entire team. As already explained in the case study section, emotional

regulation during crucial encounters or poor performance by the team requires considerable

regulation of emotional resources. In addition, if the Captain is not sensitive to the

emotions of the players, it could lead to clashes within the team. This suggests that the

private EL (Harris, 2002) of the Captain might be much more than the public EL. Indeed

many of the case study participants stated the Captains code was unfair and very

emotionally demanding. Finally, the restriction on off-field behaviour was noted by many

as particularly emotionally demanding because players must be careful to avoid bringing

the game, the organisation or themselves into dispute. Hence, players are forced to expend

energy presenting themselves in a favorable light at all times.

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Verbal “Sledging” and Physical Aggression

Cricket is generally regarded as a mental game and hence, cricketers employ

various strategies to gain a psychological edge over their opponent. In fact, mental

strategies such as verbal sledging and run-ins appear to be an accepted part of the cricket

subculture. The unique manner in which cricketers sledge opponents and, bowlers attempt

to intimidate batsmen through body language, run-ins, and eye contact are specific to the

sport and vastly different from other games, such as football and hockey. Findings from

this research indicate that professional cricketers expect this type of aggression from others,

and they employ strategies such as sledging and aggression against their opponents. In fact,

many of the participants (mostly in the second study) in this research even suggested that

sledging should be allowed in cricket. Indeed, cricket fans all over the world appear to

enjoy these mental games, as long as they remain under control and do not become

physically and/or verbally abusive. However, the ICC codes strictly state that players

should not engage in sledging or physical aggression. As previously stated, there obviously

appears to be a discrepancy between the ICC codes and players’ interpretation of these

codes. Thus, in addition to devoting resources to emotional regulation when encountering

sledging or physical aggression, players must also direct attention to their performance.

This could be especially difficult when the opposition players make personal insults or

abuses, as illustrated in some of the case studies:

It does get abusive, one game this year got very abusive . . . . I was batting. I was injured so I came off the field, and then went back to bat, so when I started scoring runs they started sledging me saying ‘my injury wasn’t as bad as what I made it to be’, they called me weak and sledged me a lot. (Australian player, case study 3).

‘X’ [Pakistan fast bowler] came and first ball he gave me ‘maa bhen ki gali’ [abusing mother and sister] . . . . I was like dude first ball. I just left the ball immediately. Obviously, he is charged up, so you are not going to be stupid, and talk back at him. (Indian player, case study 1).

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“Display rules” or codes of conduct are essential for maintaining social order, and

athletes cannot be an exception to this requirement. Rules and codes are a good way to

manage aggression especially in team sports. In turn, players can earn respect for their on-

field and off-field behaviour, thereby gaining popularity, respect, (perhaps) sponsorship,

and spectators. Abiding to display rules may therefore be good for the player’s career and

their financial security. Conversely, Ashfoth & Humphrey (1993) posit that deliberate

deviation from display rules may sometimes promote task-effectiveness. This is best

explained by the deliberate breach of ICC code by previous Sri Lankan Captain Arjun

Ranatunga’s action (as explained in the previous chapter) when he took his team off the

field because umpire Darrell Hair no-balled the Sri Lankan leg-spinner Muttiah

Muralitharan seven times in three overs (BBC Sport, 2006). In this regard, the Captain felt

it was his duty to protect his team player (spinner) because he felt the umpire was

deliberately making consistent mistakes.

Furthermore, we should not forget that players are also human. This human element

can be seen by some of the quotes included in the previous chapters. This raises a question

whether this is fair on the players or the spirit of cricket? The results from this research

indicate that players follow most of the codes in most situations, but certain codes seem to

be severe, and ignore normal human reactions and emotions. For example, the tendency to

celebrate a dismissal or display frustration after being dismissed is natural, and difficult to

restrain. The extent of the difficulty will undoubtedly depend somewhat on a player’s

upbringing and culture. However, in most cases, the required regulation of such reactions to

suit organisational rules (in this case ICC standards) creates EL for the player.

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Team and Audience Expectations

In addition to explicit and implicit organisational rules, players must also live up to

the expectations of team members. As illustrated in some of the quotes, there are certain

expectations regarding how players carry out their job roles and interact with their

teammates. For example, much more emotional regulation is required from senior players

than junior players due to their age and experience. On the other hand, a newcomer is

expected to interact in a certain way with senior teammates or the Captain.

In addition to the team’s expectation, cricket players are expected to put on a show

to impress the audience, as they are customers who influence their livelihood though

indirectly. At times this show could include putting up with abuses from the crowd and yet

behaving in a professional manner. Rafaeli and Sutton (1990) argue that display rules are

influenced by transaction defining cues, which include the setting and the target person.

“Cues from the setting are transient aspects of the context in which a transaction occurs,

including the time of day or year, the temperature, and interpersonal context. For example,

crowded settings produce anxiety and antagonism toward others” (Rafaeli and Sutton,

1990, p.624). In cricket, home crowds can exert more pressure, especially when the team is

not performing well. A noisy, hot, long day accompanied with an unfair decision can

significantly impact whether a person can regulate his emotions and display the required

emotion. Also this audience expectation is influenced by the culture of that country to a

certain extent. For example, Australian spectators might enjoy some degree of aggression,

but this may not be acceptable in India (Mahajan, December 19, 2001; Woodcock, 1989).

Rafaeli and Sutton (1990) illustrated that cashiers employed display rules to control

customers, as well as to express their feelings. Hence, they evoked positive responses and

exchanged pleasantries during non-busy times. Whereas, during busy periods cashiers

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restricted it to the minimal display of a smile. This was because cashiers would increase the

waiting time for other customers if they engaged in friendly talk. Similarly in cricket, there

are numerous instances wherein a batsmen or bowler performs some antique to appease the

spectators and their own feelings. Such instances are noticeable when a batsman scores a

century (100 runs) or a bowler claims a wicket. In such instances, a pumped up celebration

is well accepted by spectators. Another example is the manner in which a player fielding

near the boundary line obliges to autographs and photo shoots from the spectators. Yet, the

same player may appear unfriendly when things may be going awry for the team and

himself. In this instance, the customer (spectator) may or may not approve of the player’s

behavior.

In addition to pleasing the media audience or spectators, players receive unwanted

negative attention from the media and audience after poor performances. This is especially

true for players from Asian countries like India and Pakistan. Previous Pakistan’s Captain

Inzaman explained this succinctly: "People are really harsh in the subcontinent particularly

in India and Pakistan. The players live in fear as to what will happen if the team lost. Such

a thing does not happen in any other country," (India Times, March 31, 2007).

Game Commercialisation and Media Expectations

Evidence in this research suggests that cricket has been increasingly

commercialised over the past ten years due to the emphasis on one-day cricket. Jim (Indian

case study 1) explained how game commercialisation has influenced cricket: “I think

cricket was a lot more enjoyable before, it was played for the joy of the game . . . It was a

gentlemen’s game but now it’s like a professionals game with an emphasis on winning.”

This commercialisation has undoubtedly brought huge financial benefits to players, but it

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has also increased the pressure on professional players to perform and conform to certain

standards. In the following quote Jim (Indian player, case study 1) expresses his perception

regarding media and audience expectation on winning every match:

On the field, I think you play to win; you don’t want to lose. I think everything around has a lot to do with it because I think the media has made it that you have to win every game . . . Everyone wants you to win every single game.

Humphrey (2000) posits that the mass media can influence an individual’s

absorption of societal rules and influence the way audience view accepted norms. This

suggests that the mass media can cause conflicting expectations by providing unrealistic

images of professional cricket and cricketers to its viewers. The following quote by

previous Pakistan Captain Inzaman after Pakistan’s World Cup debacle reveals players

frustration with the media: “The media should support the team more when the team goes

through such a bad phase [after the World Cup debacle]” (India Times, March 31, 2007).

Image Management

In addition to the expectations, image management appears to be an important

aspect of EL to professional players. Players image could be formed through a number of

factors such as socialisation, media, culture and so on. Hence, internal sources of pressure

and expectations also create EL for the players. This may include image management with

the media and with one’s teammates, coaching staff and support staff. Managing emotions

is also a part of conforming to society’s heterosexual image of masculinity (Wellington &

Bryson, 2001). Indeed it appears that cricketers attempt to conform to a particular set of

expectations concerning their position in society. Also, the pressure to conform may come

from a number of sources, such as the media and audience expectation; and not necessarily

from the organisation (Wellington & Bryson, 2001).

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Cultural Expectations

Hofstede (1980) posits that an individual is influenced to a considerable degree by

his cultural and social influences. The third and fourth study explored the cultural

influences in cricket, and most of the participants felt that family views and parental

influence were important factors in the making of a person and cricketer, suggesting that

cultural factors influence the performance of EL (Hofstede, 1980; Grandey, Fisk & Steiner,

2005). In fact, Hofstede (1980) theorises that the national culture of a place influences the

way people think, feel and act when confronted with the day-to-day problems. Though it

was not the primary aim of this thesis to enquire into the cultural factors, data collected

from the first two studies suggested that culture could influence the management of

emotions, hence it was explored in the third and fourth study. This approach was also taken

because of the researcher’s experience with the Indian national teams and her observations

of the way they reacted to organisational rules. Hence, it was considered imperative to

compare Indian and Australian professional cricketers who must both follow rules laid

down by the ICC but, at the same time, represent their respective boards/organisations and

countries. This cultural analysis suggested some important influences on EL which have

not been studied earlier.

Hofstede (1980) defines culture as “the collective programming of the mind which

distinguishes the members of one group or category from those of another” (p.5). Hofstede

(1980) in his phenomenal work ‘Culture and Organisations: Software of the mind’ posits

four dimensions to explain the influence of culture in organisations. These are: power

distance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, and uncertainty

avoidance. The first four dimensions were detected through a comparison of values of

individuals (employees and managers) in 64 subsidiaries of a multinational company (i.e.,

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IBM). The fifth dimension was added by Michaeal Bond based on his extensive work with

Chinese scholars. With data based upon a survey of employees of one multinational

organisation, Hofstede categorised countries according to these four dimensions.

Hofstede’s assumption was that people working in the same multinational company in

different countries represent well-matched samples. While, the categorisation is important,

it may not represent the entire population and there can be innate differences with

employees from the same organisation (Singh & Hofstede, 1990; Menon, 2004). The

categorisation of countries is not of keen interest to this research but the four dimensions

could reveal interesting facets about organisations and cultures, which in turn influence the

performance and management of EL. Power distance is the first dimensions and refers to

the degree to which members in a society accept the unequal distribution of power

(Hofstede, 1980). This can vary from low power distance (between employer and

employee) to high power distance (more of a boss and subordinate relationship). This

indicates that in countries with high-power distance, power is centralised with few in

authority. The second dimension is uncertainty avoidance and is the degree to which people

in a country prefer a structured to an unstructured setting. Hence, countries with high

uncertainty avoidance prefer a more structured setting, and are threatened by change.

Individualism is the third dimension and refers to the degree to which individuals in a

country prefer to work as individuals or as members of a group (collectivism). The fourth

dimension masculinity indicates the extent to which a society associates dominant values

such as aggression, success to the male gender as opposed to feminine roles of caring and

quality of life (Hofstede, 1980). The fifth dimension stands for values of a national culture

(Chinese Culture Connection, 1987); Hofstede (1980) and Bond (1987) believe this is

influenced by the religions of that culture. Hofstede theorises that these dimensions of

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national culture affect the functioning of an organisation and the people in it. Comparative

analysis between the Indian and Australian case study data suggests that in the context of

cricket there appears to be more power distance between players and administrators in both

countries; however, there appears to be more discontent among Indian players, as evident in

the following quotes by Jim (Indian player, case study 1).

There is no point trying to please people [administrators], especially in India. If you trying to please people, you are not going to go far. I think it is always like that, in India you have to be like that; probably more often than not, you can’t express your opinion.

The above quotes suggest that in the Indian cricket setting power appears to be

centralised with the BCCI officials, indicating that power distance is possibly higher

between players and officials/administrators. From his research on 64 countries, Hofstede

(1980) categorised India as a collectivist country with high power distance. On the other

hand, Australia has been considered a subjectivist country with low power distance. Hence,

it is not surprising that the Australian players did not express such discontentment with

their association (i.e., CA). Their concerns were associated much more to the

commercialisation of cricket than with CA in particular. This could be because Australia

has Player Association’s catering to the demands of professional cricketers, indicating that

the power distance between players and officials is not as large (compared to India).

However, results indicated that even Australian players were restrained in expressing their

concerns perhaps due to career concerns and their livelihood.

Furthermore, evidence from this thesis suggests that there were noticeable

differences between participants within the same country regarding the second dimension

uncertainty avoidance. While Tim and Chris (Indian players, case study 2 and 4) appeared

to accept rules and authority, Jim and Mark (Indian players, case study 1 and 3) found it a

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little difficult to adhere to the centralisation of power in the Indian setting. The following

quotes are of Tim and Chris who seem to accept rules:

We [Indians] have many more rules and societal norms, that is how we have been brought up. If parents say something, we obey them. (Tim, Indian case study 2)

That was the only time I expressed my emotions. We have never expressed out emotions as it is Indians don’t react, I mean in general, they know that they have to accept things, especially in the game of cricket. (Chris, Indian case study 4)

According to Hofstede (1980), collectivist countries tend to exercise control over

adults from a young age, primarily through parental control. The BCCI’s decision to curb

sanctions on Indian cricketers after the World Cup debacle in May 2007 is a good example

of the kind of power the organisation exercises on its players (employees) (Chennai Online,

April 8, 2007). Since, parental ties are a key characteristic in Asian families, the emphasis

is on strict adherence to rigid rules and children grow up worshipping authority. While this

may be the case for some participants like Tim and Chris (Indian players, case study 2 and

4) who accept rules and authority as finality, players like Jim and Mark (Indian players,

case study 1 and 3) find it difficult to deal with the organisation setting that impinges an

authority over most aspects of their lives. These results confirm to those of Singh and

Hofstede (1990) who argued that there could be individual differences on the four

dimensions of culture. This could be due to the multi-ethnicity of India, globalisation,

education and life experiences (Singh & Hofstede, 1990). However, this distinction existed

even in the Australian data with Shane (Australia player, case study 2) accepting rules and

authority figures for the best of cricket; whereas, Steve and Martin (Australia players, case

study 1 and 3) felt there could be much more leniency in rules towards players. This could

mean that performing EL might be much more difficult for Jim and Mark since they did not

agree with the general set-up of the organisation. Singh and Hofstede (1990) posit that the

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education in India worships teachers as authority, and hence people tend to avoid

arguments, indicating it may not necessarily be a fear of disagreement but rather just a way

of management. This suggests that when players accept the organisational setting and the

associated rules and authority, they may not experience as much discontentment and hence

would not perform much EL. On the other hand, players like Mark and Jim might find it a

lot more harder to regulate their emotions as they do not believe in the existing set-up. As

Mark indicated it could lead him into trouble for questioning authority:

I have always asked questions of people and I do but the thing is nothing happens . . . I have always been held for probably being too frank and too out-spoken, so it has always got me into trouble.

Evidence from this thesis supports the view that mental programming starts from an

early age and is influenced significantly by family values and schooling. Hence, these

factors would play a significant role when an individual works for an organisation. This

also suggests that organisational rules may not be automatically accepted, which would

make EL more difficult. Also, Hofstede (1993) posits that management theories originating

in the Western countries are not necessary applicable to the rest of the world due to the

innate differences in work culture, which in turn are influenced significantly by the cultural

background. In view with this suggestion, and based on the results of this thesis it might not

be too presumptuous to state that the ICC ought to consider the innate cultural differences

that exist between players from different countries. Hence, the ICC rules and regulations

should attempt to cater to the broad range of international players and not just one segment

or group of players.

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Emotional Labour

Hochschild (1983) uses “use-value” and “exchange-value” to explain the distinction

between EL and emotion work. In line with this suggestion, when an employee manages

emotions for a pay, it is EL because emotions are managed to suit organisational purposes.

On the other hand, when emotions are managed in a private context with colleagues and

coworkers, it is known as emotion work because it has use-value but not exchange value

(Hochschild, 1983). While, this distinction might be applicable to service professions of

front-line workers, it may not be applicable to status professions (see Harris, 2002). In fact,

the findings from this research indicated a clear distinction emerging between the private

and public EL in professional cricket. Moreover, in professional cricket, private EL

requires similar effort if not more compared to public EL. This finding is consistent with

the EL of barristers or status professionals (Harris, 2002).

Private Emotional Labour

Data collected from this research reveals that private EL is synonymous to

Hochschild’s (1979, 1983) emotion work or non-public labour (Harris, 2002). However, in

the cricket context, private EL involves emotional regulation while interacting with

coaches, teammates, selectors and other organisational personnel on a day-to day basis. In

other words, it is the non-private EL or ‘back stage’ acting (Goffman, 1959) performed by

professionals, which however has exchange value. The following quote explains how it is

essential to motivate other players for performance-related factors.

Despite my personal feelings, I had to motivate a bowler who had a bad day because he would be crucial for the team’s performance the next day. (Australian Player, Study 2)

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The above quote reveals that players may need to motivate team members not just

for mateship but also to further their own goals. This is because cricket is a team game and

team performance depends on the contribution of most of the players in the team. However,

on many occasions it could be for organisational purposes and maintaining the team

atmosphere, as evident in the following quote:

I had to congratulate someone else for getting selected when you believe you are more deserving . . . . Hid my displeasure and pretended I was happy for him. (Australian Player, Study 2)

Hence, depending on the context, players may manage emotions for individual,

team and organisational purposes. Interactions with coaches and selectors are another

aspect of private EL, which is extremely important for professional cricketers, and has

exchange-value because these interactions can impact a player’s career and livelihood.

Almost all the players in this research stated managing emotions due to career concerns.

Also, we need to remember that interactions with teammates, coaches, and selectors

happen on a consistently frequent basis and for longer durations, especially involving

teammates and coaches. This is because professional cricket involves numerous tours and

travels for long periods of time. Moreover, the power of the role receiver would

significantly affect the performance of EL. As evident in the above-mentioned quotes,

when the role receiver happens to be the Captain, senior teammate, coach, or selector, the

greater the frequency of EL (Morris and Feldman, 1996). In this regard, the frequency of

EL would be much more for junior players than senior players who would presumably have

much power and autonomy than junior, debutant, and younger players. However, role

internalisation and job autonomy can also affect the performance of EL and its

consequences (Morris & Feldman, 1996). Also, the team atmosphere can play an important

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role in the management of emotions because players may consciously and unconsciously

catch another individual’s emotions (Ashkanasy et al., 2002; Hartel et al., 2002).

Public Emotional Labour

Public EL is used to explain the non-private EL of professional players or the front-

stage acting (Goffman, 1959). It would involve emotional management during interactions

with the opposition, umpires, match referee and other game officials. It would also include

emotional regulation while performing in front of spectators, during media interviews and

player appearances. In professional cricket, players are expected to display good

sportsmanship and restrain from any unwanted negative displays of emotions. Similar to

the EL of barristers (Harris, 2002), expressing genuine emotions is considered

unsportsmanlike and unprofessional because negative displays goes against the

gentlemanly spirit of cricket. Results from this research revealed that regulating emotions

with umpires during game situations appears to be especially difficult for most players.

Accepting the umpire’s decisions appears to be especially difficult when batsmen perceive

they are not-out or bowlers feel the batsmen is out (and the umpire rules against the

bowler). Almost every participant (cricketers) reported to have received an unfair umpiring

decision in his professional career. Also, umpiring decisions are crucial because they

influence the future chances of selection, though indirectly. In addition, interactions with

umpires occur on a consistently frequent basis as every match situation involves dealing

with umpires. Managing emotions could become especially difficult when a player

perceives he is ‘not-out’ or he had a few decisions that went against him. For example some

participants stated:

I have already had three decisions this year that have gone against me . . . . three in a row . . . . but you cannot do anything about it, you can’t go tell the umpire that

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you are not out . . . . Obviously you are disappointed that you got a bad decision but that is the game of cricket, you get good and bad ones. (Shane, Australian case study 2)

Sometimes it does happen because you are working so hard, trying so hard to do something; to perform for your country and suddenly [you get an LBW decision], you know it’s just an error, it is not intentional. It is just an error [by the umpire], where you want to tell no, no, its not; where you are just saying it’s not true, and this is what actually happened. It’s not like you are fighting a decision, just trying to explain to him [umpire]. It is more like a plea than an argument. (Jim, Indian case study 1)

Also, as the above-examples elucidate, players have no control over the perceived

unfair decision, and the role receiver (umpire) is in a higher position (Morris and Feldman,

1996), which increases the frequency of EL. Furthermore, managing emotions could be

especially difficult for players in the slump, debutant players and players making a return

from injury or form.

In addition to regulating emotions with umpiring decisions, professional cricketers

are challenged with numerous strategies such as physical and verbal aggression. As most of

the participants agreed cricket is largely a mental game, and hence players employ various

strategies to gain an advantage over their opponent. Whilst this makes the game interesting

and challenging, it could prove emotionally demanding to refrain from involving in a verbal

duel, which could lead to a code fine and also detract players from their performance.

Though, one-day cricket is regarded as a batsman’s game, it appears that batsmen might be

performing much more EL in such situations as they receive sledging from the bowler and

entire opposition. This suggests the duration, intensity and variety of emotional displays

for batsmen and bowlers could be different. For example, it was stated by some

participants:

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I think sledging is fairly normal in cricket, it can get quite frustrating during a game and can be tough to not get involved sometimes particularly if someone is having a ‘go’ at you. (Australian player, Study 2).

When I’m fielding if we see a guy [batsman] is nervous, we [fielding team] are going to do it [sledge] twice as much to him. (Steve, Australian case study 1).

Professional cricketers adhere to the ICC rules and perform for their livelihood.

However, displaying sportsmanship for the audience or cricket spectators is a part of their

job role as a cricketer. As explained by one of the participants: “We just put up a show for

the public”. This could include entertaining the crowd with some scintillating shots and

some action (physical and verbal aggression) to make the game interesting and fun. Also,

on many occasions, it could involve appearing polite and happy for being admired.

Admiration can become frustrating, especially when the cheering and excitement goes on

for extended periods and fans become overly demanding. For example Jim commented:

Imagine 600 people screaming for you, yelling for you and waiting for you. It’s a good feeling for sometime but not after that . . . . I got upset. (Jim, Indian case study 1)

At other times, it could also include restraining negative emotions to appease the

spectators. In fact, some players felt that many of the ICC rules were brought in to cater to

its audience. The following examples illustrate how players regulate their actions and

emotions for spectators.

So once you have your back towards the spectators and no one can see it, you are on your own you can do what you want. (Steve, Australian case study 1)

As soon as I get into the change rooms, I’m out of public view then all the emotion comes out, whether be it smashing things or yelling or whatever. (Martin, Australian case study 3)

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Furthermore, players may also need to deal with abuse from spectators on many

occasions. On the one hand interactions with spectators could be fun and involve some

friendly banter; however, in some occasions it could involve receiving abuses. On many

occasions unruly crowds make unwanted racial, insulting comments; and even throw

bottles at players. The following comment reveals how dealing with spectators could be

extremely challenging:

It happens a lot in first class cricket like we went to the country [side] . . . and drink [alcohol] takes effect. As a result a lot of the blokes [players] were getting abuse from the crowd and some of it was serious abuse and you don’t really need it. There was some really nasty comments made but at the end of the day you just have to cope with it . . . . It can be hard sometimes but you just have to take it and ‘shut off’ and keep doing what you have to do.

The above example suggests that in addition to dealing with serious verbal abuse,

players are required to exercise restrain and be polite to the spectators. Focusing on

performance under such circumstances would necessitate a considerable amount of

emotional regulation.

Most participants in this research related that handling media and media-related

issues were particularly challenging. Humphrey (2000) perceives that the mass media can

cause conflicting expectations by providing unrealistic images of professional cricketers.

Professional players receive constant scrutiny from the media; hence, players exercise

caution regarding both on and off-field activities. As one player exclaimed: “The way the

present day media dissects everything, even if you sneeze or cough, they make something

out of it.” Also, in order to attract more clientele, the media presents information pertaining

to sportsmen in an entertaining manner. For example:

A lot of it is hyped up a lot . . . they report on what they watch whereas if they are out in the middle it is a different feeling. (Martin, Australian case study 3)

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Most of the cricketers want to say non-controversial things. Yeah they have said something, it is not meant very controversially but then the media turned it around and made it look very controversial. (Jim, Indian case study 1)

In addition to the intense scrutiny, the media places particular emphasis on winning

matches, especially against archrivals, whether it is Australia versus England, or India

versus Pakistan. Moreover, the negative media attention players receive after loses was

emphasised as particularly stressful by most participants.

They [media] put too much pressure by saying ‘you should not lose to Pakistan’ but it is just a game and can go either way. (Tim, Indian case study 2) Even to a certain extent the Ashes last year when Australia lost the Ashes [in 2005], I mean that was blown up by the media. (Steve, Australian case study 1)

Processes of Emotional Labour

Results from this research has indicated that professional players perform EL by

suppressing genuine emotions, handling mixed emotions, and by reading and managing the

emotions of others.

Suppressing genuine emotions

Jackall (1988) postulated that appearing self-controlled and suppressing emotional

displays can be highly beneficial to individuals in the corporate world. Similarly, in the

context of professional cricket, displaying negative emotions is considered unsportsmanlike

and unprofessional. Also, the ICC code of conduct clearly states what behaviour is

acceptable. Hence, players suppress their negative emotions on many occasions for

organisational rules and to maintain their image, which is important for professional

players.

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You do have to suppress your emotions, you can’t say anything or do anything out of turn that could get you into trouble [avoid penalty]. I mean those sort of examples happen all the time in our sport. (Steve, Australian case study 1)

If you do get reported and suspended, then all of a sudden everyone has this idea of you as someone who disputes the umpires’ decisions or someone who is a bad sport because they got a bad decision and it carried on. (Steve, Australian case study 1)

Also, in professional cricket, both positive and negative emotions are expected to be

controlled. While positive emotions can be expressed to a certain degree, negative emotions

require restraint, and this is line with the gentlemanly spirit of cricket. One participant

stated: “I think there are times when you have to control. If it’s positive, that’s fine but

when it’s negative you have to control.” For example, it is acceptable for a batsman to

display his pleasure on scoring a century (100 runs), and he is allowed to take some time

before he resumes play. However, a batsman who has just been dismissed (given out) is

expected to display good sportsmanship under such circumstances and walk to the pavilion

while showing little or no emotion. Moreover, shaking of the head in frustration at oneself

or an umpire’s decision or causing a delay in leaving the wicket when adjudged out is

considered an offence (ICC codes) and the player could get fined 50 to 100% of his match

fees.

Mixed emotions

Results from the study indicated that professional cricketers are challenged with

mixed emotions on a frequent basis. As explained earlier, ‘mixed emotions’ are likely to

occur in two situations; firstly, when a player has performed well but the team loses, and

secondly when the team has won the game but the player might have had a bad game. The

occurrence of mixed emotions is not surprising since cricket is a team game built on

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individual performances; hence achieving individual goals is as paramount as team goals. A

large number of participants researched in this thesis explained it was not a pleasant

experience for them in dealing with mixed emotions, as evident in the following excerpts of

players:

I was happy that I got ** [a big score] but disappointed that the team lost, it was a weird situation. I am disappointed but also relieved that I did well. (Shane, Australian case study 2)

I got a ten-wicket haul in the match and we [team] lost by few runs . . . It’s a bit of both you are happy but not. It’s a little disappointing, hard and I’m angry but more batsmanly. (Martin, Australian case study 3) At times the team wins, you are happy but then you got a duck and no runs but you got to be happy because the team won. (Martin, Australian case study 3)

Reading and managing the emotions of others

Since cricket is a team game and the success of the team depends on the

performance of eleven members of the team, it entails reading and managing the emotions

of others on and off the field to a substantial extent. This could include interactions with

teammates, coach, selectors, opponents, umpires and match referee.

This task would appear to be especially difficult for the Captain because he is

required to ensure that players in the team perform to their potential and also take

responsibility for the actions of the entire team. The following excerpt from the previous

Pakistan cricket Captain following the Pakistan teams World Cup debacle in May, 2007

(India Times Cricket New Delhi, March 31, 2007) draws light on the kind of pressure and

the resulting EL Captains perform:

I take the responsibility of Pakistan's World Cup debacle. Loss to Ireland was the most difficult day of my life . . . The Pakistan team was not fully united and didn't support me . . . . Just losing a couple of matches does not mean that we are not Pakistanis any more. Once we lost, it was very easy for everybody to criticise us.

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Also, it is being projected that I have been running Pakistan cricket all these months. I have been responsible for team selection and coaching. The Pakistan team had to go a lot of mental pressure.

Similar sentiments are echoed by India’s Sachin Tendulkar following India’s World

Cup debacle in May 2007. Media reports quoted that outgoing coach Greg Chappell of the

Indian World Cup squad was not happy with the team composition (Rediff Cricket, April 4,

2007) and accused senior players of acting like the mafia (terrorists). Tendulkar lashed out

at the out going coach in the following way:

I've given my heart and soul to Indian cricket for 17 years. No coach has ever mentioned, even in passing, that my attitude was not correct. Cricket has been my life. I am shattered beyond words and I feel helpless. I've never felt so bad in my entire career. World Cup was our passion, our collective dream. Tell me, even as the world goes on talking about our defeat at the World Cup, has anyone spared a thought to ask what we are going through?

Another unnamed senior player commented: "Chappell did not speak to us for 3-4

days during this World Cup. He just doesn’t listen to anybody. How can a coach behave

like this? It’s a disgrace." (Rediff Cricket, April 4, 2007). While the full truth of the story

was not made public, one obvious fact was that both the Indian and Pakistan team had

internal problems while competing at the World Cup. One can only imagine the amount of

EL these teams might have performed, hence it is no surprise that both the teams had an

early exit in the World Cup. This is consistent with the suggestions of researchers (Gross,

1998b; Ashkanasy et. al., 2002) who postulated that the environment was an emotional cue

for the response that follows. Supportive climates and support from coworkers and

supervisors has been related to job satisfaction, and higher team performance (Howes,

Cropanzano, Grandey, & Mohler, 1999).

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This section delved into the processes of EL, and as the results indicate the four

processes are inter-related. For example, while dealing with mixed emotions, a player

might need to suppress his anxiety over his poor form and appear happy because the team

won the match. Likewise, while managing emotions of a younger player, the Captain may

need to express enthusiasm though he may not feel it. This aspect needs to be dealt in

further detail by future researchers.

Personal Characteristics

Grandey (2000) put forward a number of personal characteristics that could

influence emotional regulation. These include: gender, emotional expressivity, emotional

intelligence, self-monitoring, and affectivity. Gender, emotional intelligence and emotional

expressivity are of particular relevance to this thesis. For example, previous research has

determined that men and women perform EL for different reasons (Timmers, Fischer, &

Manstead, 1998). According to the results of this thesis, male participants in this research

are motivated to appear in control and display powerful emotions such as anger or pride.

The findings from this research also indicate that professional male players like to convey a

sense of control and remain emotionally restrained and in control of the situation.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise and utilise emotional cues in social

interactions (Goleman, 1995; Mayer & Salovey, 1995). Correspondingly, players with high

emotional intelligence are better able to gauge social situations, and manage situations

effectively (Goleman, 1995). In turn, this would facilitate a conducive team atmosphere and

performance. As stated earlier, displaying genuine emotions is considered unspostmanlike

in professional cricket. Yet, regulating emotions could be tough for emotionally expressive

players. As the following quote by Steve illustrates:

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Some people do show their emotions naturally more than others, in that sense for them to suppress it would probably be more difficult. (Australian player, case study 1)

Acting Approaches

As explained elsewhere (literature review), surface acting and deep acting are

emotional regulation methods through which players (employees) perform and cope with

EL (Hochschild, 1983). Surface acting refers to simply exhibiting an emotional display that

is not genuinely felt or inhibiting the expression of a genuinely felt emotion. As explained

earlier, surface acting (response-focused coping) involves altering emotions (e.g., physical

expression) and deep acting (antecedent-focused coping) involves altering feelings.

The knowledge of codes and policies in sport are also crucial for determining the

likelihood of acting (surface or deep acting) performed by the players (Grandey, 2003).

This is because the ICC codes are explicit about what behaviour is accepted from players

on the field. However, unlike front-office workers who are expected to put on a ‘smile’

despite their feelings, professional players are not expected to put on a smile. On the other

hand, they are required to display sportsmanship in all situations, which includes refraining

and restraining from any unwanted negative displays. This is consistent with the findings of

Ogbonna and Wilkinson (1990), Van Maanen (1992), and Harris (2002) who propose that

the EL of professionals is much more complex than that of front-line workers. Depending

on the context of the situation, results from this study indicated that professional players

employ both surface acting and deep acting to perform EL. The findings from this thesis

suggest that short-term interactions with public (including umpires and opposition

members) normally involved surface acting (response-focused) and longer interactions

mainly involve deep acting and antecedent-focused coping. For example, when the

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opposition member is sledging or abusing a player, the player may refrain from expressing

negative emotions that could distract his performance, thus employing surface acting. On

the other hand, a bowler may employ deep acting or antecedent-focused regulation methods

such as ‘cognitive change’ to overcome a close LBW appeal against him. This is line with

the findings of the EL of barristers (Harris, 2002). Also, as postulated by Morris and

Feldman (1996), EL varies with the intensity, frequency, duration and variety of emotional

displays. Furthermore, the EL of batsmen and bowlers also varies to a considerable extent

because of the context and nature of their specialised roles. For example, a batsman’s

disappointment at being adjudged ‘out’ is accepted, as far as he does not express negative

emotions at the umpire or the opposition players while walking from the pavilion. As one

player explained, it is difficult to restrain anger when adjudged out but it is for a shorter

duration. Hence, while dealing with the certain public aspects of EL, players might be

employing surface acting than deep acting because players know they are required to

manage their emotions for organisational rules but also to avoid getting penalised.

It is a hard thing to do; it is a hard thing to keep emotions in check. I guess the thing is it is only for a short period of time that you do and you can let it all out as soon as you are back in the change room or whatever . . . . On the field, there is nothing you can do about it.

In this regard, batsmen might experience much more intensity than bowlers because

once a batsman is adjudged out or dismissed by the bowler; it is the end of his innings. In

this regard, batsmen might find it much more difficult to cope with the situation because

they do not get an opportunity to rectify their mistake in that innings or match. This could

be especially difficult if players are having a bad run and receive another poor umpiring

decision. Due to the intense competition in professional sport, a couple of bad decisions

could signal the end of a career to young players because a player’s performance appraisal

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does not consider all these aspects. It normally takes in the number of runs a batsman has

scored and the number of wickets a bowler has claimed. Hence, it appears that the intensity

of EL could be more for batsman in this regard. On the other hand, the duration of

managing emotions could be a lot longer and tougher for bowlers regarding umpiring

decisions. For example, if a player has had one or two close appeals turned down; he is

required to not only suppress his frustration but also focus on performance by delivering the

next ball.

However, one-day cricket is regarded as a batsman’s game and as explained

bowlers employ various strategies to claim a batsman’s wicket of which sledging and run-

ins are most common. While most batsmen expect some form of aggression, they may need

to employ deep acting to remain restrained and focus on the game for the entire duration of

the game. The following quote reveals the challenge batsmen encounter from bowlers:

If you are bowling at a person who gets easily distracted, aggressive and angry, you keep on sledging and niggling at him [batsman] until he loses the plot and plays a rash shot or bowls a bad ball . . . and that is sort of where you get targeted and lose. (Martin, Australian case study 3)

In addition, players may initially employ surface acting and later employ deep

acting (Brotheridge & Lee, 2002). This would require enormous resources since the

duration of a cricket match lasts for six-seven hours. Similarly, while interacting with

coaches and teammates, players may initially employ surface acting and later deep acting.

The private acts of EL might require deep acting for players to effectively cover their

frustration with the coach, selector, Captain or senior team members because it involves

players’ livelihood and furtherance of goals. The consequences of surface and deep acting

are discussed in the subsequent section.

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Consequences of Emotional Labour

The previous two sections have addressed the consequences of EL to some degree.

This final section focuses in greater detail on the consequences of EL. The results from this

research indicated that the consequences of EL could be both negative (Hochschild, 1983;

Rafaeli, 1989b) and positive (Wharton, 1993).

Negative Consequences

The results from this research indicated that professional cricketers are required to

suppress negative emotions such as frustration, anger, and disappointment on a fairly

consistent basis. Ashfoth & Humphrey (1993) postit that frequent repetition of emotions

results in emotional blankness or numbness. Similarly frequent management, especially

suppression of genuine emotions tends to result in emotional numbness in non-cricket

context (Van Maanen & Kunda, 1989). Also, results from this research indicated that

managing and regulating emotions over extended periods could lead to physical and

emotional exhaustion (Grandey, 1998) as evident in the following participant quote:

It tires you out having to constantly do that sort of stuff [suppress emotions] and it is not only after a season it could be after a four-day game, you are just so physically and mentally exhausted because of that sort of thing. (Steve, Australian case study 1)

It appears that managing emotions could be beneficial in the short-term for the

player, his performance and the organisation; however, it could prove detrimental in the

long term especially when negative emotions have to be suppressed for longer durations

(Grandey, 1998). This is because the management of negative emotions is significantly

associated with a variety of health problems such as cancer, high blood pressure and heart

disease (Blackburn, 1965; Gross 1989; Gross, 1998; King & Emmons, 1990; Pennebaker,

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1990; Smith, 1992). In fact, the inability to express negative emotion has been identified as

one of the strongest predictors of cancer (Cox & McCay, 1982).

Researchers (Ashkanasy et al., 2002; Fisher, 2000a) posit that an individual’s

behaviour and performance is influenced to a significant extent by the workplace context

and also the immediate situation. In cricket, high-pressure games involve greater intensity

which makes emotional regulation a lot tougher, and perhaps resulting in emotional

leakage, as evident by Steve’s (Australian case study 1) quote:

It is just the pressure of the situation. If you are going really well, it doesn’t matter . . . . I think they could be built on the situation or just the intensity of the situation and sometimes you do react badly or may be how you should not react and that is a hard thing to do.

Furthermore, results from this research suggest that when emotions are not provided

a healthy outlet, it tends to build up over a period of time, and can leak out (Ekman, 1992).

Hence, breaking character, which is when an employee reacts in a manner inappropriate to

the organisation (e.g., expressing negative moods or reactions to opponents, umpires and

spectators) (Bailey & McCollough, 2000), is more likely to happen during surface acting.

Also, emotional leakage and breaking character is influenced by the intensity of the

situation (Morris & Feldman, 1996, 1997). Furthermore, when emotions are unchecked or

if not given a healthy expressive outlet, it can lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout

(Grandey, 1998; & Kruml & Geddes, 2000). The following on-field examples by Steve

explain emotional leakage succinctly:

A brilliant example is one of our guys - he got two really bad decisions in our last game and then went back to grade cricket the following week and got another bad decision, so he got three bad decisions in a row. He just exploded, abused the umpire and just carried on - it was just built-up so much that ‘bang’, it just came out. To see that happen, it does show that for some people it does build-up and if you don’t have an outlet it is going to come out eventually, and if you are in the middle off the field it is going to be costly. (Australian player, case study 1)

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The findings from this thesis suggest that short-term interactions with public

normally involved surface acting (response-focused) and longer interactions mainly

involve deep acting and antecedent-focused coping. This view is consistent with the

findings of Brotheridge and Lee (2002) who posit that employees cope with their work

demands in a way that leads to the conservation of their resources by performing initially

through surface acting, and later through deep acting. However, surface acting may lead to

emotional dissonance due to the discrepancy between the displayed emotion and what is

actually experienced (Hochschild, 1983; Rafaeli and Sutton, 1987). In addition, the

canonical correlation analysis examining aspects of EL and aspects of burnout indicated

that the burnout aspects of exhaustion and cynicism were associated with the EL aspect of

surface acting. Cynicism refers to indifference or a distant attitude towards work (Maslach,

Jackson & Leiter, 1996). This suggests that players employing surface acting over extended

periods were likely to feel more distant towards their work roles and therefore experience

more exhaustion. This finding is also consistent with Hochschild’s proposition that EL

could potentially result in estrangement between self and work role, emotional exhaustion,

emotional dissonance and burnout. Also, deep acting can lead to draining of resources, as it

requires effort (Hochschild, 1983, Morris & Feldman, 1996).

Evidence from this research confirms to Wharton and Erickson’s propositions

(1993) that high emotional regulation in work (cricket) may cause work-family conflict.

Perhaps this is because professional players are required to regulate their emotions to a

considerable extent on a day-to-day basis. Role overload is an obvious consequence of high

emotional regulation in one or both spheres, especially if the individual does not maintain

physical, temporal or psychological distance between the roles (Lobel, 1991; Wharton &

Erickson, 1993). The following quote by Tim suggests the that transition from being a

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cricketer to being a non-cricketer can get complicated during interpersonal interactions due

to a conflict in the two roles:

It is a different life altogether when you are playing at the highest level, you have lot of pressure, expectations, so you are a different person. When you come home [from tours], you are a different person altogether, you cannot just shift to that very quickly. It takes a couple of days to adapt to your family life again, it won’t happen immediately. You have to be smart to adapt to these kinds of things very quickly. You cannot show your emotions and anger at your parents because they don’t know the inside story [related to cricket]. It is unfair to them. (Indian player, case study 2)

This suggests that intense regulation of emotions can spill over to other domains

such as personal life and home. Also, role conflict may occur due to the dissimilarity in the

type of emotional management required in both these roles. Furthermore, Kanter (1977)

suggests that “interaction fatigue” (p.50) occurs when individuals in high interaction

occupations may respond to these pressures by “withdrawing from contact at home.” The

following quote by Jim suggests the manner in which players withdraw or distance

themselves during personal interactions:

There are times when I don’t react to situations [non-cricket] at all. For example, if something happened and someone [family member] is crying, I don’t react and people say ‘what the **** man’. It is an emotion which I don’t respond to. I just keep quiet, I just say ‘don’t do it’ and sit quietly, and I think that is not right. It is not right to anybody, who ever it may be. That is where it has worked negatively . . . there are times when I feel ‘ah’… as in these negative aspects, I can’t react in some situations, something I have to change. I have to make a conscious effort to change. Its like second nature to me [managing emotions], once I have done it so often, then you think ‘**** man’.

These results also suggest that the more time and energy players devote to one role

(cricket career); it means less time for the other role (family) (Dixon et al., 2006). This

implies that focusing more on cricket involves absence from family over longer periods.

This in turn means, less support network while experiencing demands due to the game, and

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thereby increases the appraisal and consequences of performing EL significantly. Bianco

and Eklund (2001) suggest that social support is important because they help in reducing

stress and enhance coping efforts. The importance of family as the main source of support

network is evident in the following quote by Steve:

Massively because as I said we have so many highs and lows in this game; my family, my girl friend and my friends are so important to me to be able to get support from them, particularly when I need it.

This also suggests that support networks outside cricket are important in managing

the emotional challenges of the game. This is because players seek emotional support from

family and friends (Bianco & Eklund, 2001). Australian case study participants also

highlighted the significance of support network in high profile cricket by citing Marcus

Trescothick’s stress related illness. The former England opener withdrew prior to the Ashes

series of 2006-2007 due to stress. It has been speculated that severe stress and pressure

associated with cricket and inadequate support in his personal life were the main reasons

for Trescothick’s depression (ABC Sport, November 16, 2006). Referring to the incident,

Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said cricketers were prone to depression and other

stress related illnesses because of the long periods they spend away from family and friends

(ABC Sport, November 16, 2006).

“It is a demanding lifestyle, particularly as an individual, and then you throw in family and children . . . there is a lot of sacrifices that need to be made. On top of all that there is the pressure and the intense scrutiny you come under every time you present yourself out on the field in front of millions and millions of people . . . . It can start to play tricks on your mind, or your mind can start to wander.” (ABC Sport, November 16, 2006).

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Positive Consequences

The findings from this research also revealed that the consequences of EL could be

positive. Perhaps this is because participants believed regulating emotions helps in

focusing, and thereby improving performance. The following quote explains one player’s

perception on why managing emotions is crucial for performance:

I think it is so important to keep your emotions in check and keep them constant . . . . It helps to be more consistent with your performances.

Expressing negative emotions may not be helpful (Tschan et al., 2005) because it

can distract players from performance, and perhaps (as perceived by players) provide the

opposition bowler (and team) a psychological advantage. Furthermore, most players in this

research believed emotional management is a vital aspect of cricket, and as stated earlier

excessive display of emotions is against the gentlemanly spirit of cricket. This is similar to

the ‘emotional detachment’ required by physicians (James, 1993) or that of barristers

(Harris, 2002). In fact, professional cricketers need to suppress negative emotions for

organisational purposes, and also to enhance their performance.

Furthermore, researchers (Abraham, 1998; Ashkanasy et.al., 2002) posit that strong

interpersonal relationships with co-workers reduced the negative effects of EL. Participants

in this study suggested that a friendly and supportive team atmosphere helped in managing

emotions as players spend most of their cricket career touring with teammates. Barsade

(1997) suggested that one group member’s positive affect could increase group

cooperation, and positive perceptions of individual and group performance. This aspect is

addressed by Martin (Australian case study 3) in the following quote:

When you have really good teammates around you it makes a big difference like when you are not going that great, you have your teammates to pep you up.

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Finally, the canonical correlation analysis examining aspects of EL and aspects of

burnout indicated that older participants who performed EL more frequently and for longer

durations experienced higher professional efficacy. This implies that older participants are

more proficient at managing their emotions (Hochschild, 1979, 1983), and hence the

consequences of EL might be less negative to older participants when they are satisfied

with their jobs and job roles (Kruml & Geddes, 2000a; Wharton, 1993). Steve (Australian

case study 1) quote suggests the effect of EL on players during the early stages of their

cricket career:

I think the more I have played the game and the more experience I have got that becomes less of an issue. I think early on definitely, definitely; if I got a bad decision [umpiring] I would not let it go for a couple of days . . . you are constantly thinking about it. But I think now that I am a bit older, a bit more mature, experienced; I have learnt to say ‘well, there is nothing I can do about it now. I have got to get on with the game.

In summary, the findings of this study indicated that the consequences of EL could

be either positive or negative. This was influenced by the context, intensity, age and

experience in cricket. Also, these findings support the suggestion from some researchers

that the negative consequences of EL could be more for some individuals (Hochschild,

1983; Wharton, 1993).

Limitations of the Research

Firstly, in order to examine the relatively unexplored concept of EL in professional

cricket, literature was reviewed from non-sport settings to determine potential parallels with

EL to the sport setting. This approach had some drawbacks because the majority of the

available literature is based on the study of front-line workers. In addition, the scales used

to measure EL (ELS, Brotheridge & Lee, 2003) and burnout symptoms (MBI, Maslach,

345

Jackson & Leiter, 1996) are not sport-focused. Thus, modifications were necessary to make

these questionnaires applicable to sportsmen and organisational personnel.

Secondly, due to complexity and sensitivity of the research topic, the thesis adopted

a largely qualitative nature of inquiry. As a result, the number of participants in the overall

research was small. Thirdly, while in-depth interviews helped in understanding EL in

greater detail, it had drawbacks as participants may have been somewhat restrained in

expressing themselves. Obtaining additional information through participant observation of

competition and non-competition settings could be beneficial.

Also, due to the limited number of participants (players and organisational

personnel) in Study 2, analysis involved combining the two groups for statistical purposes.

Obtaining information through survey methods from professional players was difficult due

to the limited number of players in Australia and the heavy travel demands of the sport.

Hence, the quantitative results need to be interpreted cautiously. Moreover, the research

participants were restricted to professional cricket players from Australia and India. Finally,

the researcher was born and raised in India, and hence data analysis could have been

influenced by her background and perceptions.

Implications of the Research

Despite the above-mentioned limitations, the information obtained in this research

has both theoretical and practical implications. These implications include:

(a) Although existing theories and models helped in exploring and understanding

the concept of EL in professional cricket, it was apparent that EL antecedents

and consequences were often different from the service sector. Therefore,

further study is warranted on EL in other sport domains.

346

(b) This research also studied the influence of culture on the performance of EL,

which provided valuable insights into the EL phenomenon. Future studies

should attempt to integrate cultural (and perhaps sub cultural) considerations

into their examinations of EL in sport.

(c) The exploration of EL in professional cricket also yielded valuable information

to sport psychology researchers and practitioners as the research identified the

antecedents, processes and consequences of EL. These may in turn influence

players’ performance and well being to a significant extent. Sport psychology

researchers ought to consider this phenomenon in future.

(d) These studies also produced practical information on the coping mechanisms

employed by professional players and support staff in dealing with EL.

Future studies could be directed toward EL among coaches and umpires in

detail in order to broaden the perspective of sport-related EL research.

(e) Finally, this research has implications for cricket organisations. Given the

results of this research, it appears that decision makers should consider numerous

emotional demands created by rigid enforcement of ICC codes. Indeed, it might

be beneficial to professional cricket and cricketers to modify certain ICC codes

or to provide more flexibility to players.

The above-mentioned theoretical and practical implications imply that the main aims

and purposes of this thesis were achieved. More specifically, the thesis examined the

347

unique characteristics of EL in professional cricket, inquired how EL affects performance

and the specific coping methods athletes use to deal with EL.

348

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APPENDIX

A. Materials Used in the Research ………………………………………….. 380

1. Information Sheet (Study 1 and 2)…………………………………. 381

2. Information Sheet (Study 3 and 4) …………………………………. 383

3. Consent Form ………………………………………………………. 385

B. Supporting Materials for Study 2 ………………………………………… 386

Contracted Cricketer Questionnaire ………………………………………387

Administrator Questionnaire ……………………………………………. 408

C. Supporting Materials for Study 3 and 4…………………………………. 419

Interview Questions …………………………………………………….. 420

Hand-out of ICC codes provided to Players ………………………….... 423

D. Interview Transcripts (Australian) ………………………………………. 424

Steve

Interview 1 ………………………………………………………….. .. 425

Interview 2 …………………………………………………………….. 438

Shane

Interview 1 ……………………………………………………………. 449

Martin

Interview 1 ……………………………………………………………. 456

Interview 2 …………………………………………………………….. 466

379

E. Interview Transcripts (Indian) …………………………………………. .. 482

Jim

Interview 1 ……………………………………………………………. 483

Interview 2 ……………………………………………………………. 507

Tim

Interview 1 …………………………………………………………… 515

Interview 2 ………………………………………………………….. .. 523

Mark

Interview 1 ………………………………………………………….. .. 538

Chris

Interview 1 ………………………………………………………….. .. 545

Interview 2 ……………………………………………………………. 552

380

APPENDIX A: MATERIALS USED IN THE RESEARCH

381

July 2005

Information Sheet for Players (Study 1 and 2)

An Examination of Emotional Demands in the Service of Professional Sport

You are invited to participate in the above mentioned research project which aims to explore the nature of Emotional Demands (ED) that professional cricketers encounter and the coping mechanisms that they employ. The final aim is to develop an intervention program designed to manage ED to suit all professional cricketers. What is the aim of this research project? A number of interesting questions arise from the available literature from business reviews regarding the relationship between ED and professional sport. The study intends to explore the nature of ED, which would include the effort required to hold back emotions or to create unfelt emotions, and to manage those emotions. The study also seeks to explore how ED affect performance. Who are the researchers? The research is being conducted by Ms. Chaitanya Sridhar as part of her Doctoral Thesis (Ph.D) in the School of Human Movement and Exercise Science at The University of Western Australia (UWA). The investigators for the project are Professor Robert Grove, Dr. James Dimmock and Dr. Scott Cresswell within the School of Human Movement and Exercise Science at UWA. What will be expected of you during this study? If you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire which focuses on the emotional demands you experience as a professional cricketer. The demands are not those associated with performing i.e., playing cricket but rather the emotional demands you encounter when dealing with issues such as umpiring decisions, media reports, codes of conduct and contractual guidelines. How will your privacy be protected? The information collected through the questionnaires will be used for statistical purposes only and all responses will be kept strictly confidential. The results will be reported in aggregate form, and no individual responses will be identified. Only researchers from UWA will have access to the questionnaires, which will be collated, and analysed at UWA and stored in a locked cabinet in the office in the department of Human Movement and Exercise Science.

School of Human Movement and Exercise Science

M408, The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling, Crawley WA 6009

382

Voluntary participation and your right to refuse Your involvement in this study is voluntary meaning you can decide whether or not to participate in this research. You can also change your mind and withdraw your consent at any stage prior to the commencement of the study. What are the risks involved in this study? While there should be nothing in the questionnaire that would cause distress of any kind, you are free to withdraw from the process at any time if you so wish. Who can you contact if you have a question about this study? If you would like to discuss any aspect of this study, please contact Ms Chaitanya Sridhar on 61 8 423 338 500 (email: [email protected]). For further enquiries, please feel to contact the investigators: Prof. Robert Grove Dr. James Dimmock Dr. Scott Cresswell Co-Chief Investigator Co-Chief Investigator Co-Chief Investigator School of Human Movement School of Human Movement School of Human Movement & Exercise Science & Exercise Science & Exercise Science E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] The Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Western Australia requires that all participants are informed that, if they have any complaint regarding the manner, in which a research project is conducted, it may be given to the researcher or, alternatively to the Secretary, Human Research Ethics Committee, Registrar’s Office, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (telephone number 6488-3703). All study participants will be provided with a copy of the Information Sheet and Consent form for their personal records.

383

April 2006

Information Sheet (Study 3 and 4)


You are invited to participate in the above mentioned research project which aims to explore the nature of Emotional Demands (ED) that professional cricketers encounter and the coping mechanisms that they employ. What is the aim of this research project? The study intends to explore the nature of ED, which would include the effort required to hold back emotions or to create unfelt emotions, and to manage those emotions. Professional cricketers are obliged to conduct themselves in a manner that suits organisational purposes. This study is an examination of the context and frequency of the emotional demands experienced in meeting these obligations. The investigation is not about normal emotional demands associated with playing cricket, for example, the stress of starting an innings or bowling spell. Rather, the focus is on the emotional demands experienced by players in their efforts to abide by both in-house (e.g., selection issues) and official codes of conduct (e.g., racial and vilification code). The study also seeks to determine the role of culture in managing those demands.

Who are the researchers? The research is being conducted by Ms. Chaitanya Sridhar as part of her Doctoral Thesis (Ph.D) in the School of Human Movement and Exercise Science at The University of Western Australia (UWA). The investigators for the project are Professor Robert Grove, Dr. James Dimmock and Dr. Scott Cresswell within the School of Human Movement and Exercise Science at UWA. What will be expected of you during this study? If you agree to participate, three interview sessions will be conducted as per your convenience. The interviews will focus on the emotional demands that you experience as a professional cricketer. Your feedback will also be sort on video clips which will be displayed during the interview sessions. The demands are not those associated with performing i. e., playing cricket but rather the emotional demands you encounter when


The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009

Phone +61 8 9380 2658 +61 8 9380 2360 Fax +61 8 9380 1039

http://www.general.uwa.edu.au/~hmweb/index.htm

384

dealing with issues such as umpiring decisions, media reports, codes of conduct and contractual guidelines. How will your privacy be protected? The information collected through the interviews will be used for research purposes only and all responses will be kept strictly confidential. The results will be reported in aggregate form, and no individual responses will be identified. Only researchers from UWA will have access to the interviews, which will be collated, and analysed at UWA and stored in a locked cabinet in the department of Human Movement and Exercise Science. Voluntary participation and your right to refuse Your involvement in this study is voluntary meaning you can decide whether or not to participate in this research. You can also change your mind and withdraw your consent at any stage of the study. What are the risks involved in this study? While there should be nothing in the interview questions that would cause distress of any kind, you are free to withdraw from the process at any time if you so wish. Who can you contact if you have a question about this study? If you would like to discuss any aspect of this study, please contact Ms Chaitanya Sridhar on 61 8 423 338 500 (email: [email protected]). For further enquiries, please feel to contact the investigators: Prof. Robert Grove Dr. James Dimmock Dr. Scott Cresswell Co-Chief Investigator Co-Chief Investigator Co-Chief Investigator School of Human Movement School of Human Movement School of Human Movement & Exercise Science & Exercise Science & Exercise Science E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] The Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Western Australia requires that all participants are informed that, if they have any complaint regarding the manner, in which a research project is conducted, it may be given to the researcher or, alternatively to the Secretary, Human Research Ethics Committee, Registrar’s Office, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (telephone number 6488-3703). All study participants will be provided with a copy of the Information Sheet and Consent form for their personal records.

385

July 2005

Consent Form


I (the participant) have read the information and any questions I have asked have been answered to my satisfaction. I agree to participate in this activity, realizing that I may withdraw at any time without reason and without prejudice. I understand that all information provided is treated as strictly confidential and will not be released by any investigator unless required by Law. I have been advised as to what data is being collected, what the purpose is, and what will be done with the data upon completion of the research. I agree that research gathered for the study may be published provided my name or other identifying information is not used. Participant (Name) _________________ Signature ____________________ Date ______________________

PLEASE RETURN THE SIGNED CONSENT FORM ALONG

WITH YOUR COMPLETED RESPONSES

The Human Research Ethics Committee at The University of Western Australia requires that all participants are informed that, if they have any complaint regarding the manner, in which a research project is conducted it may be given to the researcher or alternatively to the Secretary, Human Research Ethics Committee Registrar’s Office, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 telephone number (618) 6488 3703. All study participants will be provided with a copy of the Information Sheet and Consent Form for their personal records.


M408, The University of Western Australia 35 Stirling, Crawley WA 6009

386

APPENDIX B: SUPPORTING MATERIALS USED FOR STUDY 2

387

CONTRACTED PLAYER QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: ______________________ Date: ___________ Cricket Association: ____________________ Age: __________ No. of years playing First Class Cricket: _________ PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The Emotional Demands (ED) professional cricketers have to deal with has never before been

examined. This study intends to explore the nature of ED and how it affects performance.

Contracted Australian cricketers are obliged to conduct themselves in a manner that suits

organisational purposes. This study is an examination of the context and frequency of the emotional

demands experienced in meeting these contractual obligations. The investigation is not about

normal emotional demands associated with playing cricket, for example, the stress of starting an

innings or bowling spell. Rather, the focus is on the emotional demands experienced by players in

their efforts to abide by both in-house (e.g., selection issues) and official codes of conduct (e.g.,

racial and vilification code).

The ultimate aim of this project is to design an intervention program to manage ED suitable for

professional cricketers.

Please complete all questions starting from page 3. Instructions are printed at the beginning of each

section. Please answer the questions as honestly as possible. To provide a broader understanding of

the nature of our enquiry you may wish to skim read all the questions on each page prior to

responding.

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this project. Your cooperation and assistance are gratefully

appreciated.

388

SUPPRESSING YOUR EMOTIONS Please read the following questions carefully and answer them as honestly as you can. 1a. Describe a situation where you had to suppress your emotions (e.g., during interactions with selectors, media or opposition team members; voicing your true opinion on important issues). 1b. As a player, how frequently do you have to suppress your emotions? Please circle your response. Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always 1c. In relation to the situation described in 1a, why did you feel you had to suppress your emotions? 1d. Which emotions did you have to suppress?

calm thrilled afraid discouraged happy pleased angry doubtful confident satisfied annoyed helpless delighted motivated anxious nervous excited bored energetic Others:

determined enthusiastic frustrated

concerned interested tired

unhappy unmotivated disappointed

1e. How did you go about suppressing your emotions? What did you do?

389

EXPRESSING UNFELT EMOTIONS 2a. Describe a situation where you had to express an emotion that you did not feel (e.g.during early morning training or practice sessions). 2b. As a player, how frequently do you have to express emotions you do not feel? Please circle your response. Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always 2c. In relation to the situation described in 2a, why did you feel you had to express emotions that you did not feel? 2d. Which emotions did you have to express?





2e. How did you go about expressing emotions you did not feel? What did you do?

390

READING EMOTIONS OF OTHERS 3a. Describe a situation where you had to read the emotions of others in non-playing situations (e.g., interactions with coach, captain and/or selectors). 3b. As a player, how frequently do you have to read the emotions of others? Please circle your response. Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always 3c. In relation to the situation described in 3a, why did you feel that you had to read the emotions of others? 3d. Which emotions did you have to read?

calm thrilled afraid discouraged happy pleased angry doubtful confident satisfied annoyed helpless delighted motivated anxious nervous excited determined concerned unhappy bored energetic Others:


interested tired


3e. How did you go about reading the emotions of others? What did you do?

391

MANAGING EMOTIONS OF OTHERS 4a. Describe a situation where you had to manage the emotions of others to motivate their behaviour (e.g., interacting with teammates prior to games). 4b. As a player, how frequently do you have to manage the emotions of others to motivatetheir behaviour? Please circle your response. Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always 4c. In relation to the situation described in 4a, why did you feel you had to manage the emotions of others? 4d. Which emotions of others did you have to manage?





4e. How did you go about managing the emotions of others? What did you do?

392

CODES OF CONDUCT: OFFENCES Listed below are items from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket Australia (CA) ‘codes’ for players to ensure fair play and enhance the spirit of cricket. Please indicate how often it is emotionally demanding to avoid committing these offences:

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1. Offences: Abuse cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or 1 2 3 4 5

fixtures and fittings.

Show dissent at an umpire’s decision by action or verbal abuse. 1 2 3 4 5 Use language that is obscene, offensive or insulting and/or the 1 2 3 4 5

making of an obscene gesture.

Engage in excessive appealing. 1 2 3 4 5 Engage in inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with 1 2 3 4 5

other players or officials in the course of play.

Deliberately and maliciously distract or obstruct another player 1 2 3 4 5 or official on the field of play.

If your answer to any of the items above is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. Are there any other Offences not mentioned above which you feel are emotionally demanding. Please write them in the space provided below.

393

OFF-FIELD CODES

How often is it emotionally demanding to avoid committing these offences?

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2. Off-field Codes: Players need to be cautious about their off-field behaviour 1 2 3 4 5 especially that which is likely to attract public attention and criticism because players’ off-field conduct reflects either positively or adversely on the game. If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. What other Off-field Codes of behaviour do you find emotionally demanding to deal with?

394

DETRIMENTAL PUBLIC COMMENT How often is it emotionally demanding to avoid committing these offences?

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3. Detrimental Public Comment Players and officials must not publicly denigrate another player, 1 2 3 4 5 official, umpire, referee or team against which they have played or will play, whether in relation to incidents which occurred in a match or otherwise or comment on the likely outcome of a hearing or a report or an appeal. If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. Please provide other specific examples of Codes of behaviour related to Detrimental Public Comments which you find emotionally demanding to avoid.

395

ANTI-DOPING POLICY How often is it emotionally demanding to avoid committing these offences?

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4. Anti-Doping Policy: A player shall not use performance enhancing drugs as doping 1 2 3 4 5 practices is contrary to the ethics of sport and potentially harmful to the health of athletes. If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. Please provide other specific examples of the Anti-Doping Codes of behaviour you find emotionally demanding to avoid.

396

BETTING, MATCH-FIXING AND CORRUPTION How often is it emotionally demanding to avoid committing these offences?

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5. Betting, Match-fixing and Corruption: Players or officials must not directly or indirectly engage in 1 2 3 4 5 betting, gambling or enter into any form of financial speculation on any cricket match or on any event connected with any cricket match. If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. Please provide other specific examples of Betting, Match-fixing and Corruption codes of behaviour you find emotionally demanding to avoid.

397

RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS VILIFICATION CODE

How often is it emotionally demanding to avoid committing these offences?

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6. Racial and Religious Vilification Code: Players will not engage in any conduct, act towards or 1 2 3 4 5 speak to any other player in a manner which offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, disparages or vilifies the other player on the basis of the player’s race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. Please provide other specific examples of Racial and Religious Vilification Codes of behaviour you find emotionally demanding to avoid.

398

ANTI-HARASSMENT How often is it emotionally demanding to avoid committing these offences?

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7. Anti-Harassment Policy: Players will not engage in any harassment including any comment, 1 2 3 4 5 conduct or gesture directed towards an individual or group of individuals which is insulting, intimidating, humiliating, malicious, degrading or offensive. If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. Please provide other specific examples of Anti-harassment Codes of behaviour you find emotionally demanding to avoid.

399

PENALTIES How often is it emotionally demanding to avoid committing these offences?

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8. Emotional Demands dealing with Penalties: Players and officials breaching the code of conduct and commiting any of the offences (Level I- IV) will be penalized 1 2 3 4 5 which can include 50% fine of their match fees or being banned for matches depending on the level of offence. If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. Please provide other specific examples of Penalties that you find emotionally demanding to deal with.

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IN-HOUSE TEAM CODES & IMAGE MANAGEMENT How often is it emotionally demanding to avoid breaching these In-house team Codes?

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9. Emotional Demands dealing with In-house Team Codes: Suppress emotions involving umpiring decisions 1 2 3 4 5

Refrain from commenting on other players 1 2 3 4 5

Restrict expressions of displeasure to events related to the 1 2 3 4 5

game (e.g., sledging by an opponent team player). If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation 10. Emotional Demands dealing with Image Management Constant evaluation by the selectors and public 1 2 3 4 5

Idealistic image of sports people 1 2 3 4 5

Handling mixed emotions (e.g., you have done well but not 1 2 3 4 5

the team or vice-versa) Dealing with the media (caution about every word you speak) 1 2 3 4 5

Stereotyping of players (e.g., test player but not limited overs player) 1 2 3 4 5

Anxiety about losing social status (e.g., deselection) 1 2 3 4 5

If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation.

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IN-HOUSE TEAM CODES & IMAGE MANAGEMENT Please provide specific examples of any other in-house team codes or image management issues that you find emotionally demanding to deal with.

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WORK –LIFE BALANCE How often is it emotionally demanding to deal with the following?

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11. Emotional Demands related to Work-life balance: Career anxiety 1 2 3 4 5

Job security 1 2 3 4 5

Assessing life goals and personal values 1 2 3 4 5

Disruption to family routines due to the length of cricketing 1 2 3 4 5

season and/or travel schedules If your answer is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation. Please provide other specific examples of Work-life balance you find emotionally demanding to deal with.

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EMOTIONAL DEMANDS IN YOUR JOB

The following questions are about the emotional demands you encounter in your job as a contracted player. Please circle your responses to each item below.

As a contracted player, how frequently do you

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1. Have interactions with others (e.g., public, coach, players, media) 1 2 3 4 5 which take about 5-10 minutes. 2. Display specific emotions required by your job. 1 2 3 4 5 3. Show some strong emotions e.g., during media meetings. 1 2 3 4 5 4. Make an effort to actually feel the emotions that you need to 1 2 3 4 5 display to others e.g., appear enthusiastic at early morning training. 5. Adopt certain emotions required by your job e.g., appear calm 1 2 3 4 5 while dealing with an angry teammate. 6. Display many different kinds of emotions. 1 2 3 4 5 7. Express particular emotions needed for your job e.g., empathise 1 2 3 4 5 when teammates play poorly though you may be disappointed with them. 8. Hide your true feelings about a situation e.g., refrain from showing 1 2 3 4 5 dissent at an umpire’s decision when given an unfair decision. 9. Express intense emotions e.g., during team meetings. 1 2 3 4 5 10. Really try to feel the emotions you have to show as part of your 1 2 3 4 5 job e.g., always show support to your captain’s decisions. 11. Express many different emotions. 1 2 3 4 5 12. Resist expressing your true feelings e.g., even though you 1 2 3 4 5 disapprove of an incident, refrain from expressing your true feelings. 13. Display many different emotions when interacting with others. 1 2 3 4 5 14. Pretend to have emotions that you don’t really have e.g., display 1 2 3 4 5 composure at demanding times though you are upset.

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15. Try to actually experience the emotions that you must show e.g., 1 2 3 4 5 display politeness and courtesy during player appearances.

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PERCEPTION OF GAME RELATED EMOTIONS The following questions are about cricket-related feelings. Please respond to the questions in relation to how you generally feel about cricket at this time. Please read each statement carefully and circle the response that best represents how you feel. 1. I feel emotionally drained from playing cricket.

Never A few times a year

Once a month or less

A few times a month

Once a week A few times a week

Everyday

2. I feel used up by cricket at the end of the day.



A few times a month


Everyday

3. I feel tired when I get up in the morning and have to face another day of cricket. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times

a month Once a week A few times

a week Everyday

4.Playing cricket all day is really a strain for me. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

5. I can effectively solve the problems that arise in cricket. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

6. I feel burned out from playing cricket. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

7. I feel I am making an effective contribution to my team (s). Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

8. I have become less interested in cricket since I started playing at First Class level. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

9. I have become less enthusiastic about playing cricket. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

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PERCEPTION OF GAME RELATED EMOTIONS

10. In my opinion, I am a good cricketer. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

11. I feel exhilarated when I accomplish something playing cricket. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

12. I have accomplished many worthwhile things playing First Class cricket. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

13. I just want to play cricket and not be bothered. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

14. I have become more cynical about whether my cricket performance contributes anything. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

15. I doubt the significance of my cricket performance. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

16. Playing cricket, I feel confident that I am effective at getting things done. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

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FINAL COMMENTS

Are there any further comments you would like to make on the emotional demands you have experienced as a player in the service of professional cricket.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE.

PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED RESPONSES AND THE CONSENT FORM

IN THE SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE PROVIDED

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ADMINISTRATORS (COACH) QUESTIONNAIRE

Cricket Association: ___________________________ Date: ___________ Job title: ______________________ No. of years in this role ____________ Gender: _________________________ Age: ___________________________

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The Emotional Demands (ED) that cricket operations staff* have to deal with has never before been examined. ED may involve either producing emotional displays, whether felt or unfelt emotions, or holding back displays of felt emotions that are organisationally desired. This study intends to explore the nature of ED and how it affects performance. The demands are not those associated with performing a particular job, for example being a CEO, coach or selector. Rather we wish to examine the specific emotional demands you encounter as a CEO, coach or selector of a professional (National or State) Cricket team. The ultimate aim of this project is to design an intervention program to manage ED specific to cricket operations staff.

*Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Team Selector, Finance Manager, Manager of Team Operations, Doctor, Club Cricket Manager, Coaching Manager, State/National Coach, Physiotherapist, Curator, Sponsorship Coordinator.

Please complete all questions starting from page 3. Instructions are printed at the beginning of each section. Please answer the questions as honestly as possible. To provide a broader understanding of the nature of our enquiry you may wish to skim read all the questions on each page prior to responding. Thank you for agreeing to participate in this project. Your cooperation and assistance are gratefully appreciated.

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SUPPRESSING YOUR EMOTIONS Please read the following questions carefully and answer them as honestly as you can. 1a. Describe a situation where you had to suppress your emotions (e.g., when players challenge your advice).

1b. In relation to your role in cricket, how frequently do you have to suppress your emotions? Please circle your response.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always

1c. In relation to the situation described in 1a, why did you feel you had to suppress your emotions? 1d. What emotions did you have to suppress?



interested tired


1e. How did you go about suppressing your emotions? What did you do?

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EXPRESSING UNFELT EMOTIONS

2a. Describe a situation where you had to express an emotion that you did not feel (e.g., staying positive and encouraging when the team is losing). 2b. In relation to your role in cricket, how frequently do you have to express emotions you do not feel? Please circle your response.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always 2c. In relation to the situation described in 2a, why did you feel you had to express an emotion that you did not feel? 2d. What emotions did you have to express?



interested tired


2e. How did you go about expressing emotions you did not feel? What did you do?

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READING EMOTIONS OF OTHERS 3a. Describe a situation where you had to read the emotions of others (e.g., providing performance feedback to a colleague). 3b. In relation to your role in cricket, how frequently do you have to read the emotions of others? Please circle your response.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always 3c. In relation to the situation described in 3a, why did you feel you had to read the emotions of others? 3d. Which emotions did you have to read?



interested tired


3e. How did you go about reading the emotions? What did you do?

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MANAGING EMOTIONS OF OTHERS 4a. Describe a situation where you had to manage the emotions of others to motivate their behaviour (e.g., dealing with conflict between players and/or colleagues). 4b. In relation to your role in cricket, how frequently do you have to manage the emotions of others to motivate their behaviour? Please circle your response.

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always

4c. In relation to the situation described in 4a, why did you feel you had to manage the emotions of others? 4d. Which emotions of others did you have to manage?



interested tired


4e. How did you go about managing the emotions of others? What did you do?

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EMOTIONAL DEMANDS BEING A COACH Listed below are some activities associated with your job as a Coach, these items are generated from Cricket Australia’s website and focus group discussions. Please indicate how frequently these activities create emotional demands as a result of complying with organisational rules, for example, situations that oblige you to suppress your emotions or create emotions you do not feel.

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Programme for international and domestic cricket 1 2 3 4 5 Pre-tour inspections 1 2 3 4 5

Foster club cricket 1 2 3 4 5

Coach a team 1 2 3 4 5

Manage talent 1 2 3 4 5

Manage the education and training area 1 2 3 4 5

Continually assessing programmes for the team 1 2 3 4 5

Being in control of the situation at all times as it influences the 1 2 3 4 5

team. If your answer to any of the items above is 4 or 5, please describe the circumstance(s) you are referring to and how you coped with the situation.

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EMOTIONAL DEMANDS BEING A COACH Please describe any other activities in relation to your role as a coach that you feel are emotionally demanding. Please provide an example of how you handled the situation.

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EMOTIONAL DEMANDS IN YOUR JOB

The following questions are about the emotional demands you encounter in your job as a coach. Please circle your responses to each item below.

In relation to your role in cricket, how frequently do you

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1. Have interactions related to your role (e.g., with players, selectors, 1 2 3 4 5 media) which takes about 5-10 minutes. 2. Display specific emotions required by your job. 1 2 3 4 5 3. Show some strong emotions e.g., during team meetings. 1 2 3 4 5 4. Make an effort to actually feel the emotions that you need to 1 2 3 4 5 display to others e.g., sympathize while discussing a players’ poor form. 5. Adopt certain emotions required by your job. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Display many different kinds of emotions. 1 2 3 4 5 7. Express particular emotions needed for your job e.g., appear calm 1 2 3 4 5 while dealing with an angry player. 8. Hide your true feelings about a situation e.g., not agreeing with a 1 2 3 4 5 particular players selection but going with the team decision. 9. Express intense emotions. 1 2 3 4 5 10. Really try to feel the emotions you have to show as part of your 1 2 3 4 5 job. 11. Express many different emotions. 1 2 3 4 5 12. Resist expressing your true feelings e.g., at media meetings. 1 2 3 4 5 13. Display many different emotions when interacting with others. 1 2 3 4 5 14. Pretend to have emotions that you don’t really have. 1 2 3 4 5 15. Try to actually experience the emotions that you must show. 1 2 3 4 5

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PERCEPTIONS OF JOB-RELATED EMOTIONS The following questions are about job-related feelings. Please read each question carefully and decide if you ever feel this way about your job. Please circle your responses to the feeling that best represents how you feel. 1. I feel emotionally drained from my work.



A few times a month


Everyday

2. I feel used up at the end of the workday. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

3. I feel tired when I get up in the morning and have to face another day on the job. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

4. Working all day is really a strain for me. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

5. I can effectively solve the problems that arise in my work. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

6. I feel burned out from my work. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

7. I feel I am making an effective contribution to what this organisation does. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

8. I have become less interested in my work since I started this job. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

9. I have become less enthusiastic about my work. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

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PERCEPTIONS OF JOB-RELATED EMOTIONS

10. In my opinion, I am good at my job. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

11. I feel exhilarated when I accomplish something at work. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

12. I have accomplished many worthwhile things in this job. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

13. I just want to do my job and not be bothered. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

14. I have become more cynical about whether my work contributes anything. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

15. I doubt the significance of my work. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

16. At my work, I feel confident that I am effective at getting things done. Never A few times

a year Once a month

or less A few times


a week Everyday

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FINAL COMMENTS Are there any further comments you would like to make on the emotional demands you have experienced in the service of professional cricket.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE

PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED RESPONSES

IN THE SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE PROVIDED

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APPENDIX C: SUPPORTING MATERIALS USED FOR STUDY 3 AND 4

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Interview Guidelines For Study 3 and 4

Interview 1: (Player impressions of emotional demands, its management and job roles) Professional cricketers are obliged to conduct themselves in a manner that suits

organisational purposes. This interview focuses on the context and frequency of the

emotional demands experienced in meeting these obligations.

1. What are your views regarding these demands?

2. What is your opinion on the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct for

professional cricketers?

3. Which of these ICC codes (handout of ICC codes) is more difficult to adhere? What makes it difficult to deal with?

4. Could you give an example of a situation wherein you consciously had to suppress

anger or frustration? How did you cope with the situation? 5. Why do you mould/manage your emotions? What other reasons? 6. Could you give some instances where you found it reasonably difficult to cope with the

codes or organisational rules (playing and non-playing situations)? Any particular match? What was the reason? How did you deal with it? Any particular support networks or coping strategies?

7. Quite a lot of elite players have reported a ‘loss of self’ in the commercialised era of

sport. Do you also question yourself in this manner? If yes how often? Why do you feel there is a loss of sense of self? Is it due to the discrepancy between what you display and what you feel? What are the other reasons?

8. Do you sometimes mentally detach yourself while dealing with aspects related to

cricket? If yes, how often does it happen? What effect does this have on you at the emotional and professional level?

9. Emotional demands wanes or waxes depending upon the competition in the industry.

Do you feel the pressure you face regarding organisation rules or expectations are the same than when you first started playing? If it is more now- why do you think it is so? Do you think it was a lot more relaxed in 70’s or 80’s (20 years ago)?

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Thank you very much for your participation. Is there anything you would like to add regarding the emotional demands associated with professional cricketers?

Interview 2: (Video-analysis of match situations and role of culture) In the last interview, you shared your observations on the emotional demands encountered by professional cricketers. In this interview, I will show you some video-clips of match situations. I would like to find out more about your coping skills regarding these emotional demands. 1. What were you feeling in this particular instance (after player is shown video clip)? Do you think this is the best way to deal with the situation? Was any teammate particularly helpful during this period?

2. What is your opinion of the way player/team (video-clip of another player) reacted to this situation? How would you deal with such a situation? 3. Have you ever been ‘dismissed’ due to a controversial umpiring decision (e.g., leg before wicket)? What was your reaction? Why did you react that way? What were you feeling at that point of time? How did you deal with it? This session will also focus on the role of culture in cricket. 4. What do you understand by the term ‘work culture’? Is it the same as ‘cricket culture’? How does it influence the way your react or express your emotion. 5. Does the work or cricket culture influence your emotional actions significantly? What about the place (country)? Is it more demanding adhering to the rules while playing in another country? 6. What is your view about ‘sledging’ in cricket? Do you think the culture or your up bringing has anything to do with this view? How will it be perceived by cricket admirers in India and elsewhere or Australia and elsewhere (depending on whether an Indian or Australian player is being interviewed)? 7. How do you deal with media interviews? Could you give an example of you dealt with

the media over a controversial issue? In Study 1 a few players reported they feel like

‘robots’ answering questions in the same manner time and again. Do you agree with this?

8. Do you feel your role as a captain or senior member has been redefined by the

organisation? In what manner?

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Thank you very much for your participation. Is there anything you would like to add regarding the emotional demands associated with professional cricketers? Common Probes:

1. Could you please elaborate 2. That is interesting, could you draw more light 3. Oh really 4. Hmm 5. Sorry could you please repeat

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Hand-out of ICC codes provided to Players 1. The Captain is responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws.

2. The Captain shall be held responsible if his team does not meet the minimum over rate requirements. 3. Players and Team Officials must at all times accept the Umpire’s decision. Players must not show dissent at the Umpire’s decision. This includes disappointment with an umpire’s decision with specific actions such as shaking of the head, snatching cap from umpire, pointing at pad or inside edge, other displays of anger or abusive language directed at the umpire or excessive delay in resuming play or leaving the wicket. 4. Players and Team Officials shall not use crude or abusive language (known as “sledging”) nor make offensive gestures. This also includes swearing in frustration at one’s own poor play. 5. Players and Team Officials shall not make any public announcement or media comment regarding match officials or players or teams against which they have played. 6. Players and Team Officials shall not abuse cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings. 7. Players and Team Officials shall not engage in excessive appealing. This includes the practice of celebrating a dismissal before the decision has been given. 8. Gesturing towards the pavilion in an aggressive manner by a bowler or other members of the fielding side upon the dismissal of a batsman is not allowed. 9. Deliberate physical contact (walk/run into or shoulder another player) between players in the course of play should be avoided. 10. Players and Team Officials shall not engage in any act of violence on the field of play. 11. Players and Team Officials breaching the code of conduct and committing any of the offences (Level I- IV) will be penalized. This can include 50 to 100% fine of their match fees or being banned from a few matches depending on the level of offence.

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APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS (AUSTRALIAN)

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Steve: Interview 1

I- Interviewer S- Participant

I- What are your views regarding the ICC rules of conduct?

S -Well obviously I mean cricket is our job; it is my life at the moment and obviously there

are rules that govern my employment or my job. I guess I know it is there, I don’t have a lot

of problem with it. I don’t seem to have a massive, massive issue with it but obviously they

are there and there are pretty set guidelines for what you need to do.

I- Yeah. What about the off-field codes?

S - I guess that comes part and parcel of the job. You are in public spot light and people are

aware of what you do, what you say and how you conduct yourself. At times, there are

probably things that you would like to say or you would like to express but sometimes

unable to because it become detrimental to you and to your whole association as well. In

that sort of respect, you do have to keep an eye on what you do say and what you can and

can’t do.

I- So you need to be pretty aware?

S - Yeah you definitely do need to be aware, we are taught about these codes and we do

understand them pretty well. It’s not like we are misinformed or uneducated about them.

We do understand them and realize that they are there and it’s there for a reason.

I- Can you have a look at these codes, what is your opinion of them?

S - Obviously the first couple of them with the Captain thing, I Captained the Club team so

it is pretty relevant for me. I guess it is a hard thing knowing that one person is responsible

for how the whole team acts or is perceived or in terms of run rate, I mean a minimum over

run rate, I understand that may be the blame has to go somewhere but does the blame have

to go solely on one persons shoulders? I don’t know. I think it is particularly harsh for that

to be the case but at the same time I am not sure how else you would govern it. At the end

of the day, it is the Captain’s responsibility to make sure his team; I mean he is in charge at

the end of the day. Whether or not it then becomes his entire and sole responsibility to

make sure the team is doing the right thing, I’m not too sure but I just think that it is a

tough thing for a Captain to take the fault for the entire team. But that is just my opinion.

I- Yeah.

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S - The umpire’s decision is another one.

I- Yeah most players spoke of that.

S - I mean umpires don’t get all the decision right, they are human. Out of experience I feel

you get some good one’s and some bad one’s.

I- How do you cope with such decision?

S - On the field, there is nothing you can do about it.

I- Okay say I am the umpire and I’ve just adjudged you out, what are you feeling when you

feel it’s a wrong decision?

S - Ah extreme anger is probably one and extreme disappointment is probably two and

when you combine the two, it is very, very difficult to keep your emotions in check

especially if it is an important time of the game or even if it not an important time of the

game or you if are not doing well and all of a sudden you get another bad umpiring

decision. I mean it is our livelihood and it can sometimes be determined by these people

and it is out of our control. In that instance, it can be so frustrating.

I- True. Are you an emotional person?

S - I wouldn’t say I’m an overly emotional person; I can normally keep my emotions in

check fairly well.

I- On the field?

S - Yeah on the field. As soon as I get into the change rooms, I’m out of public view then

all the emotion comes out, whether be it smashing things or yelling or whatever. But I

guess our on-field conduct is determined by these codes so you cant show dissent or you

can’t go ‘oh that is wrong’.

I- Yeah it is a thin line between dissent and disappointment.

S - Yes I know it is a very thin line. I guess I haven’t really been in any sort of trouble

through showing dissent; I know I have shown disappointment before in getting bad

decisions, some I think they were close but I have never been sort of sanctioned for it or

anything. So it is a hard thing to do, it is a hard thing to keep emotions in check. I guess the

thing is it is only for a short period of time that you do and you can let it all out as soon as

you are back in the change room or whatever.

I- So you control it till you are out of the pavilion?

S - Yeah basically and then you try and get it all out because if you keep boiling it up, then

it explodes.

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I- What happens if you’ve got a wrong decision today and you have a match the next day?

Does it affect you or your performance or confidence?

S - Yeah it can; I think the more I have played the game and the more experience I have got

that becomes less of an issue. I think early on definitely, definitely; if I got a bad decision I

would not let it go for a couple of days or lay awake or whatever, you are constantly

thinking about it. But I think now that I am a bit more older, a bit more mature,

experienced; I have learnt to say ‘well, there is nothing I can do about it now. I have got to

get on with the game’. Because it can affect your next innings, if you are playing a four-day

game you got to bat in the second innings and that is the last thing you want to be thinking

about. I think the first couple are a little tough the rest are fine. Excessive appealing is fine.

I- You do bowl right?

S - Yeah I bowl a little off-spin. No I don’t think excessive appealing is a problem for me.

I- What about under appealing?

S - You mean when you just think someone is out.

I- Yeah and you celebrate the dismissal without appealing.

S - Yeah that is another thing now, it is the code of conduct thing that you have to show

respect to the umpire by turning back and appealing, even though you blatantly know that

it is out. Oh yes, that is just another thing that has changed in the game over recent times. I

have never had a problem with it. I think most of time in those situations everyone does

know it is out but it just the umpire getting ****** for you not turning around and makes it

a big issue sort of things. I don’t have a problem with it.

I- Okay. Do you think any of these codes change or affect your behavior?

S - I guess yeah the crude or abusive language thing; I mean that is just another thing you

need to keep yourself in check a little bit on the field.

I- You mean when someone is sledging or in general?

S - Oh, I think just when you have made a mistake or you get hit for runs when you are

bowling, sometimes you’d just love to let out a massive big expletive and then get on with

it but that is something you got to curb as well I guess.

I- Aussies are known to sledge quite a bit right?

S - Yeah but I personally don’t sledge directly at the opposition and I think you find a lot of

Australian players say that ‘nothing is ever personal towards the opposition player’. It

428

might just be something in general and it is never intended to be a personal insult, it is just

something to try and get their mind off what they are trying to do.

I- Yeah the mental edge.

S - That is exactly what it is, it is the mental edge, it doesn’t have to be threatening or

anything, it could be something really bizarre and they are thinking, ‘what the hell is he

talking about’ and then you have done your job. It is never anything personal, it is just

trying to distract them.

I- What about swearing in frustration at your own self?

S - Probably swearing at myself than anyone else.

I- But you are not supposed to that according to the code right?

S - Yeah I guess with the code, they are a bit more lenient with that. I guess it is a bit

different with the games now as you have cameras and microphones it still has to be

brought into check. I think that’s lot of the reasons why these codes are put in place is

because lot of people are watching these games on TV and I guess it is not socially

acceptable to be swearing out loud on TV basically.

I- Do you think that is difficult?

S - Yeah definitely it is hard to balance because you want to be doing everything you can in

the game and then you understand that you’ve got these sort of codes that are governing

your behaviour in some sort of way. As I say after playing for a while and being a bit more

experienced, I think you do find that balance a little bit. There’s always going to be that

time at the heat of the moment where it might just happen and it might just come out. I

don’t know what you can really do about that. I think in general it is not too much of a

problem.

I- Do you get hit deliberately by the opposition?

S - No I haven’t, I’ve never been in a game when it has happened. I’m sure does happen but

I haven’t been in that situation.

I- Can you actually give an example where you consciously had to suppress your emotions?

S - You mean on the field?

I- Yeah on the field or related to cricket or even a situation where you had to express

something you didn’t really feel.

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S - I guess the prime example is when a decision doesn’t go your way, either batting or

bowling. A great example of that was the last game (recent game) where I was bowling and

thought I had an LBW but and it was not given out.

I- Was it close?

S - Yeah it was quite close whether or not it was out, I don’t know but I thought it was

pretty close. It was not given out; it wasn’t a TV game or anything but you do have to

suppress your emotions, you can’t say anything or do anything out of turn that could get

you into trouble. I mean those sort of examples happens all the time in our sport.

I- What were you feeling and how does it affect?

S - The immediate sort of feelings were frustration and anger, and it was coming down to

the third or fourth last over of the game, it could have been a decision where if we got it; it

could have changed the game. That sort of intensifies it a bit I think. The first reaction was

just complete disappointment and frustration, and my reaction was I just stood there, didn’t

say anything or didn’t question the decision in any way but just stood there and took a few

moments to gather my thoughts a little bit, I guess you have to. And that was sort of mid-

pitch so it was just going through the decision again and going through what had just

happened and just trying to say ‘okay it has happened now, it hasn’t happened in your

favour, you got to get on with it’. It is hard, it is hard to completely wipe that and go on to

bowl the next ball and finish the over out.

I- Was it in the beginning, middle or end of the over?

S - It was the middle of the over and I had to bowl a few more balls.

I- So how was the next ball after that decision?

S - Okay, not brilliant. If you say it affected me a little bit, yes it did a little bit, not a whole

lot but it is certainly there at the back of my mind and the frustration is sort of. At the end

of the over, as I was walking away and let out my frustration where it wasn’t audible I

probably let out a bit of frustration there, you just sort oh have to hold it till then. And then

after that you get on with it. Yeah those couple of balls after that decision was quite tough.

I- Did you have to bowl again?

S - No that was my last over.

I- Okay. What about the other way round way, have you had to suppress positive emotions?

S - As in?

I- Like say you’ve done well and the team lost.

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S - Yeah I have been in that situation quite a few times actually. In the last game we were

chasing 400 and odd runs, I scored *** not out and we lost in the last over. In that sense I

didn’t really have to suppress any enjoyment because I am disappointed about the team

result. The fact that we lost was shattering; yeah doing well was great. The fact that we

actually lost was my first and prevalent emotion; I was shattered after the game absolutely.

I’d rather get a duck and we had won sort of thing and that has happened a couple of times

where I personally have done well but the team hasn’t and so your still feeling quite empty

and quite disappointment about it all. That is how I felt about the whole thing. Obviously,

after a few days later, you get a lot of pats from your family members and friends ‘ that was

brilliant, well done’ you sort of appreciate it a bit more then but at the time you are that

disappointment about losing than the fact that you have done well doesn’t factor into it too

much that is just my personal opinion. I guess there may be other people who differ from

that.

I- So you think cricket is more a team game?

S - Yeah I do because at the end of the day our results are what is more important that is

your assets.

I- What about with the media?

S - They ask pretty much the same question ‘you have done well but the team lost. I am

pretty open and honest with them and I say, ‘look I am devastated. It is great to make runs

but at the end of the day, we have lost a close one’. At the end of four days that is all what

matters.

I- So it was a test-match?

S - Yeah it was a four-day game and we lost in the final over on the last day. So we have

lost some close one’s this year and yeah it is quite difficult and quite hard to get yourself

back up again because we had a one-day game two days later, after just one-day off and to

go through that complete disappointment and obviously the physical fatigue you have got

from four days of cricket, it is quite really hard mentally and physically to get yourself up

to play another game in two days time. To be honest I would say that I was not 100 percent

mentally prepared to go into that next game just because of what had happened in the game

before.

I- Yeah true.

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S - Whereas it would have been completely different if we had won because with it comes

momentum and confidence and all those sort of things.

I- But personally you have done well right?

S - Yeah I guess for me personally I have plenty of confidence in my personal form going

into the next game. As a whole team we were just flat and not prepared as well as we could

have been. If we had won that game we would have been completely different and it is

amazing how much that happens in sport.

I- Oh yeah.

S - Yeah if we had won that game, we would have been babbling, bouncing around; a 2-day

break would have been no problem whatsoever but when you lose it intensifies that sort of

feeling. It is sometimes difficult to get yourself up and the whole team up in that sort of

situation.

I- How were you feeling for the next couple of days?

S - I think you are still harboring about those emotions from the previous game because

you are so flat and deflated from losing that game, I think your still a little bit deflated and

flat going into the next game.

I- So you just one-day off before the next game?

S - Yeah just one-day off and you do take few of those emotions into the next game

because if we had won; we would have definitely taken those emotions as well. I guess our

challenge is to somehow tell ourselves that it’s happened and I now have to prepare myself

for the next game without worrying about what has just happened. Actually, that is quite

difficult to do, especially in such close games.

I- So what happened in the one-day game?

S - We got totally off logged and I’ve got know idea whether that had a little bit to do with

the previous game, I wont blame it. Being able to be mentally strong and tough enough to

get yourself right and 100 percent ready to play the next game is a skill to be honest.

I- Does it get better with playing?

S - Yeah I think the more you experience it, you getter better at handling it. I think there are

so many high’s and lows in our game, it is more a balancing act to try and keep it on a right

level.

I- Do you think a longer break would have helped?

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S - Could be, our schedule is pretty fixed and tight. When we have players from Eastern

teams coming over, it becomes a money issue; you can’t have teams having a 3-4 day gap

in between games. It would be very hard scheduling in with the amount of cricket we do

play. It wouldn’t hurt if we have an additional days break in terms of recovery.

I- So how did you’ll cope as a team after the four-day loss?

S - We just had a recovery session, it was more in terms of physical and then we thought

we’d just give the guys a rest in the afternoon to try and recover. I think it was the best

thing to do, whether is works for everyone I am not sure, some people just like to keep

going because if they keep going then they don’t have to worry about what just happened,

whereas some other people would like to refresh before going into the next game. It is a

very individual thing to get yourself up.

I- So how do you pep yourself up mentally in such situations?

S - For me personally having a clear head is the most important thing because cricket is

such a mental game, you can’t be thinking about other stuff, you can turned out very

quickly. So for me I need to have a clear head, however you do that for me it is listening to

music. I listen to music before I go out to bat, if I am going in to bat next, then listening to

music clears m head. Sometimes the night before I just write down something like how my

bowlers are going to be and what my plan is going to be so I can be pretty clear in my mind

about what I want to do. Once I have done that and I am clear in my mind, I just make sure

there is nothing stuck up which can distract me from playing the game. This is what I do to

prepare myself for a game.

I- Do you think it is important having a support network?

S - Yes massively because as I said we have so many highs and lows in this game; my

family, my girl friend and my friends are so important to me to be able to get support from

them, particularly when I need it. And that is not just saying ‘well done’ when you have

done well but to be there for you when you haven’t done well and you are not going well. I

mean they don’t have to do anything they just have to be there and when I need them in any

sort of way, they are always there for me. That is a very reassuring thing.

I- So do you think it is easier coping with emotional challenges and the game at home?

S - Yeah it can help but having said that they are only a phone call away as well if you need

them, when you are away. It is probably a 30-minute phone call to my girl friend or my

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mom or dad. I have no doubt that if they are physically there, it would be even more

beneficial.

I- Talking about the same, do you think it is more emotionally challenging when you play

outside Australia?

S - Can be because then you have got everyday factors like how you live, what you eat and

just day to day living. I mean that can be a distraction in itself and you get better at it the

more you do. For example, when I went to X [country] the first time I got sick and when

you get sick in a foreign country it makes life very difficult. You do learn but yeah

definitely I do think it is more difficult away from home than what it is when you are at

home.

I- What do you think about pre-game?

S - Nerves, definitely nerves and I have spoken to few guys about this (senior cricketers). I

think it was a lot more prevalent when I first started; I used to get a lot more nervous. I

guess you get nervous and you have doubts about your own ability that’s why you get

nervous because you have this fear of failure. I’ve learnt to not get so worried about that,

when I first started I used to absolutely shit myself if I got a duck or anything, I might get

dropped or I won’t play again or all these horrible thoughts in my mind. Now I guess I

know that I am bit more established and I know my role in the team, I’m not so worried if

that happens and therefore I don’t worry about it. I still get nervous but I don’t think I am

anywhere near as nervous or agitated to what I used to be going into the game. When I first

started I used to start thinking about the game four days before the game but now I might

think about it the night before and write some things down and once I have done written

something down, that’s it I don’t think about it again and rock up the next day. I often

wonder or not whether that is a good thing and think may be I should be thinking about the

game a bit more but it seems to be working very well. But then are other people who have

to think about what is going to happen and we have few guys in our team who do that, they

think about what they are going to do and how they are going to do that and it works for

them. There are other guys, I wont say they are less intelligent but they like to keep it

simple, and the less they think about it, the better they are.

I- True it very individual.

S - Yeah you need to try both ways and see to work which is better for you.

I- Have you tried both ways?

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S - Yeah early in my career I used to think a lot about the game and that I didn’t do very

well. Then I thought something has got to change over here, whether it was conscious or

not to just try and relax and not think about it too much. I guess it was more about keeping

myself occupied and not have to think about it. That was the best way I found it, now I

don’t have to do that, I’m get organized and don’t have to worry too much but in those

early days keeping myself and mind occupied was vital.

I- Do you need to cover up these nerves?

S - Yeah definitely and it is something I have always done. You sort of stick your chest out

when you go into bat and just show confident body language because as soon as you go out

there in the middle, there is going to be chirp from the other team and they are going to get

your mind off what you are trying to do.

I- Does that happen most of the time?

S - Yeah definitely and when I’m fielding if we see a guy is nervous, we are going to do it

twice as much to him. So it is all right for me.

I- How can you make out he is nervous?

S - Oh just his body language, the way he moves and plays; the more you play the more

you sort of pick up these subtle things and you can tell if you are starting to get to a person

or if you mentally got an edge over someone or something like that, it starts showing. It’s

only slight and you pick up on it the more you play. For me particularly early, it was

important to show that confident body language and confident approach about it to not

show those nerves because I was nervous, nervous as hell but I was trying my best not to

show that.

I- That is good. Do you think you need to manage a lot of emotions in cricket?

S - Yes, yeah definitely.

I- Do you think it is more than other sports?

S - I don’t know about that because I haven’t played many other sports. Cricket is a lot

longer than most other sports, you are challenged a lot during the game both physically and

mentally, you do definitely get times when you do have to keep those emotions in check

and I think that is more prevalent in our game than most other games just because of the

length. I think may have more physical intensity in them.

I- So how do you think it has been managing your emotions over a period of time?

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S - I think I have done it quite well. A lot of people in cricket say that a lot of people have

the same skill level it is just who is mentally only stronger who ends up being a better

player; it has nothing to do with how well they hit the ball or they bowl but it has to do with

how well they do it consistently and how the can be mentally focused to do it time and time

again. It’s something you have to learn, it is a skill.

I- Do you think it can affect your performance managing or suppressing emotions over

longer periods?

S - Yeah I think it can.

I- Even between a cricketing season and non-cricketing season?

A- Yeah I think it can. I think I know that at the end of the cricketing season I am not only

physically tired but I’m just mentally absolutely drained and that is because of these

emotions that you have to suppress sometimes. I think it tires you out having to constantly

do that sort of stuff and it is not only after a season it could be after a four-day game, you

are just so physically and mentally exhausted because of that sort of thing.

I- So what do you about it? How do you cope?

S - May be a break away from the game and you think absolutely nothing about the game

or may be have a big night out.

I- Does it help?

S - Oh absolutely because it’s definitely a release. For me personally I need that release

because if I don’t get that it just builds up and builds up; it’s not good for me or anybody

else.

I- What about the organisational expectation?

S - Yes I think it is inculcated here. Yeah I definitely think that our expectations have

increased and I think it has a lot to do with how much we are paid. Because we are so well

paid these days, I don’t know if the associations think they need more of us or whatever. It

has become so much more professional now, people see you as a professional cricketer, I

think –how am I trying to word this - I think a lot more is expected of you, whether it might

be through your training commitment or it might just be some media stuff or it might be

player appearances or something like that. All these things take up a lot your time now. I

think that has all come about because people don’t have to work anymore and because we

do get paid so well, they do expect a lot more of our time for those sort of things to promote

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the game. At the end of the day, it is to promote the game and promote the association that

is fine but it has gone up to a great deal.

I- Do you think cricket was a lot more relaxed ten years ago?

S - Yeah definitely and that’s again a money thing, I don’t think people [cricketers] were

earning so much money back then; it was professional but people still had to work Monday

to Friday and play any games, and they weren’t paid for playing cricket. I guess the

promotion of the game has increased the amount of money that we’ve got, a hundred times.

Now we’ve seen the benefits of this, it’s just sort of like a circular thing in order to created

that revenue and in order to get paid well I guess.

I- What do you think about Marcus Trescothick incident?

S - If that happened ten years ago, I don’t know.

I- Do you think it would have happened ten years ago?

S - If it did happen, I don’t think you would hear about it.

I- What do you think happened there?

S - Oh I think a lot of that has to do with your personal life as well. It definitely is a

combination of your personal and professional life. If things are not right in your personal

life, it makes things very tough on the cricket field. If things are not going well on the

cricket field and things are not going well in your personal life then that can be a lot of

stress.

I- Does cricket affect your personal life?

S - Yes and No.

I- Does it take awhile to shift from being a cricketer to just yourself of the field?

S - Yeah it can do. I hate to say it but it can be due to how you are performing on the

cricket field. I think your personalities can change, a lot of cricketers personalities change

due to how they are going; if you are not going so well then all of a sudden they are very

quiet and very distant, they don’t want to do stuff, just mopping around things stuff. But if

they are doing well, they are completely opposite. I try to be fairly similar either end,

personally I don’t take it home. If I have not had a good game, I try not to go home all

****** and not speak to anyone, I try to come home and be the same person as if I have

done well. Again that is an experience thing, I’m coping a lot better than what I used to.

I- So you leave things on the ground?

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S - Yeah obviously you are disappointed or your very happy. It’s easy when you’ve won

but it is a challenge to sort of keep that level when you’ve lost rather than dropping down.

I- Do you think you need to mentally detach in cricket?

S - Yeah and I think that is a hard thing to do because cricket is our livelihood, so it is hard

to completely detach yourself from it.

I- What about on the field?

S - I don’t try to hold grudges off the field with what happened on the field. If something

happens on the field I try to leave it there.

I- Even if someone is abusing?

S -Yeah it might just change your opinion of him a little bit but I won’t get it to a stage

where I won’t speak to them after the game is over. I’d still be happy to go over and talk to

them after the game is over.

I- So how do you cope with it?

S - I try not to react too much because all they are trying to do is to get your mind off the

game. So I spend a lot of my time focusing on what I need to do and doing it well. As soon

you let them start getting to you, then they are doing their job but you are not thinking

about what you have to do.

I-Does it actually get down to abusive language?

S - No it doesn’t really get abusive, not what I’ve experienced but you always know what

everyone said to you. It’s what you have to deal with, make sure it does not worry you and

make sure you are focusing on what you need to do.

I- What are your experiences with the media?

S - I think they have been pretty good. Don’t think I’ve had too many bad experiences.

I- Have you ever been involved in a controversial issues with them?

S - Not really with the media.

I- Just in general?

S - Oh I got dropped from a game due to a misdemeanor and it got out to the media.

I- Sorry I didn’t get that?

S - I had a misdemeanor last year and got suspended from a game by the Association,

which got into the game, I’d just missed a training session, which got into the media but I

didn’t have to deal with them in anyway. The media really only want to talk to me when I

have done well anyway. I’ve never been misquoted in anyway.

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I- Do you think you need to be cautious say when you’ve gone out partying?

S - Oh yeah X [football player] is a brilliant example isn’t it? Obviously his profile is fairly

big.

I- Yeah it didn’t’ look good at all.

S - Yeah it didn’t and whether or not he is innocent that’s not how it is portrayed but it does

make you realise that you are in the spotlight a fair bit and you do have to be aware. But I

don’t think we do anything that is not out of ordinary to what anyone else our age would

actually do. I guess because of our profile we need to keep that in mind.

I- Does it get to you sometimes?

S - No I don’t think so, I don’t’ I am a wild person anyway so that is not a problem for me.

I- Is there anything else you would like to say or clarify from me?

S - No it’s cool.

I- Really appreciate your time and feedback.

Steve: Interview 2 I- How was the cricketing season?

S- As a team a little disappointing, we could have done a lot better than what we did but for

me personally it was pretty good.

I- Australia is doing pretty well [at the WC].

S- Yeah they are. India is finished aren’t they?

I- Yeah and the loss is taken pretty badly back home.

S- Well it was pretty unexpected wasn’t it?

I- Yeah it was disappointing. Looking forward to the cricket break?

S- Yeah give your body a bit of break.

I- I’ll show you a few clips and I wish to get your opinion of it.

S- Sure.

After Ponting’s clip is shown (batsmen clip first as Steve is a specialist batsman)

I- So what do you think?

S- I think he has done pretty well there to be honest. Obviously he has shown a little bit of

disappointment, but I bet you he is feeling a 100 times more than what he is showing at the

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moment (in the clip). Especially in that situation where that game was so important and he

has done well for so long and to get out just before the end.

I- Do you remember this game?

S- Yeah it was the last ashes.

I- Right.

S- And then to get out like that, he obviously showed disappointment but compared to what

he was feeling, I thought he was pretty well refrained from showing any emotional dissent.

I think his reaction was not dissent in anyway, I think he did extremely well and that is part

of the game isn’t it? You do get such decisions.

I- And that was the ninth wicket right?

S- Yeah Australia had one wicket to go. I think that is a good, perfect clip because it shows

that we do have to suppress those emotions at times, whether you got off the field and ran

into the crowds you never know but from a viewers perspective that is all they get to see.

I- True I think he had a go in the next match but this one he just walked off after he was

given out.

S- I don’t think you can tell from the clip whether it was out or not.

I- True.

S- And that is credit to him because you can’t tell whether he is disappointed at getting out

or disappointed at getting a bad decision. It isn’t not easy to tell isn’t it?

I- True. Anything else regarding this clip?

S- No that is about it.

I- Okay I’ll show you another one- bowlers perspective.

After Shane Warne’s clip.

S- I think that is typical Warni - that is just him putting pressure on the umpire, obviously

he genuinely thinks it is out.

I- But even all the fielders went up for the appeal.

S- To me they [Australian team was fielding] genuinely think it is out, I don’t think it is

over the top or it is excessive appealing but at the same time I bet you Warni was asking the

umpire why that was not out or what is the problem with that appeal or just continually

chipping away at the umpire as he does. He puts pressure on them like that by these appeals

and eventually sometimes he gets favorable decisions because of that.

I- But you could get fined for those can’t you?

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S- Excessive appealing is just when it is clearly ‘not out’ but you are still appealing for it.

But in this clip I think they [the fielders] genuinely thought it was out and I think that is fair

enough and saw no problem with it.

I- Yeah. What about Warne’s reaction, especially after the third one was turned down?

S- He is obviously very disappointed but if you were a batter and gave that reaction, you

could be fined for dissent I am sure. Bowlers I guess they have a little bit more leeway at

times because they are normally upset when it is given ‘not out’ rather than given out,

whereas batsman might get a wrong decision and be given out. I guess the beauty of being a

bowler is you always get another chance; whereas, as a batter if you get a bad decision, you

are out- that is it- you are finished. In that sense, it is more difficult.

I- True quite a few players spoke of this aspect.

S- Yeah because if a bowler gets hit for a four, he goes back to his mark and bowls but

once a batsman is out, he is finished. That is why it is tough as a batsman and particularly

when you get a tough decision, it magnifies even more.

I- True but you bowl as well don’t you?

S- I bowl a little bit – it is the same thing if you get a decision turned down or something

like that it can affect you a little bit. You might still be thinking about it in the next over or

so.

I- Exactly what if you have another three balls in the over?

S- It is hard but you have to try and get it out of your mind. You got to say ‘okay that is

done now, let’s get on with it’ but that is always easier said than done. You can sit there

and think about it until the end of the over or the next over but I guess the more

experienced the bowler, they are better at doing it. They are probably better at saying ‘well

okay no point in dwelling on it, there is nothing you can do about it -let’s move on and

bowl the next ball’.

I- But can it affect?

S- It can do. It is like you drop a catch or if you genuinely think you have got someone out

and they are given ‘not-out’, then every run they score is frustrating and it can make things

worse, especially if the whole team thinks that person is out and it gets given not out, it can

actually bring the whole team down. And if that person goes on and makes a big hundred, it

can be quite demoralizing. I think the challenge is to think “it is gone, there is nothing we

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can do about it – let’s try and get him out again or how are we going to get him out now”

but it can mentally deflate the whole team and sometimes it can cost you a fair bit.

I- Yeah. What if you are bowling and a catch gets dropped?

S- Yeah as a bowler you might be disappointed but you know that no one ever means to

drop the catch. I can promise you that the amount you are probably annoyed about it, you

can times it by a million for the bloke who dropped the catch- that is probably what he is

thinking. I don’t think any one is going to be harsh than the person who dropped the catch.

In that sense, I don’t get mad or upset at people who drop catches of my bowling because

they didn’t mean to do it and nothing good is going to come out if you blame him for it.

I- But what do you feel at that moment?

S- At the heat of the moment I might be disappointed but I feel that easier to move on than

if I thought someone was out and got given not out.

I- Is it because it is your teammate?

S- Perhaps it is your teammate and the umpire. I guess that is a fair call.

I- Have you dropped catches?

S- I have dropped plenty of catches and it is exactly the same thing- every run the bloke

makes after that you are just going ‘oh, no’. It is a horrible, horrible feeling; we do all this

fielding and practicing catches because our fielding [team] has dropped a fair bit as well

and if you do happen to drop one, it is not a good feeling at all.

I- What about wicket-keepers?

S- I guess there is probably more pressure on them because that is what they are judged by-

how well they do keep and what they do catch and what they don’t catch. I guess it is

probably even more magnified for them because it is their specialist role in the team and

that is what they are in the team to do.

I- Yeah and most keepers are opening batsmen?

S- I think that trend is sort of changing it is too physically demanding these days because if

they have to keep for 130 or 140 overs and then expected to go out and bat, it is mentally as

well as physically draining. I think you won’t find that happen, may be in one-day but

certainly not in the longer form of the game.

I- Anything else regarding these clips?

S- No I think it is cool.

I- Have you been dismissed due to a controversial umpiring decision?

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S- What something where it got blown out?

I- Yeah that would be good.

S- I have seen what can happen. A brilliant example is one of our guys- he got two really

bad decisions in our last game and then went back to grade cricket the following week and

got another bad decision, so he got three bad decisions in a row. He just exploded,

abused the umpire and just carried on- it was just built-up so much that bang, it just came

out. I am not sure whether he got reported or not but it was just a good example of that

build-up. To see that happen, it does show that for some people it does build up and if you

don’t have an outlet it is going to come out eventually, and if it you are in the middle off

the field it is going to be costly.

I- Do you think it would carry into the next season because this happened towards the end

of the season?

S- Yeah it could do, especially if he could reported and suspended.

I- What do you think as a player?

S- If you do get reported and suspended, then all of a sudden everyone has this idea of you

as someone who disputes the umpires decisions or someone who is a bad sport because

they got a bad decision and it carried on but not many know the full circumstances of it.

I- True do you remember Australia’s match against Lanka when Gilchrist got fined for

showing dissent at the umpire?

S- I think they could be built on the situation or just the intensity of the situation and

sometimes you do react badly or may be how you should not react and that is a hard thing

to do. For example, as Ricky Ponting did [in the clip] just put your head down and walk off,

sometimes it is not that easy.

I- True.

S- We do show emotions but unfortunately it is governed so much these days and you are

going to pay the penalty for it, particularly if it is in a negative fashion. And that is what we

have to learn how to do- not to let it get the better of us, may be wait till you get off the

ground. It is a bit hard when you are at the non-strikers and you think the striker has got a

horrible decision and I have seen that before where the guy at the other end [batter] is just

going ‘you are kidding me, how can you possibly give that out’.

I- Hmm.

S- It is just the pressure of the situation. If you are going really well, it doesn’t matter.

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I- So what do you think of emotional players?

S- Some people do show their emotions naturally more than others, in that sense for them

to suppress it would probably be more difficult. I don’t think I am an overly emotional

player, so it is not as difficult for me. Having said that I have thrown a few good tantrums

in the change rooms if I have got a bad decision or something like that.

I- That is fair.

S- I think most players do that.

I- What about the in-house team codes?

S- We are pretty open about that, especially in the change rooms. Sometimes you need to

talk about it to get that release, if you just keep it in you - it just builds up and gets cracked

somewhere along the lines. We certainly talk about it, it is in-house -so you are not talking

to the press about it or to your mates, it is in the team environment.

I- Okay. What do you think about the role of culture in cricket?

S- It plays a role. The style of play you have is something that you are brought up with. It

filters from when you first start playing and I think there is a certain way. I guess it all

stems from the National team and their culture and that flows through the whole country. I

guess you are brought up with certain values about the game and that is instilled in you at

quite a young age. It can change from team to team [within a country] that can change

obviously because every team has a culture but as a general rule I think it is unAustralian to

speak a ‘dummy’.

I- What?

S- It is unAustralian to show dissent; we pride ourselves in not letting it get to us so much.

I- Really?

S- Yeah that is the Australian way and it is the Australian way not to show pain if you get

hit by a ball. I am speaking broadly, there are going to be cases when there may be specific

cases, which is fair enough.

I- True. What about the general sporting culture in Australia?

S- Sports is a part of way of life. I remember growing up, we used to play cricket in

summer and footy in winter and you play any other sport that you possibly could. Again

that is how you are brought up and that is the Australian way of life. Having said that I have

been to India as well, and you walk out on the streets and there are kids playing cricket

everywhere you go.

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I- Yeah that is very common.

S- Cricket is a way of life I guess, may be it is more diversified here [Australia] particularly

AFL football- it is massive here. I think there obviously is a sporting culture here in

Australia- everyone loves playing sport, they love watching sport and that is what you grow

up with.

I- Are there any key factors from the Australian team or sporting culture?

S- Hmm I don’t know.

I- What about the whole macho culture?

S- Are you talking about the aggression that fast bowlers show?

I- Yeah you could start with that.

S- I think they have to. I have never come across particularly at the first class level a fast

bowler that doesn’t have an aggressive side to him. By that I don’t mean someone who

comes down and rants and raves or yells at you or calls you names or abuses you, I think

aggression can come in many ways – just the way they approach you, the way they bowl at

you can be aggressive or a look or something like that. I have never had a fast bowler come

down and smile at me and then walk back to his mark, unless I can’t hit him and he is

probably laughing at me. I have never come across one who doesn’t have an aggressive

side to him. At the same time, there is no batsmen who doesn’t have that [aggression] a

little bit as well, just a little bit of that fight or whatever you might call it but someone who

just sort of willingly gives the wicket away or something like that, I don’t think there are lot

of them, you have to have that sort of mental toughness and an aggressive frame of mind.

I- What do you think about match-fixing? I think people do throw away their wickets

sometimes.

S- Unfortunately there could be some massive financial gain from doing it, it might be hard

for some people to say no to that sort of thing. It might just be the case of being in the

wrong place at the wrong time; it is not very prevalent in Australia and it is not something

that you are exposed too often, so it is a bit hard to comment on that.

I- Yeah that is fine. Do you think the aggression we see in cricket is justified?

S- All these codes of behaviour have come in and they sort of draw a line with what you

can and cannot do, obviously stuff like physical contacts is an absolute no no, to an extent

verbal abuses are a no no, particularly if you are swearing and it is audible, especially with

a stump camera these days, and going through TV and kids watching at home. I understand

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why they got these things in place but sometimes they can be a bit hard to follow, not so

much the physical stuff – not with me certainly but just being able to express yourself, there

are boundaries and you can overstep those boundaries sometimes.

I- What when fast bowlers sledge?

S- For me as a batsmen I never say anything back because I have the opinion that they are

always going to get the last laugh, unless you make five million [impossible score] they are

always going to get the last laugh. And I know if I am out there fielding and the batsman is

chirping at our bowler or one our fielders, all of a sudden you lift and your whole team

lifts- there is a bit of intensity out there because this batsman has something to say back.

For some people they might need to do that to pump themselves up.

I- Yeah Steve Waugh is the prime example, he thrives in such situations.

S- I think it is almost a person by person situation, some people you can talk to and others

you know you don’t say a word to them because they thrive under that. For some people if

you get under their skin and they dig back, you know you have them but some people love

having a chat, so you don’t say anything to them and that is also trying to get on top of

them.

I- Do you think it can become abusive?

S- I don’t think that comes across too much, particularly in Australia it is a boundary that

doesn’t get crossed. Sure it is fun to have a joke at the batsmen’s expense or try to get to

them mentally a little bit but I think saying something about their family is a no-no. I think

if my teammates did that to a batsman, I would pull them up and tell them aside ‘look that

is not on and you cannot do that’ because I have never had it as a batsmen and I don’t ever

expect to get it as a batsman and that is a very Australian way or the culture that you don’t

speak of, and that is a line you don’t cross. Like I said it is all well to have a friendly banter

but to speak about that sort of stuff [involving family] is not on at all.

I- So you have not been abused in that way?

S- Not in that sense, I honestly don’t know how I would react to that, I would be pretty

angry if someone abused my family because that is not ethical.

I- True. What about the winning culture in Australia?

S- There is this winning culture within Australia because everyone wants to be the best at

what they do. It is a bit unfair because when we don’t win [pause] … I mean you take the

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example when we [Australia] lost those one-dayers in New Zealand, the amount of press

and the amount of crap we got for it.

I- Exactly.

S- Even to a certain extent the Ashes last year when Australia lost the Ashes, I mean that

was blown up by the media. But having said that I think it was a good thing for Australian

cricket because it just created that much interest for this upcoming series.

I- Oh but this one was a white-wash.

S- Yeah it was but also it was so eagerly anticipated because Australia wanted to know

whether Australia could win the Ashes back. I guess because Australia has dominated for

so long, to actually lose was an absolute shock.

I- Do you think it is good to lose sometimes?

S- I think so. If Australia had won the Ashes in England [last year] I don’t think it would

have had the sell-outs or the amazing ticket rush for those five tests, I don’t think that

interest would have been sparked if Australia had won last year.

I- And you need some competition from the other side don’t you?

S- Yeah and to a certain extent those losses before the world cup have created a bit more

interest in what Australia is doing at the World Cup as well because everyone is going ‘oh

ok they have lost the last five games going into the World Cup, what is going to happen

here [in the World Cup]?’

I- True.

S- And especially with the amount of cricket being played now, it is quite easy to get a little

complacent.

I- What about the winning culture in cricket?

S- It is tough. And I guess, particularly, now how well cricketers are paid- there is a certain

level of expectancy because they get so well paid and because they [Australia] have been so

successful, there is almost the expectancy that they are going to win and they are going to

perform well. And the pressure I think comes down because it has become so much more

commercialized with one-day cricket and all that stuff. Whereas, 20 years ago there wasn’t

so much cricket on TV and they weren’t playing nearly as much cricket as they are playing

now, I guess there are those pressures and expectancies to do well. The pressure comes

from being such high-profile players and they are ambassadors because it is such a popular

sport, people do watch it but they do expect you to do well also.

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I- What do you think about the amount of cricket being played?

S- It is tough, particularly when you are away from home so much as well. To not see your

family and your friends and to be away not by yourself but to not have those people for a

good period of time. I know during our summer I am away, I am away a hell of a lot and

that is quite difficult and it is mentally and physically quite challenging. But having said

that I am lucky that I am having a bit of break now and get to spend sometime at home. It

can be difficult to spend so much time away from home. But that is the game and you are

not in the game forever.

I- True it is a few years.

S- And talking of that, it is your livelihood, that is how you make your living as well. That

is another big pressure on you as well because if you are not performing then all of sudden

you get dropped – that is how you make your living at the moment, there is that pressure as

well.

I- So what do you think about the contract system?

S- It varies and it gets reviewed every year.

I- Does that add pressure?

S- Yes and no, if you are lucky enough to get a two year contract. Our contracts are done in

a way where you get a retainer as well your actual match fees.

I- What is a retainer?

S- You get a retainer each year but then you get paid for the games that you played on top

of that, so in that sense there is a little bit of stability, so if you get injured or if you are not

playing, you are still getting paid a wage. Initially we only got paid if we played, it does at

least if you do get dropped, you still get paid for the time when you are trying to get back

into the team. And you do paid for 12 months in a year, even though our cricket season

only goes on for 6 months in a year.

I- Do you think there is something specific to cricket culture?

S- Ah, I don’t know.

I- What about sledging?

S- Sledging is probably part of it, may be having a beer after the game.

I- That is Australian.

S- Yeah I suppose that is Australian cricket culture, nothing that comes to my mind straight

away.

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I- Do you think there could be ‘loss of self’ playing cricket?

S- I think if you get a bad decision or your having a bad run, it can affect your livelihood.

For me personally if I had got a bad decision and I am in the dumps, I try and leave that at

cricket- when I get home I try and not be this person who has got a shitty decision today, so

he is not going to talk to anyone for the whole night or something like that. Whether I have

done well or badly, I try and be the same the person at home- I might be a bit different at

cricket. So if my girl friend asks me ‘how I have done today’, hopefully she doesn’t have

much of an idea with my body language. And that is unrealistic in a literal sense, I don’t

think it is possible to be completely the same but I try and do that as much as I can because

at the end of the day – it is not anyone else’s fault at home that I got a bad decision or I am

not playing well at the moment, so I think it is a little unfair to take it out on them. And it is

the same when I am away from home, I will talk about the game a little bit but I wont get

down in the dumps if I am not playing well and wont take it out on them.

I- How does it affect the team atmosphere if you haven’t done well as a team?

S- I guess that is where your mateship comes in a little bit, like if you have a guy who is

struggling- I might take him out and have a beer or chat with him, just let them get stuff of

their chest if they need to and help them along. I think that is a bit of a culture within

cricket where you help your mates out, particularly in Australian cricket. If you do have a

bloke who is not going well, you try and rally behind them- you don’t blame them or

disregard them, you try and get them on as much as you possibly can. I think that is

certainly something that happens in cricket.

I- Okay. Is there anything else you would like to say?

S- No it all good.

I- Is there anything you want to clarify from me?

S- No, it is all good,

I- Thank you so much.

S- Your welcome.

I- I really appreciate your time and effort.

S- No worries.

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Shane: Interview 1

I- Interviewer S- Participant

I- What are your views regarding the ICC rules of conduct?

S- The ICC rules. I think they are fine, no problem at all.

I- What about the off field codes? Being a cricketer do you need to deal with it 24/7?

S- As I said it is your job, it is a choice you make as a cricketer. It is part and parcel of

cricket.

I- Okay. So it does affect you?

S- No, not at all. As I said it is your job and that is what you do for a living, so you deal

with it.

I- But do you think you are under the spotlight a lot, like what happened with Ben Casson?

S- Not really. Obviously, being a sportsperson you are going to be in the spotlight and you

got to realize what you can do and what you cannot do.

I- Does it get on you?

S- No not really. As I said it is the career I have chosen and stuff like that, so I know it is

part and parcel.

I- Here a couple of ICC codes, what do you think of them?

S- Are these on the field?

I- Yeah these are on-field codes?

S- I think they are all fine; I don’t have any problem with them.

I- So how do you vent out your frustration?

S- Wait till I get into the dressing rooms, I’m obviously not a big player. When I get a bad

decision, I keep quiet, I don’t know actually; I am disappointed but I get over it pretty

quickly.

I- Okay. So have there been umpiring decisions that have gone against you?

S- Yeah I have already had three decisions this year that have gone against me.

I- Oh so early in the season?

S- Yeah but you cannot do anything about it, you can’t go tell the umpire that you are not

out. Obviously, you are disappointed.

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I- Yeah that is true but at the point when you are given out what are your thinking and

feeling?

S- Obviously I am angry at the decision, I am angry with the umpire.

I- So how do you cope or come out of such situations?

S- Hmmm. Look as I said, I get angry pretty quickly but there is no point dwelling over it

in one’s head that is when you get worked up and you start worrying about your

performances and it starts to affect the way you bat. I am probably angry, upset,

disappointed for may be half an hour; then I reflect on my innings and the way I got out,

make sure I do it better in the next innings.

I- So these three decisions, where they in close games?

S- Yeah three in a row.

I- And did you have a match after that?

S- Yeah we did.

I- How did you cope? Did it affect you?

S- No not really, I was good.

I- Okay that is good. So are you fine with most of those codes?

S- Yeah they are good.

I- Do you feel any difference between CA and the WACA in general?

S- No, I think they are pretty similar. Obviously, CA has lot more money, so the facilities

are going to be better, not better but they have lot more many facilities.

I- Yeah. So does each state work separately?

S- No they are pretty much the same.

I- One thing very specific to Australian cricket is the ‘in-house’ team codes. What do you

think?

S-Hmm.

I- Is it good or?

S- Yeah definitely.

I- Can you give an example where you consciously had to suppress your emotions?

S- In what way?

I- It could be during the game, with the media or the public or you’ve done well and the

team lost, any situation?

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S- The last game, I got ** [huge total] odd runs and the team was not having a nice day. I

was happy that I got ** but disappointed that the team lost, it was a weird situation.

I- This mixed emotions happens quite a bit in cricket doesn’t it?

S- Yeah it does.

I- So what are you feeling on the whole?

S- I am disappointed but also relieved that I did well. So I am high on confidence and play

the next game well.

I- Okay how about dealing with the media or player appearances?

S- I am not a really big player, if they ask me I do player appearances, I don’t have a

problem or issue with it. I am obviously not going to ask to go on T.V.

I- Okay and what about the media?

S- No problems with it, we generally know what they are going to ask.

I- What are your thoughts about pre-game?

S- What am I thinking?

I- Yeah I am pretty relaxed.

I- Oh good.

S- I try to study the opposition, how I am going to come up against them and how they are

going to get me out that is probably the night before, and then I just relax the next morning,

listen to music.

I- So do you actually feel nervous.

S- Yeah definitely, I am nervous all the time.

I- So when do you feel it helps?

S- This is my ***** season, I have improved over time. I was pretty young when I started

and didn’t really know what it was all about.

I- so how was it when you first started?

S- I pretty much dominated junior cricket, so I thought it would be the same, it’s

completely different. It’s 90 percent in your mind at this level; you have to be pretty

mentally tough.

I- So how was the transition?

S- It was pretty difficult because I didn’t really understand what I had to do to be successful

at this level. I am still learning and I am nowhere near the level I want to be, I’ve still got a

long way to go. I’m still working my way up.

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I- Okay. Coming back to pre-game jitters? Do you feel you need to cover them up?

S- I try to look confident all the time. If you show your weakness that you are worried or

look nervous, they are going to get on top of you. So obviously, you need to look confident

and stick your chest out a bit, I think that helps.

I- So one wrong decision can cost you the match?

S- Yeah you need to be controlled about your shots but can’t do anything about wrong

decisions.

I- Are you an emotional person?

S- I am pretty calm, I get emotional but I don’t show it I reckon. I keep it inside, to my self.

I- Do you think it can start affecting you in the long run?

S- May be but I prefer keeping it in. If it gets too much I will express.

I- Okay. Has the crowd ever got the better of you?

S- Not really, I try to use the crowd to my advantage. When I got to play in my home

ground and they support me.

I- What if they don’t support you?

S- If they are not supporting- then I just smile at them, I try and ignore them and block

them out of my thoughts.

I- That is good. Do you think you need to manage your emotions a lot in cricket?

S- Yeah definitely we need to manage emotions (long pause). What can I say it is a pretty

emotional game because you cannot say many things you want to say, one dropped catch

and you can cost your team victory.

I- Yeah. So you think it is quite a bit.

S- Yeah definitely.

I- Do you feel it is more difficult in a one-day or 4-day game?

S- Iit is pretty similar, you are probably more tired in a 4-day game but you don’t have to

focus on every ball as in one-day. The pressure is a lot more in a one-day game, you are

thinking about every ball in one-day. It is more upbeat in one-day, try to score runs and

take wickets quickly.

I- Do you think managing so much of emotions could affect you or your performance?

S- In what way?

I- Say you’ve got a few wrong decisions and your performance has not been great, does it

affect you?

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S- It can affect your performance because you can get emotional and stuff like that. As long

as I stick to doing everything right and I have done everything possible to do well, I will

back myself.

I- How is your mental frame of mind after getting a bad decision?

S- It does affect you but there is nothing I can do about it, so get over it and focus on doing

well in the next game.

I- What are the things that help you get over such situations?

S- Not dwelling about it or thinking too much about it, having a clear head and trying to

forget about it.

I- Can you give an example where you dealt with a challenging situation effectively?

S- I got dropped from the side and I was pretty emotional. I was thinking how I was going

to get back into the team and stuff like that. Just get away and think about what I did wrong

and work on it.

I- Okay that is good. Do you think what the organization expects of you is much more now

than when you first started playing cricket?

S- Yeah obviously when you first started playing, you are obviously trying to play well but

the expectations are not as big they are now. After you’ve played around 40 games, the

expectation is that I should perform and I do the best I can.

I- Okay, do you think cricket has changed over the past ten years?

S- Oh definitely.

I- In what way?

S- Just a lot quicker, the tempo is a lot quicker. The way the Australians are playing now,

the tempo is huge.

I- There is so much cricket happening. Some of them are playing through out the year.

What do you think?

S- I think it is good. Obviously it has its up’s and downs, especially if you have a wife and

family.

I- What do you think about the Marcus Trescothick incident?

S- I’m not too sure. It is definitely stressful but you have to play.

I- Do you think too much cricket got on him?

S- I don’t really know; obviously there is something wrong with his life.

I- So do you think what is happening in your personal life can affect your performance?

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S- Oh definitely, especially if you have a wife and kids, it will get you upset a fair bit being

away from them.

I- What about the other way round? Does your personal life get affected if you are not

performing well?

S- I don’t really know.


S- I haven’t had much to do with them. I have had few instances and that it about it.

I- So no controversial issues?

S- No I am all good.

I- How do you stay that way, it is pretty hard isn’t it?

S- Obviously they write stuff about you when you are not playing well.

I- does it affect you?

S- Yeah it can get you down a little bit.

I- Do you read what they say about you?

S- I enjoy reading about cricket.

I- Negative criticism about you?

S- I probably wont read it, just hear it. Otherwise it is all fine.

I- Do you have any problems dealing with certain kinds of people?

S- No, it is all good.

I- Have you ever been dismissed due to a controversial umpiring decision?

S- Yeah.

I- Has it happened before?

S- Yeah many times.

I- So has your coping changed?

S- I don’t know, probably. Obviously you are disappointed that you got a bad decision but

that is the game of cricket, you get good and bad one’s.

I-Okay do you need to mentally detach yourself while playing cricket?

S- I don’t know really, I have not thought about it. Not too much, I don’t know.

I- That’s fine. What do you think about sledging?

S- I think it is just part of the game. If a bowler or a group of fielders are having a go at me,

I just try and block it out.

I- Do you sledge back?

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S- No I don’t sledge back because it will get to you.

I- What about when you are fielding?

S- No I don’t sledge unless someone throws something on me, I might say something back

to them but I am not a big sledger.

I- so why do you think cricketers sledge?

S- I have no idea. They are obviously trying to make you lose focus on what you are trying.

I- So does it affect you?

S- No, I just block it out.

I- what do you think cricket fans expect?

S- I don’t know really. We just try to put up a good show for them.

I- Do you think cricketers can lose themselves playing and managing emotions in cricket?

S- No I don’t think so.

I- How about the shift from being a cricketer to a normal person outside cricket?

S- No problem, I think it is pretty easy.

I- Is there anything called cricket culture?

S- Cricket culture, I don’t really know what to say.

I- Anything specific to cricket? Like sledging is specific to cricket.

S- I don’t really know, I’m happy for it.

I- Okay, that is fine. Does cricket or cricket culture influence the way you think and react?

S- Not really.

I- So it doesn’t matter?

S- It does matter because it is a great culture, a great game. It doesn’t affect you too much.

I- What do you think is the ‘role of culture’ in cricket?

S- Culture does influence cricket. Your background does influence you.

I- What in your background helps you with cricket?

S- The way it’s been played.

I- Did you get influenced by any cricketer?

S- I’ve always been a fan of Steve Waugh and guys like that, the way they went about with

their cricket and that is the same I want to do.

I- Is there anything else you would like to say or clarify?

S- That is fine, don’t worry about it. It was all good.

I- Thank you so much for your time and inputs.

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S- Your welcome. Hope it was not too bad for you.

I- No it was good.

Martin: Interview 1

I- Interviewer M- Participant

I- What is your opinion on the ICC rules of conduct?

M- It is not too bad; I guess the rules are there for reasons and you have to follow it. It is

just the case of putting up with it or sort of getting away with it really when your playing

first class cricket.

I- Yeah do you feel your off-field behaviour is restricted?

M- No not all, it is not so much in Australia. I don’t think my life is restricted at all because

I am not a high profile cricketer. Obviously if I did something wrong, I would still be in the

media but I don’t think it is too tough or strict, you just go about your normal life really.

And you don’t do most of the stuff anyways.

I- What about the media?

M- Yeah they can be a little intrusive sometimes but obviously we have got media guys to

sort of separate the players from the media. So it is not that the media comes up to you

straight away, there is always a middleman so he can sort of liaise with the ties with the

media and he does a really good job. So whatever goes to the media goes through him first.

I- Oh that is good, so they actually tell you what is going to come out in the media?

M- No basically you chat to the media and whatever you say does comes out, so you have

to be a little careful and be on the safer side. And if they do it’s only when you have done

well anyways, so you just talk about yourself and how you bowled. The big issue is I don’t

talk about anyone like if someone testing positive for drugs or someone doing something

wrong, then you just say ‘no comment’ and let them sort it out.

I- Can you have a look at these ICC codes and tell me what you think?

M- Yeah sure. I think what they say on paper and what the umpires put up with when you

are out in the field is a little different. So there is sledging that goes on and the umpires let

it go because it is part and parcel of the game. So a lot of the rules can be bent a bit as long

as it is not broken. So sledging, excessive appealing and aggressive manner towards

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batsmen or bowler is accepted; the umpires just step in and say ‘look cool down a little bit’

and they will be fine; it is not like a really strict rule and say ‘oh, you have done that, bad

luck and I am going to ping you for a game or something’. It is just the case of ‘oh cool

down’ and they give you a couple of warnings but if they do it the third time they will step

in and say ‘you have breached the conduct’.

I- Oh so they actually tell you that you have breached a code is it?

M- I imagine they would not that I have been in that situation.

I- Even in international games?

M- I think in international games it is a bit over the top sometimes with sort of a bad LBW

decision or a bad umpiring decision; the umpires do take view if he has shown any dissent

at all; they will have a go at him and ping him than sitting back and think why he has been

upset. And he could be playing for the position in his side; he could have got four of five

bad scores and suddenly get a bad umpiring decision and that will sort of restrict the score

and then he will be dropped from the side and that is a bit of lee wire as long as he does not

carry it on and walk off then it is not too much of an issue.

I- Anything in these codes?

M- I think all of them are pretty much fair.

I- What about self-swearing?

M- There is a little bit of difference between first class and international cricket; in first

class cricket there is quite a bit of swearing going on but if the swearing can be heard by the

spectators, then the umpires will take some action but if the swearing is just on the field and

the spectators can’t listen it, then that is ok.

I- So you basically just get away from the camera and microphone?

M- Yeah.

I- You’re a bowler right?

M- Yeah.

I- What happens when you don’t get a close call? How do you control your self while

preparing for the next delivery? Have you been in such a situation?

M- Yeah in grade cricket, I was done for one match suspension.

I- Oh really, I didn’t expect it in grade cricket.

M- Yeah they were really harsh, I didn’t swear, I kicked the stump.

I- Oh ok that is why.

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M- Yeah and I missed a match but at that time it was sort of quite a frustrating time

generally and they didn’t really take into account the good record I had. I can see where

they are coming from but then the spectators saw it and a spectator made a comment and

that is when the umpire took note. If no one saw it and it was only the umpires, it would

have been fine. And that is the biggest issue if what happens on the field stays on the field

and no one else can hear or see it, it gets shoved under the carpet but when the spectators

can hear it, that’s when they take action.

I- So you need to be nice on front of the spectators?

M- Basically yeah.

I- Do you think there is pressure from the crowd or audience?

M- A bit. It is hard to say really- when you are playing the game I always try to keep my

focus on the game and not think about anything else. There are only few spectators giving

you abuse and a hard time.

I- Does it happen a lot?

M- Yeah.

I- In international or first class?

M- It happens a lot in first class cricket like we went to the country [side] and drink takes

effect. As a result lot of the blokes (players) were getting abuse from the crowd and some

of it was serious abuse and you don’t really need it. There was some really nasty comments

made but at the end of the day you just have to cope with it.

I- Can you complain when such incidents happen?

M- I suppose you could but generally it is just taken, you just put up with it and laugh it off

and just say ‘yeah mate whatever’ and you just concentrate on your bowling or fielding. It

can be hard sometimes but you just have to take it and shut off and keep doing what you

have to do. At the end of the day they have paid money to watch the game but not to give

abuse. If it gets really bad and they threaten you physically, you can go to the umpire, point

to the crowd and may be get some security over there. There are lot of ways around it but it

if it sort of harmless and one of the blokes is just pissed (from drinking) and get into you a

little bit; it not really abusive, it is more just fun and banter.

I- You know the incident where you kicked the stuff, what actually happened there? Were

you controlling yourself?

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M- Yeah that happened few years ago. I had few of LBW decisions – big one’s go against

me. These were LBW’s I was absolutely sure but the umpire gave it not out so that sort of

built up a bit.

I- In the same game?

M- Yeah this was probably five overs before hand when I was bowling. And the fielding in

the side I was playing was very poor as well. There were few shots I bowled that got hit to

the fielders went through their legs for fours and that built up to the frustration.

I- So what do you do? Can you actually say something at that point of time?

M- You can’t say anything but you can curse and abuse as much as you want but at the end

of the day; they are your teammates and plus they are trying really hard and not purposely

letting it through their legs or dropping catches.

I- Yeah that is true but what are you feeling at that point of time?

M- If it (fielding is very poor) I will be very distracted, I’ll be going ‘oh, stupid fieldsmen

or umpires’ and blame them for my poor fielding and if something is going wrong, I would

blame them. Whereas, now I have been talking to X (sport psychologist) and talking a lot

about the mental control and what I do now is control the controllers.

I- that is good.

M- Yeah a lot of it is about letting go and focusing. Also, I have been working a lot on

triggers and rituals. So every delivery I have a pre-delivery routine and switch on this ball, I

don’t worry about the past or future, I just worry about staying in that time and the moment.

That has helped me massively this season and I think that is one of the reason I have sort of

improved just by staying in the moment and not worrying about anything. So say you have

none for a 100 of 20 overs and you might think ‘oh, I really need a wicket’ but you still try

really hard and try to live in the present. It could also be in the opposite like you have 5

(wickets) for 20 (runs), you could rush things and get ahead of yourself, whereas you need

to stay in the present. So it works both ways, I am not perfect and I don’t think no one is

but I am trying hard to do that. I practice it at training as well, I practice it at routines, so

every single ball I bowl I do exactly the same thing.

I- good. So does it help in managing your emotions?

M- Definitely, massively because when you are marching your way to the mark all your

emotions over the previous delivery is built up but you don’t worry about it or you try not

to worry about, you just try to stay in the present moment anything that happens because

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blokes get really nervous about what could happen. So you say ‘oh I could get hit for a six

or I may not get any wickets and I could get dropped’ and things like that so it is the case of

getting back to your mark and focusing only on the area of bowling and I try to bowl in

good areas.

I- So now when a LBW decision goes against you, what do you do?

M- Now it is very simple I basically go back and do the exact same routine and I try to

focus on the next ball.

I- Does it frustrate you?

M- It does frustrate you, I would be lying if I said I am completely focused on the next ball,

still mis-fields annoy me, LBW’s annoy me or if I missed the bat and those kind of things

still annoy me a little bit but I just really try to focus only the next ball.

I- So most of these codes are okay?

M- Yeah I think so.

I- What about the first one regarding Captains responsibility?

M- Yeah it is a little bit hard, I think the other ten blokes in the side have to be aware of

that rule and if they are they know how hard it is. It is a team game but it is a lot of the

individual game as well.

I- Really?

M- Yeah I think so massively, it is built on individuals but in a team environment. So I go

in there and bowl for myself and if I get five wickets, I am really, really happy but I’ve

done well for the team.

I- What happens if you have got five wickets and the team still loses?

L- Oh that is a problem.

I- It’s mixed emotions right?

M- Massive. It happened in our game I got a ten wicket haul in the match and we lost by

six run and I am a little bit to blame because we needed *** on the last day and we got ***.

We got bowled out and lost. I have pretty much forgotten about that game already, although

I did really well. It’s a bit of both you are happy but not. It’s a little disappointing, hard and

I’m angry but more batsmanly. Whereas, three years ago when we won the ING Cup which

I was lucky to be part of, I will remember that for the rest of my life. I did all right, I didn’t

do the best and win the match or anything but I will remember that so much because it was

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a team win, a team success and that is what it is at the end of day. The winning team is

what you play cricket for, you don’t play cricket to lose.

I- But do you think about it as one of your best performances?

M- Yeah I think not about the ten wickets but how I got the ten wickets and what I did in

the morning or what I did as a pre-delivery routine and how my emotions were. Basically,

my emotions were really calm and relaxed, I was nervous but I had the edge.

I- Yeah the right balance.

M- Yeah sometimes when you try too hard, you can be going all over. I think though I had

wickets and big ones, I was just really relaxed and focusing on the next ball and not

thinking about the future or anything, just bowling one ball at a time, after a good over I

would say ‘good over, well done’- I was giving myself self-praise. If I bowled a bad

delivery, I’d say ‘it’s alright, don’t worry about it’. The next game I would bowl really well

in the last few games. I motivate myself and it works really well.

I- Yeah I have heard a few players say that. I always thought it was a team game and it

would help if others came and encouraged.

M- I don’t think it helps if someone comes and pats me and says ‘don’t worry about it’, I

would still be worrying about it and still feel a bit down but by then I have to get myself

together.

I- Okay but would it help if someone came and said something about your technique?

M- A little bit but you don’t really work on the technique during the game, you work on

that in pre-season or practice, during the game you only worry about hitting good areas. If

you have had four bad balls, you pull the Captain and say change the field a bit for

protection. The big key with a spinner is to keep bowling because the longer you are

bowling the more chance you have of getting a wicket. To bowl more you need protection,

so if you bowling badly it’s fine to protect yourself. So may be talk it out and if you are

really bowling badly there may be a reason and you just try and work it out.

I- Yeah and some times you may be bowling well but the batsman is hitting well.

M- Yeah I used to get frustrated with those like edges and balls not quite going.

I- Yeah we’re sitting in front of the TV going ‘ohhh’, I can imagine what the bowler is

feeling. I used to play cricket when I was young and my Dad was a good player.

M- Cool. The biggest person I look at for emotions is X (ex-Australian spinner). He does

exactly the same thing every single ball and he is so mentally tough. He is a great a person

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to talk too and he always loves talking about cricket. You can see that he just loves cricket

and he has passion for the game and it really shows in his game.

I- Yeah he his one of the best cricketers.

M- I think also his age comes in; the older you are the better you are at managing your

emotions.

I- True there is something very calm about him.

M- Yeah definitely as you said he is very calm but when he bowls a ball, he is very

aggressive.

I- True mental aggression but not physical.

M- Yeah I think there is a bit of difference there, if it helps it’s good.

I- Yeah I see some players getting aggressive and losing their cool.

M- Yeah and that is sort of where you get targeted and lose. If you are bowling at a person

who gets easily distracted, aggressive and angry, you keep on sledging and niggling at him

until he loses the plot and plays a rash shot or bowls a bad ball.

I- Do you think it is a little more difficult for emotional players? Would it affect their

performance?

M- Massively, if you are emotionally up and down, I think it will affect your performance

like really, really. Like I know if a bowler gets hit for four, he doesn’t say anything and

goes back to his mark and bowls a really good delivery the next ball, you think ‘he is such a

good bowler’. Whereas, if he just runs to his mark, rushes in and gets really angry and

frustrated, you feel ‘oh I am on top of him’.

I- But don’t bowlers show frustration? Like I remember when Alan Donald got hit for a six

by Dravid, he blurted some expletives. Don’t most of them react in a similar manner?

M- Definitely they get frustrated but it is how they show it and if some one shows it poorly,

I think it is a sign of mental weakness. It is one thing I have really tried hard to but if I get

hit for a four, I show my frustration. Whereas, if I get hit for a four, I should say ‘oh I

should be doing something else’.

I- Yeah true being an Indian the Venki-Sohail incident is what comes to my mind.

M- Yeah there is not point sledging and being on air if you are not getting anything. Once

you get him out, your actions speak a lot , a lot more than words.

I- Is there any difference between WACA and CA?

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M- No CA sets our guidelines and is similar to all states. The WACA and players set our

team rules so that we all go in the same sort of direction.

I- What about in-house team codes? One of the players said you are not supposed to show

your frustration even in the dressing room.

M- Don’t think it is our state. Once you are in closed doors, you can do what you want- a

lot of frustration there, a lot at stake because it is a pretty high-pressure stuff. So once you

have your back towards the spectators and no one can see it, you are on your own you can

do what you want – all the dents and holes when you walk around but it is quite pointless,

there is no need for it, I don’t throw my bat or anything like that.

I- On the ground or dressing room?

M- Yeah in the dressing room, on the ground definitely not like you just have to walk off.

I- So how do you deal with your frustration if you have not had a good day?

L- I might curse myself a lot, get really down on myself and that sort of thing probably has

to change, like I’ll throw my pads and be really, really angry.

I- So what happens in a four-day match?

L- Yeah that is a good question. So you think what went wrong and take it as a challenge to

do better the next day.

I- Cool. You bat as well don’t you?

M- Yeah I am a bit of an all-rounder but more at the club level. I think as a bowler if your

LBW appeal got turned down, you’ve always got another chance whereas if you are a

batsman and you get out for a duck that is the end of an innings, he’s gone. It can be a lot

more frustrating.

I- Do you think it is tougher for batsmen?

M- I don’t think it is hard and they get their fair share of luck like dropped catches and

playing and missing and things like that but then obviously on the occasion they nick once

and they are out, you do have to feel for them a bit. I have done it a few times when I have

felt I’m going to really, really perform and some times I have gone and nicked the first ball

got a duck and that’s over. So you really sit down and think and at times the team wins, you

are happy but then you got a duck and no runs but you got to be happy because the team

won. That sort of situation is a little bit hard in cricket because it is an individual game yet

it is such a team game as well where you sort of have to curb your emotions for the team

and not for yourself.

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I- So do you think you need to manage your emotions a lot in cricket?

M- Definitely I think it is 80% mental, international and first class cricket it is more mental.

It is all about how you deal with things emotionally during the whole day as it goes on for

so long time as well. It goes on for seven hours; you could be emotionally up and down

quite erratically. So you got to suppress anger and frustration and all that for the whole

seven hours. Whereas other games go on for an hour or so and then it is over, so you don’t

have time to worry about your emotions. But with cricket, you have so much time to sit

there and ponder and think about things, if you are not thinking about the right thing then it

could be so detrimental to your performances and a lot of bowlers get stressed. I think it’s

important to escape from cricket, so I have another job and get away from cricket.

I- So you totally de-focus?

M- Definitely I think it is really so important to sort of have something else and you are not

thinking about cricket all the time. On the field if you are thinking negatively for seven

hour, it is not going to be good for your performance.

I- Do you feel the pressure increases as you play?

M- I think it is getting more at the moment, I am getting up at the moment. I am a bit of a

borderline player in first class cricket. I have only started getting paid and getting more

money and that comes into it as well. The monetary aspect comes into it and it causes a bit

of stress and you worry about other things like girl friends and different things, it all gets on

top of you a little. But once you get a little older like 25-26-28-30 you settle down a bit and

focus on cricket, whereas, when you are a young player, it is really hard to get on with the

different things because they affect you differently than when you are 30 or a bit older.

I- So do you think the older players handle their emotions more effectively?

M- Definitely they know how to handle their emotions much better in the game due to the

experience.

I- But you still see some of them losing their temper?

M- To really understand it, you might have to see what is happening in their personal life,

there might be something else and not because they did not get an LBW, something else

might be going on.

I- Not to get personal but do you think disturbances in your personal life can affect your

performance in cricket?

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M- Yeah I think so as I said before, you are not thinking about the present you are worrying

about the future and worrying about things you can’t really control and you walk up to a

game and your mind is other ways, your mind is totally switched off to the game and that is

where you have to learn and experience comes in.

I- The whole Marcus Trescothick incident, you really do feel for him.

M- Yeah lot of people want to know what happened but you have to feel for him. It is 90

percent mentally.

I- So as you go up the ladder do you feel what the organization and people expect of you

goes up?

M- Yes definitely; I think the more the expectation gets put on you, the more older you are

getting I think. If you are really young and a good player, if lot of people put their

expectations, they can’t handle. So that’s where you get lot of younger players like 19-21

who fall off on the way-side because they can’t handle the pressure. Whereas, when you are

older like 25 and lot of expectations get put on you, you can handle it because you are a bit

older and you know your game. So I think that is a big thing of knowing your own

limitations and going in there and where you can score. Stick to know what is your best.

I- Yeah but at least you are a bowler.

M- Yeah it is a little tricky for a batsmen and that is where patience comes in. To get into

the higher grade, you have to be patient and that is where is triggers and routines comes in,

you do the same thing again and again. And if it takes you 30 overs, say Shane Warne for

example in the test just gone he bowled 50 overs and got one wicket and next day he

bowled 25 and got 4 wickets. So keep going.

I- What are your thoughts about pre-game?

M- I sort of have the same sort of routines and do the same things and you feel comfortable

doing the same things and feel you can perform. So it is all about preparation and knowing

what works for you.

I- Do you have some pre-game nerves?

M- Yeah definitely.

I- What are you actually thinking?

M- I have not got so nervous this year and when I did well I wasn’t as nervous, I was

nervous a little bit but not throwing up and getting physically ill through it.

I- So players throw up?

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M- Yeah definitely, they get sick in the stomach and throw up. I think the biggest thing

when you are nervous is just sit back to what you know which is your routines and being

comfortable. Whereas, when things don’t go your way, that is when you get more nervous.

So plan out and be comfortable with what you are doing, I think nerves will be take a back

seat.

I- I am actually done for today, is there anything you would like to ask or clarify?

M- No I am fine and found it interesting about writing down.

I- I’m glad. Thank you.

M- You are welcome.

Martin: Interview 2

I- So how was your season?

M- Yeah it was actually pretty good. Unfortunately I was dropped for a few games because

an Australian player came down and he had to be accommodated because he has played for

Australia, so there was no room for me. But then I played the last few games and did well,

so I had a good finish this season and that is important.

I- Yeah that is good.

M- Yeah.

I- I’ll show you a couple of video-clips and get your opinion on them.

M- Okay.

I- Can you see?

M- Yeah.

I- (video-clip of Warne’s frustration shown). It is your favorites clip.

M- Okay.

I- What do you think of the clip and what do you think Warne is feeling there?

M- I think he is feeling a lot of frustration, especially at the umpires. Obviously the Ashes

is a pretty intense game, so we sort of have to look at the situation as well.

I- Yeah it was the first game.

M- Yeah so it is a massive game, probably if it was against Bangladesh and it was just a

test it wouldn’t have been so important. But because it is the Ashes, it is a big test and a big

series at the start of it as well, he [Warne] is under a lot more pressure and responsibility to

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do well, so his frustrations would have come a lot more and I thought he handled it really,

really well to be honest.

I- You reckon?

M- Yeah considering how frustrating it can be with the umpire and with the situation of the

game. He would have wanted to get wickets and with sort of three close LB’s. I don’t know

how close they were.

I- Yeah.

M- They might either have been one’s which could have gone either way. In all these

games you also have to put pressure on the umpires, where as he puts pressure on the

batsmen by bowling tightly and bowling very well. He puts pressure on the umpire to try

and give in decisions [in favour of bowlers], so that is why I think he appeals a lot. But he

didn’t seem to back chat the umpire or say anything to him, he just looked disappointed. I

think the umpires need to look into that at some times, look at the circumstances and

situations they are in. And if it is a high-pressure game, the aspect of leniency towards

bowlers is needed.

I- Yeah but do they take that into account in high-pressure games like Aus-England?

M- I don’t think they do unfortunately but I think they should definitely because there is a

lot more pressure on players and lot more feeling in the game and emotions can get over

flown lot quicker in such games.

I- Yeah in this situation it wasn’t dissent, just disappointed.

M- Yeah I think he handled himself massively well.

I- You’re a bowler right? Have you been in such situations?

M- Yeah I have definitely been in few situations where I have lost it a little bit. One time I

bowled and it was a really, really close LBW, I thought it was out, everyone thought it was

out, even the batsman thought it was out but the umpire decided not to give it out. And I

sort of questioned the umpire a bit. And then the next ball the bloke sort of French cut

locked between bad and pad, it went to fine leg and it was dropped. And some where I just

lost it, so I kicked the ground and kicked the stumps as well. So I got reported and got

suspended for a match and that was a few years ago.

I- I think you spoke of this in the first interview.

M- Yeah I probably did. I think if you sort of control yourself and control those emotions in

those sort of situations.

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I- So how do you control yourself?

M- Something I have done a lot this year is ‘routines’ and I have spent some time with

mental skill trainers is bowling in good routines. You don’t sort of worry about the past and

you don’t worry about the future either. If a bad decision has gone your way, that is gone,

you can’t do anything about it.

I- Yeah agree but on the field when your frustrated what do you do, can you get it out?

M- You can’t get it out, all I think about is get on top of my mark (bowling) and think

about what I am going to do, and then take a deep breath, breathe out and focus on the area

I want to bowl that ball. You just have to, it is hard but you just have to figure it out.

I- Yeah. So in the previous example that you spoke about, did you have to bowl again?

M- Yeah I kept bowling but I bowled poorly, so emotions took over a lot.

I- So did it affect you?

M- Yes it did affect me.

I- Was it a one-day match?

M- Yeah, it was a one-day match and plus it was first grade, there was a little bit of

pressure but it’s not as much as first class matches. I was disappointed and lost confidence

because I was not getting wicket. You have two wickets but unfortunately the umpire did

not give you the decision and also your teammates are not backing up to catch it when you

did get a wicket because some one dropped a wicket as well. But now I have realized that I

should try to forget about it, so now I focus on the present.

I- So did you play matches after that?

M-Yeah we played a few matches but didn’t really perform well.

I- So how was the remaining season?

M- It did not go well at all- nah, nah but that was sort of before I got to first class cricket

anyway but now it is all good and going according to the plan. I think routines definitely

help and if you don’t show much emotions, you are mentally very, very tough.

I- True. Okay I’ll show you the second clip– Ponting’s disappointment.

M- Oh is this the one he has a go at a bloke in the crowd. Oh no this is not the run-out, this

is a different one.

I- Yeah this is different.

M- I think he handled himself well, brilliantly and it was definitely, definitely ‘not-out’

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I- It’s the third test and it is one all. And Ponting’s wicket was the ninth one, one more

down and Australia would have lost. So, the match was in England’s favour. So what do

you think about the clip?

M- First of all I think England put a lot of pressure on the umpire as well (smiling).

I- Really?

M- I know that is exactly the same thing I would do but the appeal that went up and also the

home crowd I think (test match was played in England) it made a big difference.

I- Do you think the home crowd makes a difference?

M- Yeah I think it makes a huge difference and the whole crowd goes up. And it can have

an effect on the umpires, although they are professionals – I think the crowd and noise still

do influence them a little bit. And when all the eleven blokes (fielding team) like England

go up on a huge appeal, it is an important wicket and under huge circumstances, the umpire

would surely pressured.

I- Oh really?

M- Definitely. The way Ponting handled himself was second to none.

I- Yeah true. I think in the next (fourth) test, he had this huge out burst where he had a go at

the England coach as well. Do you remember that run-out?

M- I think it had to with this one a little bit. And also a lot of fast bowlers were just going

of for a rest and they brought in the gun fielder.

I- What was that?

M- When they got him run-out, you know the circumstances behind that.

I- I know to some extent.

M- Well the fielder that run Ponting out was a ‘gun’ – a really good fielder.

I- Oh really?

M- (smiling) Yeah he was a really good fielder and he was the 12th man, so that was what

happened.

I- Oh it looked more like a ‘heat of the moment’ outburst.

M- No he was actually saying that the fielder shouldn’t have been there. Duncan Fletcher

(England coach) was cheating a bit because the real 12th man was supposedly injured but he

wasn’t, so they brought in this really, really good fieldsmen and they came in to field when

the bowlers just came off the field to have a rest. And it is a little bit unethical for a bowler

to come off the field just for a rest, they should only come off the field if they are injured.

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I- Yeah that is so true.

M- Exactly whereas they would just come off for a rest and bring in a really, really good

fieldsmen. So it obviously paid off for England because he did a really good run-out, where

as a normal 12th man or fast bowler would have been able to do that run-out. I think

definitely all these things built-up and all the pressures of everything because I don’t think

people realize how much pressure and passion players have for the game- to win and beat

the enemy [paused] beat the other side and things like that, it just gets over heated

sometimes and there is nothing really you can do about it. There is nothing the ICC can

bring in and do about it because no matter how much you fine blokes, it is not about the

money; it is not about anything like that – it is just about the raw passion and emotion of

the game.

I- Yeah. Have you been in such a situation?

M- Yeah not sort of in such a high-pressure situation as that (the clip), I’ve been given out

when I was not-out definitely but now sometimes I sit back and look at it and go there been

a few times when I was out and haven’t been given out.

I- Okay. Do you remember the time when Gilchrist actually walked out?

M- The walks (regarding Gilchrist), I always stay – I don’t walk and I think 99 percent of

players don’t walk. I think you get bad decisions, and when you walk- you are taking away

that. I mean you need to even it up a bit, so you might not been be given out a few times

unless you walk, the umpire had no choice but to give him out when may be the umpire

wouldn’t have given him out. And also I think if Australia needs two runs and they were

nine [wickets] down in the World Cup or something and some one walks out – then you are

leaving yourself open pretty wide I think if you do walk.

I- Yeah guess it is very individual.

M- Yeah but I think Gilchrist is one in a million to be honest.

I- True he is one of my favorites.

M- All right.

I- So what happened when you were given out and you thought it was not out?

M- I didn’t show any emotion on the field but when I got into the change room that’s when

you sort of let your emotions out a little bit. And I think when you bat and you are given

out, you can afford to let your emotions go because you are not going to be batting or

fielding for sometime after that. It is a lot different to bowling because when you bowl 20

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seconds later you have to bowl the next ball, so you have to keep going. Whereas batting

once you’re out - obviously you are out [of the game] and you have few hours to think

about it. So I think it is a lot harder for bowlers some times get some bad decisions and

keep going, you have to be a lot more mentally tougher in such situations as a bowler than

as a batsmen.

I- Is there anything else you’d like to say about these clips?

M- No that is about it, I think both of them handled it really well.

I- Yeah.

M- I think may be the first LB [of Warne’s] coming from a bowlers point of view was

pretty close and the others might have been appeals were they weren’t that close but he has

appealed so that hopefully the umpire will make up for the bad decision earlier. You know

what I mean? That is why I thought the first one was really, really close. So, Warni will

keep on appealing (in the next two) so the umpire will go ‘al right that one is out because I

sort of made a blue [wrong decision] 20 minutes ago, so I want to make up for that’. So that

is some times a bowler’s point of view.

I- Oh really?

M- Yeah if the umpire makes a bad decision, they have to make it up –even it up. So that is

why you put pressure on them a little bit.

I- Oh okay. So you think umpires would be under pressure?

M- I think different countries will have lot more pressures than others, like 100 thousand

people in Eden Gardens in India and X and Y (Indian spinners) bowling, there would be

more pressure [on the umpires] instead of a test in New Zealand with a couple of seam

bowlers bowling. I think it is still high-stakes but I think just the pressures on umpires is

different. I couldn’t imagine a 100 thousand people going up for an appeal every single

ball, just shows how much pressure umpires and players would be under.

I- So do you think the umpires take that into consideration?

M- I think the umpire’s just look it as black and white and don’t take others into

consideration. They just take what happened at the game.

I- Have you ever been dismissed by a controversial umpiring decision?

M- Oh all the time, it happens. The umpires are usually pretty good but you have times

when they don’t make the right decision and I think you just have to get over it. The

quicker you get over it, the better you will be.

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I- Yeah true.

M- Also, different situations can affect such decisions in a different manner. Let’s say, for

example you need to perform that game or you are going to get dropped, so that could over

spill and let your emotions out because you have to get wickets to keep your spot. So

selection issues come into it and different things, may be you needed six points to get into

the final or it is already the finals and things like that. I think quite a lot of pressures come

into it at different moments. Also, I think may be when you have your post-match sort of

interview with the umpires if they do report you, you have to sort of put your case across

and explain why it happened.

I- So you actually have post-match analysis?

M- Yeah I think the umpires, referees, coaches and Captains sit down after each match but

this is in first class cricket, I’m not sure about international.

I- I think they do have but it is only when some one is getting reported.

M- Yeah I think so too but when there is a report and chatting to players, they should take

into account what happened that day, what happened in the past and what sort of pressure

the player is under. I think all that needs to be taken into account. I know it is mostly seen

as black and white, so [the referee says] ‘this is what you did, this is what you are going to

get reported for and this is the punishment’; instead of asking why it happened and what the

pressures were. It’s good if they know the circumstances under which such things happen.

I- True. Do you remember that Mike Deness fined six players in one test-match?

M- No.

I- That was huge and even the Captain got fined and suspended.

M- Yeah such poor things happen from match referees at times.

I- So do you think you need to manage your emotions a lot in cricket?

M- Yeah definitely and it helps to be more consistent with your performances. Whereas, if

your emotions waver a lot and you either get really, really stressed when you do badly or

you are happy when you are doing well and that is when your consistency wavers a lot in

your performances. However, if you keep your emotions level headed, so when you take

five wickets in an innings you are pleased with yourself but you don’t sort of go over

board. But when you get none for a 100 like you have done badly, you don’t get ready to

hang yourself or anything like that- you don’t spend two days on that. And that is when

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consistent performances get helped out a lot I think. I think it is so important to keep your

emotions in check and keep them constant.

I- So what do you do when you haven’t had a good game or season?

M- I think you just talk to people.

I- And how does it affect you as a person?

M- Personally I am pretty good with emotions because I have got things outside cricket. So

I am not one of those who just comes for training and that is the only thing I do during the

day, like I work and that is really, really important.

I- Do you think that it helps?

M- Yeah definitely I think because I work I am focused on my work and not just cricket.

I- So is it non-related to cricket?

M-Yeah it is completely non-related to cricket. My boss and work colleagues like cricket

and we talk about cricket just general chit-chat about cricket but I am not focusing on

what’s been happening in the game, I keep my focus on work and it helps in keeping my

focus away from cricket. Also I play the guitar and I go to the beach a lot and get away

from it- so I have got a lot of other things that keeps my mind away from cricket.

I- Oh cool, so you think it helps?

M- Yeah it helps massively because I think as a person if you think about cricket day-in

and day-out you get wound up and you haven’t got any release. So it keeps on bottling up

like all your emotions and you let your frustrations out on people who don’t deserve it like

your parents or your girl friend. So if something little happens, you just snap at them.

I- Marcus Trescothick?

M- Yeah exactly that is the prime example. I think you have definitely have to talk about

emotions in lot like in cricket.

I- Can you talk about emotions or is it is still the macho culture of not showing emotions?

M- I think with the modern day cricket you can talk about emotions, there are lot of people

like coaches and mental skills trainers who can help you out. There are not shrinks or

psychiatrist but they are really good to talk out and they might be ex-players (coaches) who

are about 50 or 60 years old but they have been through what you been through because

cricket is the same, it never changes. A young cricket would go through exactly the same.

I- Do you think the pressure is the same?

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M- There are always different sort of circumstances, I think the pressure now on cricketers

is probably a little bit more with the money and the media thing, a lot of things coming into

it now and there is lot more pressure on players. That is why think there has to be more of

support staff like helping players- welfare people who work on players.

I- You mean more emotional support?

M- Yeah I think when some is not playing in the side, I think they just get pushed aside a

little bit in the corner and no one is really worried about that player.

I- True they are forgotten at times.

M- It is also up to the player to seek help and sometimes when you are down in the dumps,

you just want to be left alone and consolidating yourself. I think that is sometime poor- the

player has to get up and treat it as a setback, so not worry about it and look to the future.

And that is when they get up and talk to people and look how they have gone got through it

and get back on track as soon as possible. I know it is a lot harder than it sounds.

I- So what would be the best way to help players?

M- Hmm what more it is really tough, may be more support staff and welfare officers.

I- So you think more support staff traveling with the team would help?

M- I think with our team we have ‘James’ as our Captain and we also have lot of other

blokes who are in their late 20’s who are really good at it and if you have problems you

tend to go to them rather than support staff. But they won’t come to you and say ‘hey, how

you going? Would you like to have a chat and get together’ which is fair enough. But if you

went up to ‘X’(Captain) and say ‘look I am having problems with this and that’ and have a

coffee and sort of discuss it.

I- So you mean tactically/technical part? What about the emotional part?

M- I think it works from both ways – the emotional stuff because they all know what it is

like to be in their early 20’s and just trying to break into first class cricket as they have done

it themselves some years ago. So I think they offer a lot of support. I also found our mental

skills trainer very, very helpful and I talk to him a fair bit but I find the most value when

you talk to your teammates and confide in them because they are the blokes that you help

you on tour and the mental skills trainer can’t travel away with us on tours. So players turn

into your real mates and that is who you talk to; so this idea about being macho and not

talking about your feelings to your mates has taken a bit of a side-step now, you do talk to

your mates about your emotions and feelings.

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I- So what do you think about a good team atmosphere?

M- I think if you have a good team atmosphere and the eleven blokes get on pretty well

with each other.

I- Is that easy?

M- Currently the eleven blokes who played few games last season, we have all got on

pretty well. It is actually pretty good, we got a really good team. I think it is pretty

important an we are all going pretty well.

I- Oh good. What do you think is the role of culture?

M- Ah (pause) I’m Australian, we don’t really come across a great deal of aboriginals. Is

that what you are talking about?

I- No I’m talking about your family background and cricket in Australia.

M- Oh okay. I think at a personal level, my family have not been into much cricket at all,

they love watching me play but they would not gone and just watch cricket. So they don’t

love cricket but they love watching me playing cricket. If you know what I mean. They

have been really, really supportive and just let me go about it and never pressured me to

doing something I did not want; if they know I am having a good time at it – they wouldn’t

say ‘oh, you have to go to training’ they just leave it up to me. Whereas sometimes I think

parents can get too pushy and involved about their sons and daughters ambitions and

sporting things.

I- So what about the Australian sporting culture?

M- I think Australians are brought up to win, sometimes win at all costs, which I think it is

too much, especially with different age groups it is about winning at all cost – I mean

legally not taking drugs and that sort of thing but just by working really, really hard. It is

definitely important in Australia but when you can cope with it, like a 12 year old shouldn’t

be put on like ‘you have to win, you have to do this and have to do that’.

I- True but what about the pressure as you grow older? Being an Indian I know the pressure

put on Indian players and may be it is more here.

M- I think the pressure is bigger in India.

I- Yeah tell me about it. Do you think there is pressure everywhere?

M- I think the idea in Australia is ‘you are not there to make friends’ so that is come into

the game a bit, I think you should still be able to talk to your opposition.

I- Do you think it has to do with the media?

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M- I think it is sometimes poor from the media about winning all the time, it is really

important but it is not everything. That is what I have tried to do this season is I have

worked really, really hard but come to game days what happens, happens like you can’t

control those things that happen. At the end of the day you got to love the game and enjoy

it, enjoy the training and enjoy the hard work. Also, when you have really good teammates

around you it makes a big difference like when you are not going that great, you have your

teammates to pep you up.

I- Does that Australian cricket culture help you?

M- It does not help me a great deal, I don’t really look up to it. With the culture I keep to

what I like doing personally like I don’t go there and sledge, I don’t sledge at all.

I- Oh really I thought most Australians sledge?

M- Nah, nah a few do but I generally don’t and I don’t really get emotional on the field, it

is a little bit hard sometimes. I don’t try to follow the Australian cricket culture.

I- Why do you think Australians seldge?

M- I don’t know really, I think it is just more when they are confident in their own abilities

and sledging is just a form of arrogance. When you sledge you have to be really confident

that you will perform because I always find that when I sledge and tell the batsman ‘he is

no good’ and then suddenly two hours later he is on a 100, then I will lose confidence.

Whereas Warne and the Australian culture at the moment at the level because they are so

good they don’t let it worry them. If they do sledge someone they know are going to get

him out and know they are going to get him out.

I- Have you received sledging?

M- Yeah I receive a lot.

I- So how do you deal with it?

M- I just deal with it by switching off; a lot of it is a waste of breath from them. So when

they sledge, I listen to it- you can’t not listen to it, some blokes tell them to shut up and that

works for them. But I tend to stick to my game and try not to let my emotions take away.

Whereas if you do get involved in sledging, sometimes you get too involved by trying to

tell them to shut up and you lose concentration on what you are trying to do, so I just try to

concentrate on the game.

I- Does it affect you?

M- Nah it doesn’t.

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I- Does it get abusive?

M- It does get abusive, one game this year got very abusive.

I- So were you batting or bowling?

M- I was batting. I was injured so I came off the field, and then went back to bat, so when I

started scoring runs they started sledging me saying ‘my injury wasn’t as bad as what I

made it to be’, they called me weak and sledged me a lot but it didn’t affect me a lot and

you just say ‘whatever’. And that’s what it comes back to like ‘you are not there to make

friends’. I know it sounds bad but I didn’t have a beer with them after the game, I just left

straight after and I don’t really like them now and for the next ten years there will be some

conflict between myself and the players that were involved.

I- Yeah understand your point.

M- I always applaud a 100, you do it no matter how much you don’t like the person. I

think there is a borderline when they say ‘what goes on the field, stays on the field’ I think

it can get too heated and too abusive, it does linger off the field. I mean you do remember

and with the guys who sledged me there is no way in the world I will go up and talk to

them after, I will just sit on one side of the room and they will sit on the other side.

I- What if you play for Australia and they are your teammates?

M- Yeah that is true and then I will just have to talk to them and sort it out. And at the end

of day, if your teammates you will have to sort it out and you may look back and laugh at

it. With time the intensity goes down.

I- Has the abuse ever gone to family?

M- No it has never gone to that.

I- Do you think there is anything called cricket culture?

M- Yeah I think it is changing in Australia, like the Australian culture used to be quite beer

drinking, have a good time and not sort of really professional but now it has turned into a

very, very professional game. Like 20 years ago if a nutritionist came and talked to an

Australian side, they would get laughed at but now they are all very keen towards nutrition

and fitness and be the best possible athlete they can be and sometimes cricket can take a

back-seat which I think is bad. I think you should work hard on your skills, and then your

fitness and nutrition is second but I think it is getting a lot more professional and everyone

is trying to look for that one percent to get better, whether it is not drinking alcohol at all or

things like that.

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I- Oh really?

M- Yeah I think so it is just changing a lot. The main culture is never say die, always never

give up, always work very hard, and also play the game to win but fairly- these three

characteristics of Australian culture will never sort of go. I think it has been there for fifty

years and it will be there for another fifty years.

I- What do you of things getting out of control?

M- I think that is tough, it doesn’t happen a lot. The umpires need to intervene

immediately.

I- Do you think it affects children?

M- Yeah they do look up to sporting stars as icons and copy them, I used to do it all the

time but they still understand what is right and wrong but I think it is all going pretty well

in Australia.

I- Not just in Australia, what about cricket in general and aggression?

M- Yeah if affects and coaches of junior teams need to intervene but I don’t think it has

gone out of hand. I think passion and frustration is always going to happen.

I- What about too much cricket?

M- I think the more cricket you play, the less sort of competitive you get because when you

play lot of cricket, it is hard to be performing at the top of your game all the time.

I- That is an interesting point, may be that is why India did so badly in the World Cup.

M- Yeah possibly if they have played lot of cricket, they could have be burnt out. I think

you need that break and Australia suffered a little as well.

I- Oh you mean the five losses to New Zealand?

M- Yeah. The biggest example is the Ashes, Australia had two or three months off before

the Ashes whereas England were playing games at that times. And England came in quite

tired and lethargic because they had been playing cricket a long time.

I- Oh may be that is why England did so badly.

M- I think it is one of the reasons because Australia came into it fresh and ready to go. It is

like if you work seven days a week for weeks on end, you lose efficiency and effectiveness.

I think that is exactly the same in cricket. In sport you need to have rest, recovery and you

need to get away from the game and I think it is important to have something else.

I- Do you think there could be loss of self playing too much cricket?

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M- Yeah definitely, I think your natural personality still comes out in the field, I am not

going to sledge or get abusive; whereas, players who are angry off the field are quite

abusive on the field. So it is different for different personalities.

I- Do you think cricket can change the person you are?

M- It can be if you don’t have something else. Your emotions get built up and that is why

we need a break and something else in your life to take your mind away from cricket.

I- Do you think you need to mentally detach yourself?

M- You need to definitely mentally detach yourself because cricket is more mental than

physical. A four-day game is more mentally draining so you definitely need time away

from it mentally, few weekends you do nothing like go fishing or go up-north for a holiday

surfing and detach yourself from cricket.

I- During the game do you need to detach yourself?

M-Yeah when your not batting, it’s a good time to sit and read a book in the dressing room

and that is what lot of guys do. I am watching the game but doing something else.


M- Good and bad, usually pretty good. I haven’t been much in the media focus, been in the

paper a little bit but I try and not take it that much like I read it – if it is good I read it and if

it is bad, I don’t worry about it. You can definitely know as it can affect some people.

I- You mean the way they review your performances.

M- Yeah sort of and lot of it is sort of untrue, not untrue but hyped up a lot. And when you

are out in the middle, it is a lot different from watching it because they are only watching

the game, they report on what they watch whereas if they are out in the middle it is a lot

different feeling. And I think with media, they are there to sell newspapers so they are not

going to write anything boring and very truthfully. They want to sell newspapers and they

have got a job to do, it is part and parcel.

I- So it does affect you?

M- Nah, nah I am okay with it, it doesn’t affect me (pause) much at all. Sometimes people

criticize me not so much the media but other people and other cricketers.

I- You mean senior cricketers criticising? Does it affect?

M- Yeah definitely I think it affects a bit but also when people do criticize, it can work in

two ways. You can say or I will listen to him and sort of lose confidence or you say ‘no, I

am a very good cricketer and prove them wrong’. So it can work both ways and generally,

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if it is someone you don’t really respect, it doesn’t affect. Like the other day a club

cricketer came up and said ‘you batted poorly yesterday’, I wouldn’t care. A little bit harsh

but you don’t usually bother.

I- Do you feel the way you manage your emotions you feel like a ‘robot’.

M- I think it is important to be quite level headed to handle emotions but then again there

are sort of circumstances. Like different situations, you just don’t know how you are going

to react. You can say ‘I am never going to let my emotions out’ but sometimes you can’t

help it because circumstances come in, especially in high-pressure games your emotions

can be a lot stronger. Therefore, if something doesn’t go your way and you have built it up

and built it up, it has to come out somewhere and hopefully it is not on the cricket field.

I- Is there anything else you would like to say?

M- Regarding emotions?

I- Yeah and your experiences in cricket.

M- I think with emotions, the older you are and the more experienced the better you get at

it. You can’t teach it or read it from a book, you have to be involved in the situation and

experience it and that is where I think experienced players are a lot more consistent and a

lot more better because they handle their emotions a lot better than an 18 year old due to

their experience. You can’t beat experience; you can never put a old head on young

shoulders and never take that way.

I- True. So what your advice to a young person or new-comer be?

M- I think it would be make sure to listen to people but there is nothing you can really do to

stop them from letting their emotions out. But if they do it continuously, like if they are

doing it every week and they are in trouble with the umpires or sledging and their

performances is down, then you need to have a word with them and say ‘look pull your

head in and don’t say a word on the cricket field and things like that’. But if they do it once

then it is okay.

I- So what do you think would be the best way to train youngsters?

M- I think ex-players can have a huge impact. Most of the times when these people (CA

spokesperson) come in and tell you what is right and wrong, they tell it is black and white.

They don’t have a true understanding of what is going on the cricket field because they

have never been on it themselves.

I- Is there anything else you would like to clarify from me?

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M- No it’s all good, brilliant.

I- Thank you so much, really appreciate your time and participation.

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APPENDIX E: INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS (INDIAN)

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Jim– Interview 1

I- Interviewer J- Participant

I- What are your views regarding the rules of conduct?

J- View as in?

I- What do you think about it? In cricket its almost 24 hours. Being a first class cricketer

you have to adhere to the rules 24/7, which obviously includes both on and off-field codes.

J- Yeah

I- What is your opinion on that?

J- I think they have a fair code of conduct. I have no qualms about how its put across to us.

We have a certain amount of training and information about u know how to look- how

people come up and talk to you. Like after the match-fixing thing has happened, we have

got a lot of information about that – to recognise people who are actually into that kind of

thing (match-fixing) or just normal people, normal fans. So you have a lot of insight into

that- that helps a lot. I think think… [pause] the code of conduct is good. I have nothing

against it.

I-So you have no problems with that?

J- No, nothing at all

I – These are a couple of ICC codes which a few players have said its hard to adhere to.

Can you have a look at it and see if you find any of these difficult?

J- I think its okay except this [first one] – the Captain shall be held responsible for the

minimum over rate. I think that’s a little hard on the Captain. It’s a match, you cant just

dump it on one person.

I – What about this one? The third one which states the umpire’s decision is final and you

are not even supposed to shake your head after getting a decision.

J- Yeah I know. But then, yeah, sometimes it does happen because you are working so

hard, trying so hard to do something- to perform for your country and suddenly [you get a

wrong decision], you know it’s just an error, its not intentional. Its jus an error- where you

want to tell no- no- its not - where you are just saying it’s not true, this is what actually

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happened. Its not like you are fighting a decision, just trying to explain to him, its more like

a plea than an argument.

I- Okay what we are trying to do with this study is to see whether these are demanding or

not to a professional cricketer. So please be as frank and honest as possible.

J- Yeah, yeah I will say what I think honestly.

I – Have you been in such a situation where you jus shook your head and got fined?

J- Today.

I-Huh- sorry?

J- Today.

I-Oh today. Was that why you didn’t answer my call? I am sorry I didn’t know.

J- No its okay, I was messaging you after we finished the match.

I-okay.

J- Okay our team needed 300 to win and I was batting on 85. We were 180 for 1 (180/1). I

got hit on the hand- he [umpire gave me out], I was like it hit me on my hand (higher than

where the stumps are]. So you know- I wasn’t arguing with him. I was just telling him this

is what happened.

I-So what did the umpire say?

J- He [umpire] said, “ no it hit you on the glove”. I said sure okay, fine - what ever and I

walked out (pavilion). So I do gesture but not in a manner of anger or frustration.

I – What were you feeling when you were given out? What was going through your mind?

J- Actually, nothing I was blank- pretty blank. I thought it was not out and was a little

surprised. It hit me here [gestured to hand].

I- Have you been in this situation before?

J- Hmm. Quite a lot of times

I- Okay so what happened?

J- I’ve never argued with anyone, there are certain times when I have just tried to explain

‘ah its not like that- it didn’t happen that way’, certain times I just walked off.

I – Okay, have you been fined for expressing your self?

J- No, not when I was batting at least.

I – Any of the other ICC codes?

J- I think sledging is okay but to a certain extent, abusive language is definitely not okay

but then its just another way of putting pressure on the batsmen.

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I – Okay.

J- Swearing in frustration over one’s own poor play (number 4)- I think is like very natural,

its not made up.

I- I was going to ask you about that.

J- There are times when you do something wrong [technically] and you tell your self ‘ah

come on man’. It just comes out, it’s very involuntary- It’s not intentional and that’s a little

hard again.

I- When you first started playing and it happened to you the first time how did you deal

with it?

J- Nothing much – I was pretty quiet (laughs). I play a bad shot and talk to myself.

I-What happened? Like for example today if it was not a wrong decision you would have

got a century.

J- Yeah

I – Then what do you do?

J- I don’t know.

I- What is going on in your mind? How do you put it behind?

J- How do I put it behind – I feel there are better times to come. Obviously there are times

when you are out [LBW or caught behind] and you are not given out and others wherein

you are given out [when you are not out]. I think the equation matches up and evens out, so

don’t really think its an issue but then yeah at that point of time just a little depressed and

upset at what happened but after that you just let it go. Then you just have to let it go.

I- Has it ever pulled you down?

J- No, never.

I- Anything within the BCCI which you feel is difficult to adhere to? For example talking

to the coach, selector where you have to manage your emotions.

J- (Thought for awhile): Oh no nothing like that. I’ve always been someone as in if I have

to say something to someone; I go ahead and say it. There wont much of an issue in that.

I- What if it’s in a team meeting and you have to agree to something you don’t really

believe in, what do you do?

J- If I believe in something and they [team, coach] are saying something I don’t really

believe, I always follow what I believe is right. Eventually when you are going out there

[field/game], its you who is doing most of the thing so if you trying to believe something

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which is not actually true, then your not actually going to do it 100%. If you are going to do

something, you better do it 100%, if not don’t go to the ground. That’s what I do- I wont

disrespect them [team, coach] but in a very subtle way I put it across that I am comfortable

doing this than that [what they said] and probably try to make them understand.

I- So they take it well?

J- Yeah they take it well.

I- Has there been a situation where you felt you should have been playing (or in the team)

but you didn’t get selected?

J- Well, I thought this time when the team [Indian National team] went to Sri Lanka, I

thought I deserved to be there in the side but I was not selected (Disappointed expression)

but then I know that I am young and I’ve still got time.

I- Yeah, so you have future chances.

J- Yeah and I know that to be a part of a team with has ‘X’, ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ (India’s top three

batsmen) it is going to be difficult, so I understand that and I know I have to perform; that’s

what I am going to do.

I – That’s good.

I – Can you give an example where you consciously had to suppress negative emotions?

J- Oh I do all the time actually.

I – No this regarding cricket.

J- Yeah regarding cricket. All the time. I am very emotional on the field, I am very

expressive. If I am upset about something, I just go ahead with the person but there are

times when you are playing with cricketers who have played a lot more than you have and

who have seen a lot more than you have; there are times when you cant really express your

self, specially like I have joined the Indian team- you know a junior; all of them have

played a lot more cricket than I have and they know the international scene a lot better than

I do.

J- I try and learn from them and if they make mistakes, I try and learn from those mistakes

also. I say to myself – probably not this, I could have done this instead of that. I look at it

like that. That’s the way I kind of suppress my emotions, I don’t really express myself

completely. I try to learn a lot, I watch and just try and grasp as much as I can.

I – Has there been a time where you have suppressed it so much that its come out?

J- Nah, nah.

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I - So you basically try and learn?

J- Yeah I try and learn.

I – What about the other way round, suppressing positive emotions?

J- No.

I – What about situations wherein you have done well but the team did not win- mixed

emotions? How do you feel in such a situation?

J- Well, obviously if I have done well and the team does not win, then I will feel

disappointed because its your team.

I – But on the other hand you have done very well?

J- No, I will still feel disappointed than happy. You know you work so hard and it [the

game/team] does not pull off. You feel a little upset.

I – What if a close teammate of yours is not selected? How do you deal with that situation?

J- Well, I tell him that he can always come back [to the team]. People like Robin Singh

came back [to the Indian team] at the age of 32 if you are talking about that. Dinesh

Mongia has come back at the age of 29. So, you can always come back – it’s about how

you take it.

I- What do you feel about pre-game? What are your thoughts just before the start of a

game? How do you feel?

J- Pre-game, sometimes very, very tense- sometimes very, very relaxed, sometimes very

very confident, sometimes nervous

I- So obviously you have your nerves. (Looking at the codes) Go ahead have a look at it.

J- No, sorry I’m very fidgety (laughs).

I- But just before the start of the game, do you feel you have to cover your emotions- is

there any need for it?

J- No. It’s quite obvious that every player no matter how experienced will have some

jitters.

I- What do you feel – the opponent should not see me like this or the fans? Is there anything

you feel you need to cover?

J- No I just try to remain a little calm and stay calm and relaxed because when I’m tensed- I

breathe fast, eat fast, walk fast, pad up fast, everything is in a hurry it just goes haphazard

and other times when I’m laid back and relaxed, that’s when I perform my best.

I- Okay.

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J- When I am really fast then I do everything fast- eat fast, talk fast, everything is fast and

I’m really messing things up. There are other times when I am really calm, I try and remain

calm most of the time. Before a match I try and remain calm.

I- How do you do that?

J- I do a lot of deep breathing. When I’m not doing things fast, I do [perform] well.

I- Do you get any assistance from your dad [an ex sportsperson]?

J- Yeah I do get a lot of help from dad. He’s always told me that I should do a little bit of

yoga because I’m an opening batsmen, you need to be a lot more calmer than a normal

batsmen. But when you are a stroke player [aggressive player] what dad says about yoga

and all takes a back seat. But yeah it does make sense. Today it has made lot of sense

because I know an opening batsman needs to be calm and composed.

I - I think what they are trying to say is that your mind needs to be calm but mind set is

aggressive.

J- Exactly, exactly.

I - Its no point if you go totally calm and cannot stroke (hit big).

J- You can be aggressive but it needs to be positive aggression. If it’s going to be negative

aggression, then it’s going to be bad.

I – Like you said when you are not relaxed, do you feel you need to cover up as in not show

that aspect to anyone?

J- I think I have never had to cover up.

I – Okay say you know you have some jitters are you worried that you may seem like that

to your opponent or others?

J- Oh yeah, sure I obviously don’t want to show what I am feeling to the opponent. I want

to show them that ‘yeah I’m up for it’. There are times when I am in control of myself,

when I’m jittery and tensed and there are times when I am not in control, no matter what I

do I can’t bring it back together. For me it starts probably a day before the game. I try and

calm myself a lot to feel relaxed, even in the morning I try and take a lot of time to do

everything I do, so that I am very relaxed at the end of the day– not rush things, be really

slow and do it in a very laid back manner, so that I can just be relaxed from the starting. But

say a couple of days back – sorry day before yesterday, I got up late for a match- got up

really late. I was supposed to be in the ground at 8 am, and I got up at about 7.40 or so.

I – Where do you stay?

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J- I live about 13 kms from the ground. I had to get up brush my teeth and rush. I had just

moved into my own apartment, so I had to rush back there, pick up my whites- so I ran

there (his apartment) and ran back [to the ground], so everything was in a rush, total hurry.

Till lunch I was not in control over myself.

I – Were you’ll batting first?

J- No we were fielding first. Thank God.

I – Luckily.

J- Thank God I was fielding first.

J – Today (had another match) was a lot better, total control over myself. Once after lunch

(day before), I was a lot better- I sat down and slept for 10 minutes, got up I relaxed and did

everything slowly, then everything fell back into place after that.

I- Okay that’s good.

J – Do you reckon you have to manage or mould your emotions quite a lot being a

cricketer?

J- Yeah I do. I think there are times when you can be so emotional and express yourself,

that can turn negative sometimes. You know people can take it in a negative manner.

I- Can you explain further.

J- So I think there are times when you have to control. If its positive, that’s fine but when

it’s negative you have to control.

I- Hmm.

J- You don’t mean it but people take it wrongly, so you have to manage your emotions to a

certain level. Yeah I think so.

I- Does this happen on a regular basis? Sorry since how long how long have you been

playing cricket?

J- I started at the age of ** [young age].

I- And now you are?

J- I am ** now.

I- Are you able to manage your emotions better now?

J- A lot, lot better now, since international cricket a lot better now.

I- But then what the organisation or team expects of you must also be a lot higher than

when you first started playing, right?

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J- Yeah, that’s what I told you. I love pressure, I love when people expect something out of

me. It definitely brings out the best in me. There are times when I’ve felt ‘oh I don’t know

what my role is today’, or ‘what I’m supposed to do’. I like people putting a responsibility

on me.

I- So you like pressure?

J- Yeah I like the pressure. That’s why I like opening the batting, facing the new ball is a

challenge by itself.

I – Definitely that must be pretty challenging; for us to sit and watch the match itself is so

exciting.

J- Yeah.

I – Do you have a role model on and off the field? I mean do you want to be like someone

as a cricketer and as a person?

J- I’d like to be a mixture of ‘X’ and ‘Y’ (Indian batsmen). I have always looked at myself

like that. I am a natural stroke player and I have always wanted to be as cool as ‘Y’ is, he is

in total control of what he is doing. You can see the man- he is a complete icon by himself.

You see him – you know there is so much inside but it is not coming out.

I- Yeah it does not come out.

J- Comes out in short spans, once or twice in a year or once in 6 months, it just comes out,

it does not come out otherwise. I like to be a mixture of both. Batting wise I would love to

be like ‘X’, a natural stroke player, otherwise on the field and off the field id like to be like

‘Y’.

I – Okay. Coming back to managing your emotions, do you feel you have to manage yours

emotions every day? Is it on a day to day basis or you feel its once in a way?

J- Ahhh (thinking) not everyday but yeah when I am playing cricket yes.

I- Yeah while playing cricket

J- Yeah when I am playing cricket, I am very conscious about myself, I am very conscious

about what I say- I make sure I say the right thing. I have seen even with me seniors

(players) coming and saying things and suddenly you think ‘oh god…[pause] yeah that

made sense but is it working for me’. Is it the right thing that he says, have I done

something wrong somewhere. I have felt that through people before and I don’t want others

to feel that through me, so I am very positive with my thoughts and my words with all of

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that. So I just tell them nothing to worry, if you feel what you are doing is right, just go

ahead and do that

I- How do you deal with criticism?

J- Initially, I used to be very bad at it. I used to deal with these negative things very, very

badly. I used to get worried and sleepless nights, not sleepless nights but troubled sleep,

worried and you get up in the morning with a frown, all of that would be there but now I

have learnt to handle it much better. I think I have got a lot of it.

When I was playing junior cricket I used to be very, very aggressive and people

would never take that in a positive manner.

I – You are talking of on the field aggression, right?

J- Yeah on the field and they took in a very negative manner, which back fired on me really

hard- so I have had to – that’s where I have learnt about controlled aggression. There was a

time when I was playing cricket where I would just go to the ground – bat, bowl, field not

talk to anyone just come back home. You know just to change the complete impression of

how I could be. People said I wont even play first class cricket, he has got talent but he

wont play first class cricket. I wanted to change all of that and I knew the only way to do

that was to control my aggression and bring it out in a more controlled manner.

You know there was a time when I was playing 2-3 reverse sweeps [technique] in a

match and I got out playing a reverse sweep. I got dropped from the team. I had got 50 in

the game. We had won the match- literally won it, jus needed 5-6 runs to win and I got out

playing the reverse sweep. I was dropped the next game.

I- Because of that [reverse sweep]?

J- Yeah because of that and I was dropped from the Ranji trophy team (Domestic

tournament) and people said I was finished and I was like ‘what the hell is happening’.

Fortunately for me I got selected for the U19 south zone side and fortunately for me I got

runs. I said to myself – ‘its nothing, just cricket, go there get runs and don’t talk to anyone,

you don’t need to’. When I did that- got lot of runs, got back into the Ranji trophy squad,

Played India A (junior team), played against Pakistan, got selected for India (National

team), played India. Everything has worked well for me from there. Then, I knew it was all

about managing my emotions properly, people (administrators, coaches, team) can take it

very, very negatively.

I- Do you think that people take it negatively or they are just trying to put you down?

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J- Yes, it could be that.

I- Is it negative feedback?

J- You always get negative feedback. There was a time when I got a *** [high score] in a

final of a tournament and one of the selector called me to his house with my dad. And then

he tells me is going to drop you from the state side. He said he is going to drop me from the

state side because there are people around me who think that I am very arrogant and very

aggressive and I have a lot of head weight. You can imagine I was ** [very young] years

old; whatever I said or did was in a very, very positive manner. I was shocked; I was shell-

shocked. I did not know what had hit me, as in I was in tears, in bits. I was just **years- no

not even **. I didn’t even know what had happened. I was just playing the game in the best

way I need to play it, played my shots, very aggressive when I batted and especially in that

tournament I made sure I did not talk much.

I- This was before talking to the selector?

J- Yeah, before – people said anything. So that really hurt a lot. I did everything right and

imagine how happy a ** year old would be getting a *** [high score].

I- True.

J- I was really excited. I got a *** for the first time in my life. I was very, very happy. I go

to his house, thinking something good will come of this and he tells me this. And I was

thinking ‘oh God’.

I- That must have been hard?

J- That was really, really hard for me.

I – Did you get dropped from the team that time?

J- No.

I- Then what was all that about?

J- I don’t know what all that was about. I was in the side, I lead the side actually, I was the

Captain and I was the highest run scorer for that whole tournament when I played that

tournament again for the State.

I – Did you have to deal with that selector again?

J- Yeah, yeah all the time. It happened to me a couple of years later again with the same

person. Again he came and advised me, he came and told me ‘you are this; you’re that and

all that’. Then I thought let me just put all this to rest and sort it out.

I- It’s all about fetching runs?

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J- Yeah, its all about getting those runs and not worrying. Then I thought, its no point,

when you are not doing anything wrong and still people are going to tell things like this to

you; you might as well play cricket and lot let things effect you. If you believe what you are

doing is right, do it. There is no point trying to please people, especially in India. If you

trying to please people, you are not going to go far.

J- Obviously you have to be diplomatic as well. I am not saying that just completely ignore,

be diplomatic, be formal.

I – But its good that you do what you believe in.

J- Yeah, its not that I completely ignore people [administrator] or I was just quiet. I did

speak to people in a very nice manner, smile and talk to everybody and if I had any

problems I would go and discuss with them. Even with coaches, I would speak to them

very nicely. After that the feedback has changed completely, people think I have changed. I

think I have changed.

I- You are talking about changed as a cricketer or a person/

J- As a cricketer and as a person. Yeah there were flaws; there were times when I was over

abusive or aggressive, probably to myself even. I was very aggressive on the field, even

when I was fielding and someone was doing some non-sense while batting, I would give it

to him.

I- Could you explain that a little more?

J- As in if he was having a free go or riding on his luck, I would give it to him, I will just be

really, really aggressive but all in my teams favour, nothing against it. But still people held

that against me.

I- Okay.

J- The thing here (India) is what happens on the field is taken out of the field also, if you

can leave what is done on the field, on the field that’s good.

I- Yeah, I was going to ask you about in-house team codes in India. In Australia, there is

something called in-house team codes so whatever happens in the dressing room stays in

the dressing room.

J- Umm, that’s good.

I- And players are not even supposed to discuss it among themselves, what about India?

J- It is different in India than elsewhere (a little disappointed). I think it’s quite different.

I- So there is nothing like in-house team codes?

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J- Nothing as such, nothing that I know of actually.

I- Okay if you don’t know, then I guess its not there because I know its there for sure in

Australia.

J- Aussie rules are good.

I- Could you give an instance of a reasonably challenging situation, where you thought you

handled it well on or off the field but related to cricket.

J- With cricket, a challenging situation which comes to my mind instantly is my debut

match. We were playing against England in an indoor on a crumbling wicket and we

needed to chase *** (reasonably high total for a one-day match) and it is my debut game.

Got to bat with ‘X’ and it was a very high-pressure game and we needed to win the game,

we had won the series 4-1 but we wanted to win the last one because we did not want to

give them the upper hand before they left, so we wanted to make sure we won that

tournament. I went and batted I got ** and ‘X’ and myself put up a partnership of *** for

the first- opening wicket. So that itself makes me feel that I handled pressure really well

because I was making my debut, it was my first international game and I could pull it off

that well and I could contribute to the team and lay a good, a very good- solid foundation to

win. We won the game with 7-8 wickets to spare that game and I think it was really really

satisfying. I was happy with the way I played that game and handled pressure. I was really

quite happy.

I- Were you quite tensed before you started the game?

J- No, actually the first thing that came to my mind is that – ‘ah I have finally reached the

place where I deserve to be’. So there was nothing to be worried about, so I was just going

to go there and win the game and felt absolutely wonderful. I was so relaxed, no

nervousness, no pressure I was just focussing on what I needed to do. One of the best days

in my life, very very clear batting wise.

I- Any others, have you ever been dismissed due to a controversial umpiring decision?

J- Quite a few actually, quite a few. When I was young I got a few, some state games, got a

few in Ranji trophy games, first class cricket. There was once where I worked really hard

trying to get runs. There was a match against West Zone with ‘Y’ [Indian player]– and even

we had a full side (meaning Senior Indian players were in the team) with ‘Y’ bhai (brother-

senior players are addressed as bhai by juniors in India, out of respect); ‘Z’ (India’s best

spinner) was also playing the game, so we had two full sides and I was batting really well,

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‘A’ [bowler played for India] bowled, it hit of the deck and it just hit my helmet and it just

flew up. Someone in the slips took the catch and they just appealed and I was given out, it

had not hit my gloves in anyway, anyway- it just popped up and I was given out. I was like

‘ahhh’, I was terribly disappointed. I thought if I got huge runs, then I could have got

somewhere (played for India earlier) because that was a big, big game, two full sides and

you get runs, its huge. That, that was a little disappointing for me. That probably held me

back a little bit, it took me about a week or so to get over.

I- Did you have any matches after that game?

J- No that was our last game. Probably that’s why it went on for a week. If there was

another game, it wouldn’t have been that bad.

I- How do you bounce back when such things happen?

J- Like how I told you, it evens out- sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.

I- What if there was a match the next day?

J- I would say oh, I had an opportunity and I lost out, wont let it happen this time.

I- That’s good.

J- Yeah.

I- Do you think what the organisation expects of you now is different from what they

expected when you first started playing?

J- The team, Ranji tropy

I- Yeah.

J- Yeah, sure I think it’s a lot more because once you play because once you play high

(international cricket) level cricket, you obviously have to give more because you have

gone to another level. So when you are coming down the level (Ranji, state), they expect

you to perform at the same level you are playing at (at international level). So the

expectation is bigger and they expect you to play in such a way that can build confidence in

the team. You know be a source of information to the team. Tell them it’s possible. If you

really dream of it, you can (play for India). There is that extra responsibility on you to

perform than you have in the past.

I- How do you think was cricket 20 years ago? Were there the same demands?

J- How was cricket 20 years back. I think it was a lot more relaxed, little less professional. I

think cricket was a lot more enjoyable, it was played for the joy of the game or probably I

am not finding the right words so that I can say. It was a gentlemen’s game but now its like

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a professionals game. I think it’s a lot more professional game now, you play to win; then

(before) you just played to enjoy the game. It didn’t matter who won, if you played good

cricket that’s what mattered. Now its all about winning and doing it for your country.

I- But do you still enjoy playing cricket?

J- Oh yeah, I completely enjoy playing cricket. There are times when I cannot do without

the bat, even if its just swinging it round in the air, can’t do without it.

I- How is it when your playing against good teams? Is there more pressure?

J- Oh, off the field it’s a lot of fun.

I- No, on the field.

J- On the field, I think you play to win; you don’t want to lose. I think everything around

has a lot to do with it because I think the media has made it that you have to win every

game. You know they criticise you so much.

I- What do you think about the fans, what the country expects, especially in India?

J- Oh yeah the country expects a lot. Here the people are mad about the game. Everyone

wants you to win every single game. I think we as cricketers- playing the game understand

the game a lot more than just the normal public. Yeah there are people who played the

game whose sitting and commentating saying lots of funny things right but then you wont

really know the situation unless you are in the situation. As in there might be small

technical errors that you might have done and you might have gotten out and people

(normal public) will say – ah, he could have played that ball, oh he could have managed

that ball. But then at that point of time -its happening so fast, how do you – its just

happening. Even if you don’t want it to happen its happening. I think people (normal

public) understand the game a little lesser (refer point above), they want to enjoy it. They

wan to watch some big shots, big sixes and fours, quick running, they want to watch

something exciting. It is a lot of hard work, there are times when you got to work it out and

I think that’s the difference where they (normal public) don’t understand the difference.

I- You are talking of fans right?

J-Yeah normal public.

J - If you are doing something like sport psychology, I wont understand sport psychology

as much as you do and you wont be able to understand the technicalities of a cricketer

I- exactly. What is your experience with the media?

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J- oh the media… (pause)… I have had very good experiences with the media. Iv never had

anything bad with them, it’s always been enjoyable. Even if I cant do something- I just say

I’m really sorry I cant.

I- Okay This is actually my third study and a couple of Australian cricketers in the first two

studies said they feel like robots talking to the media. What do you feel? Do you have the

freedom to express?

J- Well we are told when to talk to the media and when not to talk to the media. Then,

when, ah.. (thinking).. Since we are in India, this freedom of speech thing happens a lot, so

one’s allowed to say whatever they want to say but most of the cricketers want to say non-

controversial things. Yeah they have said something, its not meant very controversially but

then the media turned it around and made it look very controversial.

I- So have u been safe in that way?

J- Yeah, yeah totally.

I- Do you also feel like a robot? Do you answer just yes, no?

J- Well if I am speaking to the media- I make it very obvious that I am going to talk only

about myself, about my game and probably what happened in the game. I won’t talk about

the other team; I won’t talk about my teammates.

I- you are not allowed to talk about others right?

J- Yeah, we are not allowed. I wont talk about them or this or the umpires or the match,

that’s it. Give them a brief about what I felt and how it went, that’s about it.

I- So they don’t pressurise you to answer something?

J- no, even if they ask something, like, for example- I can say this out nah?

I- Yeah, yeah sure.

J- For example, Saurav Ganguly thing. A question about Saurav Ganguly issue- I have

never been there, I don’t know what the hell has happened there, I don’t know what’s

happened so I tell them that see that’s not a question I can answer, so please give me

questions that I can answer which is about it.

I- Yeah, fair enough. Especially since you have just come into a team and you are a junior

player.

J- Yeah.

I- Okay what is your view about sledging?

J- I think sledging is very interesting. I honestly think sledging is very interesting.

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I- Really?

J- Yeah, I just wait to watch test matches.

I- Test matches between which countries?

J- Australia, West Indies, Pakistan & India, Australia & India

I- People generally say Indians don’t sledge? Is that entirely true?

J- We do sledge but not in the manner that Australians do. The Australians do it in a very,

in a very (think….) provoking manner, they provoke a batsmen.

I- But why do you think they do that?

J- Obviously, to psyche you out. But I think that’s what brings out the best in cricketers.

Yeah, in the beginning [of your career] it does affect you but then you start getting used to

it.

I- According to the ICC rules, you are not supposed to sledge what do you think about it?

What is your view about that?

J- I think its still there (laughs) and it still happens. Its still here and it still happens!!

I- Okay.

J- I don’t think there is anything wrong with sledging, it shouldn’t go to physical sledging,

like its given down here- (9th one) deliberate physical contact, it should not go up to thatttt

(emphasised) level, just about at the verbal level.

I- But that does not really happen right, very rarely?

J- Yeah it does happen- the pushing of shoulders and banging into batsmen.

I- Has it ever happened to you?

J- Yeah sure when I was in Australia this time it happened to me.

I- Really?

J- They just came right into me and Id be like ‘oh, oh’ (laughing)

I- Really?

J- When you are running, the bowler would just follow you and I had to move out and run

away from the side and all of that, just to avoid it.

I- Were they fined?

J- No, no. They would come up to me, if I hit them for a boundary, they would come up to

me and say “**** u” [very expressive and loud while imitating what happened) - right on

to my face. I am running and they do that and I just move away. You just have to do that

[move away]. Its fun, its fun, its very challenging. Its good fun to be in that situation. It

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brings out the cricketer in you, brings out the mental toughness in you, I love it, I totally

love it (smiling).

I- Some senior players don’t really like it. Does it have to do with the younger generation?

J- Probably, I don’t know. I like it; I enjoy it because … [pause] … there are times when

I’ve faltered to it. There are times when someone said something and I was ‘arrrrr’ (angry)

and ‘tish’ (sound- silly shot) and get out. There are times when like I have just turned away,

whatever they say just looked at them and smiled.

I- Do you ever give it back?

J- Not when I am batting, when I get to field, then I give it back.

I- Okay.

J- If you are fielding last, if you finished batting and you are fielding last and they need a

score to chase, you give them a lot. If they give you a bit, then you give them a lot because

you are not going to see them for awhile, so you give them a lot (smiling).

I- That’s very interesting.

J- All that is there. Its for fun, I enjoy it.

I- What is your experience playing against Pakistan?

J- Pakistan. I have played the main side once against Pakistan. And… (long pause) it was

good, it was quite a different feeling actually. I have played Pakistan junior age groups, I

have played Pakistan U19, quite a few times I’ve played Pakistan A. I think Pakistan, I

mean you know… [pause]… They are big matches definitely.

I- I remember when I was young and watching an India- Pak match and everyone saying

‘India has to win this match, doesn’t matter against any other team’.

J- Yeah we have to win this match feeling.

I- Is it still the same attitude?

J- No because it is played over and over so many times. It is still very exciting. If it’s a

world cup match, then the feeling is ‘wov, we have to win that game’. If you play a series

of 7 matches, one after another, then obviously it reduced you know.

When I played against Pakistan, it was like a dream come true for me because you

are playing against your archrival. It’s a big game and it was my second international game.

I did not get many runs, I got out quite early, and I got ** [low score]. It was a big game, I

went out there and when I was batting, I felt completely relaxed. Its good fun, I enjoyed it, I

enjoyed the competition.

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I- Is the pressure more?

J- No for me, it was the same.

I- But you see Indians sledging and breaching codes mostly against Pakistan?

J- I think I will tell you what, its presented in that way to the public.

I- But even I remember so many instances. For example, when Venki- Sohail incident..

J- Yeah Venki, Venkatesh Prasad [ex-Indian fast bowler]… [pause]… but then you know

whatever happens is always initiated by the Pakistani’s. When I was batting… [pause]... I

am not being biased, I am just telling you what I have seen and experienced. ‘Y’ [Pak fast

bowler) came and first ball he gave me ‘maa Bhen ki gali’ [abusing mum and sister]. I was

like dude first ball [disappointed]. I just left the ball immediately. Obviously, he is charged

up- so you are not going to be stupid and going to talk back at him. There are times when,

see even when Aamir Sohail did that to Venki- Venki did not say anything. He just went

back to his run up, next ball he got him out, and then he said something.

I- There was another instance with ‘A’ right (Indian fast bowler)?

J- Probably must be ‘Q’ [Pak bowler]?

I- Yeah I guess. ‘A’ was batting and they ran into each other, they had an argument and the

Captain’s had to come and pull them away.

J- See you know what obviously A [Indian bowler] is young. And you know people [non-

Indians] think – ‘Oh Indians yaar, whatever you do, they will take it. You throw **** at

them, they will take it’. But now it is not like that, ‘if they throw **** at us, we are going to

give it back, we don’t care who you are; even if you ‘A’ [Aus fast bowler], even if you ‘B’

[Pak fast bowler] or even if you are ‘C’ [West Indies fast bowler], who ever you are. If you

are going to throw **** at us, we are going to throw **** back at you’.

I- But why do you think this happens?

J- Because people [other teams] try to provoke us since we don’t talk back

I- Okay.

J- they try to provoke us because we don’t do much. Now we give it back a bit. Now, even

‘M’ (Indian player) gives it back a bit

I- Really?

J- Yeah, you must have seen matches where ‘X’ gave it back?

I- Not really. I think I have actually seen very few Indian cricketers give it back. I think I

have seen ‘V’ [ex-Indian Captain] then ‘P’ [ex Indian stroke player] quoted a few instances.

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You cannot make out everything in a game; the media covers bits and pieces. So we get to

know what ever comes out in the paper or you need to follow the game very closely.

J- Yeah agree.

I- But being an Indian and watching other non-Indian players sledge, how do you feel?

J-Yeah I’d want them to give it back at times. There are times when ‘U’ [India’s batsman]

has given it back, ‘X’ [India’s batsman] has given it back (these 2 players are respected a

lot and don’t generally sledge). I remember in the World Cup ‘P’ [Pakistan fast bowler]

said something to ‘Q’ [India’s batsman], ‘Q’ gave it back. He gave it back.

I- Yeah that was towards the end of the match right?

J- Yeah so I think there is a lot of exchange, but off the field it is different. I think off the

field, many of them are friends and its better.

I- So you don’t feel more pressure playing against Pakistan?

J- No it is just an International match. I- How did you feel when you played the first time against them?

J- I think it was just like any other match because when you are playing, its more the sub-

conscious mind ruling than the conscious mind. Whatever you have learnt and what ever

you have done just comes out when the ball is thrown at you. You cannot think consciously

say ‘I am going to play this shot or that’. If you do that, you are not going to be anywhere –

9 out of the 10 times, you are not going to be successful.

I- Yeah that is true.

J- Whatever you do physically, basically you are training your mind. As in when training

physically, you are going to work out the upper body, lower body- if you are going to do it

plainly its no point- it wont work, you got to concentrate and then your concentration

develops, your focus on something develops. If you are concentrating on one muscle and

doing something, you are actually focussing on the muscle, lot of energy is drawn into it, so

you are working out your mind as well.

I- Exactly that is where sport psychology comes into, though its just picking in India

J- Yeah I spend sometime with Rudy Webster from West Indies. He is amazing. He has

written a book called ‘winning ways’ have you read it?

I- No I have heard about it.

J- You must read it; it is an awesome book. That is one book I pick up when I am going

through a bad patch, its beautiful.

I- Oh that’s interesting. I am reading this, ‘ the power of your sub conscious mind’

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J- Okay, the thing is if I go too much into this I get psyched out, it works negatively for me

sometimes.

I- I think its normal to go through bad patches, even I go through it but you have to take it

sportively.

J- Yeah it is all about turning negatives into positives. Look everything in a positive light.

I- A lot of people have said there is a loss of self playing too much cricket. What is your

opinion?

J- Sometimes I do. There are times when I have played a match today, catch a flight the

next day and come and play a match the next day morning. Sometimes it gets to you – its

not the cricket, its just the travelling that gets to you. You know if you are going to West

Indies from India, you are going 24 hours- 26 hours and the jet lag. You get up in the

middle of the night and suddenly you get up and you are up and about to go (play), that is

tough- it gets to you. During the match you are tired and fallen off. That is when it is tough

and the traveling I think is a lot.

I- Yeah definitely. Do you think you lose yourself playing too much cricket?

J- I think it is possible, (thinking) yeah I think it is possible to lose your self when you play

too much of cricket as in you will be so mentally drained at the end of it- focussing and day

in day out, you are going to play and focus and manage your emotions

I- Okay.

I- Yeah day in day out you are going to play, focus and pressure and handle pressure and

control your emotions, you go to watch what you say sometimes. It’s going to be difficult-

you might change as a person, you might become and suddenly you don’t see your family

for so long. You go back and everyone says – what happened to you, you were all right 3

months ago. You were ok then, 3 months back you were fine – what happened to you

today? That gets a bit disturbing.

I- Has it happened to you off late?

J- Thankfully it hasn’t happened to me that bad. Yeah there are times when it has happened

to me. When my family has said, ‘wish we could spend more time with you’. I have my

sister go, ‘I wish you could spend more time with me’. That’s one thing I always regret, I

wish I could spend more time with them. I genuinely want to spend more time with her but

it is not possible because of all that (travel and cricket commitment) so it is possible. And

that is when I feel too much cricket comes in the way. It should be played, probably certain

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set of matches in a year should be fine; test matches in a year should be fine. Over and

about that, can be a little too much. I think the money plays a huge role in this, it’s a little

beyond my understanding. So like that.

I- Do you think cricket has changed you as a person? I mean you control and managed your

emotions to a certain extent- you are a different person on the field and do you become like

that off the field at times?

J- Yes, definitely. I think cricket has helped me grow in a positive manner as well as in a

negative manner to a certain amount. There are times when I don’t react to situations at all.

For example, if something happened and someone is crying, and people say ‘what the hell

man’. It’s an emotion which I don’t respond to. I just keep quiet, I just say don’t do it and

sit quietly, I think that is not right. It is not right to anybody, who ever it may be. That is

where it has worked negatively but otherwise I have grown a lot, seen a lot. So .. I have

been a lot with people (pause).. I have had to get along with, had to spend time with them,

learn from their experiences, learn from what they have done and learn from what I have

done and the mistakes I have made when I been outside and by myself. Those things

definitely helped me grow as a person. I think I have become a lot more mature, probably

in 2 years (since international) than I have ever been all my life. I have grown up a lot.

I- Since you played for India

J- Yeah, as in I have seen life very differently, I have seen life change. I think I have taken

decisions/ steps which is mature for a person who is just 20 years old (moving away from

home in India is a big thing before you get married or you get a job elsewhere). I think I

have changed a lot, its all worked for the better. There are times when I fell

ahhhhhhhhhhh… as in these negative aspects, I cant react in some situations- something I

have to change. I have to make a conscious effort to change. Its like second nature to me-

once I have done it so often, then you think shit man, shit man

I- So you mentally detach yourself?

J- Yeah, you have to sometimes. Imagine someone is going to yell at you, scream at you,

down your throat- you have to just mentally detach yourself from what ever he is saying. If

he is going to abuse your mum, sister and who ever it is and he is going to say something

bad, you just have to detach yourself from that and that sometimes carries, it becomes

second nature; something negative is thrown at you, you just shy away, you tend to not

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listen to it- you tend to say oh that is not my piece of cake right, that is not something to

worry about that. So, I think that is the only thing but otherwise it has helped me a lot

I- Have you actually captained any team?

J- Yeah the state teams I have, my junior state sides I have – U17, U15, U16, U14. I gave

up Captaincy and they never gave me Captaincy after that.

I- You gave it up?

J- I once said because I was wicket-keeping, batting at Number 3 [important for batting],

and I was Captaining. It got a little too much for me, and I just said I don’t want to Captain

and they have not given me Captaincy ever since. I love captaining. I love the responsibility

but they have not given it to me. That is something I regret. That is something I regret,

really regret.

I- When was that?

J- when I was ** [young age].

I- Okay, how was your experience? Managing the whole team.

J- I enjoyed it. It is a lot tougher than being just a player. You are responsible for the whole

side and make sure that everyone performs and try and get the best of everyone, encourage

them. You have to say a lot of positive things and make them understand certain things

about the match. You have to be. It is a tough job; it is a challenging job. For me I totally

enjoyed because I feel if I can bring 11 guys to work towards one goal, that’s totally

motivating.

I- How do you handle team clashes?

J- Basically I tell them that what ever you have, you can keep it off the field. If something

happens, keep that off the field. In the field we are working towards one goal and that is

what I want. As a team if I am leading the side, there are certain goals we all are working

towards, and no matter what said and done I want that goal to be achieved that’s what I

want, off the field you can sit and sort your differences. You can always do that. I think

there is no love lost, no ego lost in saying sorry to a friend. I don’t think there is anything

wrong.

I- Do you think its easier patching up people at the junior level?

J- No I think its more difficult.

I- Really?

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J- In senior teams it is hard and people sit in clusters but there won’t be confrontation kind

of problems, its more of cold war, something that goes behind the back probably but not

something that is confronting. If they confront, then it may come up but obviously they are

mature adults and even if they don’t really forgive they make up in front of others. People

have done that. Its come on television. You have seen it; I have seen it. So that thing is

definitely there but I think being adults people are more mature, they know what is the best

thing for them and others and the best thing is for them to reconcile.

I- What happens during team meetings if there are bridges within the team?

J- Thinking.

I- Say two key players are not in good terms, then?

J- Then it is a tough situation but if both of them are working towards the same goal, then it

is not a tough situation.

I- Does it come on the field?

J- No, not any more. I don’t think so. Like I said cricket now is a lot more professional.

People are all working towards a certain goal.

I- Then again there are individual and team goals. Even in team games, some are individual

oriented. What happens if two individuals are moving toward individual goals and not team

goals?

J- Then its tough, then you have got yourself in a huge situation.

I- It basically means two of your key players are out right?

J- yeah. Oh, then I would sit them down and explain that this is what the team needs and

this is what you should do. This is what is best for the team and we should focus on that.

You can achieve what you want to achieve but achieving you got to make sure you achieve

for the team. I’d try and make them understand that a little bit. The team’s win is very

important. You know if only the team wins, their performance is brought to some light. If

you achieve something individually and the team does not win, the light is going to be, it’s

going to be. Its not going to be bad, it won’t come out that brilliantly. You know it won’t be

put up in a very bright manner- the only bright thing was this guy did this. Its not going to

be – oh, we won and this is what he achieved. It’s more enjoyable, you cherish it a lot more

than in a loss. I think I would explain it to them in such a way.

I- Have you actually been in such a situation?

J- No, thank God I have not, seriously.

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I- Ok coming back to mixed emotions say the team won and you have not done well, how

do you feel?

J- I become very, very, very upset sometimes. Ah I could not contribute to the team success

that is something I always want to do. Every time I get up, I just pray to God that I can

contribute to the team success, I just want to do something, be it a good catch, a crucial

catch, a crucial run out, be it saving 10 runs while fielding, be it scoring 60- 70 runs. People

ask me aren’t you disappointed that you missed out on a 100 on your debut match. I say no

because I was genuinely happy that I could contribute by laying such a solid foundation for

the team’s victory. I was genuinely happy, even today I am not disappointed at missing out

on a 100. I think I did well enough, laid a foundation and leave it up to the boys, not leave

it up to the boys- they carried on. They took it up from there. We won the match and that is

what made me happy. If I had got a 100 and the team lost, I would not have been happy. So

that obviously makes a difference.

I- What is your experience playing for India (main team). There are 11 people coming from

all over India (differences exist within the country)? What is your experience?

J- Ever since I have remembered, I have always dreamed playing for the Indian team, being

in the dressing room among these great people and watching and learning form them. When

it actually happened, there is no question about gelling and me not getting along.

I- No I am not talking about you not getting along but your experience on the whole as a

team player? How was the team atmosphere when you got into the Indian team?

J- Yeah there are people from different places, it is different but when you go out into the

field and everyone is working for a certain goal, then you know everyone is working

towards that. I think that brings everyone together by itself.

I- How did you feel when you met the senior Indian players? As a junior player, a

youngster what was your experience?

J- I was very excited and I wanted to contribute if I got a chance. What I am going to do is

contribute in what ever the team wants to achieve, I just wanted to contribute to that, play

some role in that, that is what I always wanted to do.

I- Are the seniors pretty helpful?

J- Yeah.

I- I’ve asked all that I wanted to, is there anything you want to ask or tell me?

J- You have to ask me, sorry.

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I- On your experience

J- I think I have spoken a little too much.

I- No, no. I appreciate that its only when you speak can it help the research. So, I appreciate

your time and feedback. Thank you so much.

J- Okay you are welcome.

Jim: Interview 2

(After India- Pak clip was shown)

I- What do you think of this video-clip? [India-Pak video clip where in Pakistan refused to

continue to play making the excuse of bad light and were declared winners by the

Duckworth-Lewis method (D/L method).

J- I think that was very sad. They (Pakistani players) were taking advantage of the D/L

method. I think if it were us (Ind), we would have played.

I- You mean India?

J- Yeah India, we would have played on to win the game.

I- So they took a call?

J- Yeah, as in the umpire offered them light. Once they offered them light, they said yeah

sure why not. But then they realised D/ L was favoring them and refused it. If they did not

know that D/L was favouring them, they probably would have taken it on (light).

I- Sorry what was that?

J- If they did not know that D/L was favoring them, they would have taken it, they would

have tried to play and win the game but since they knew this D/L was favouring them,

which is why they walked off.

I- Were you watching this match?

J- No I was not (he was not in the Indian team).

I- Did you watch the match later?

J- Yeah I did

I- How did you feel?

J- Yeah obviously, we (Indian players) knew they took advantage of the situation and

normally they should not have, they shouldn’t have but they did. This goes to show their

level of confidence is what I feel.

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I- What if it had happened against some other team and not Pakistan?

J- Even if it was any other side for that matter, I think they would not have self-confidence

I- Weren’t they were in a good position?

J- Yeah it could have gone anywhere, the match was 50-50.

I- So it’s the call of the team batting?

J- Yeah.

I- But could India call it off?

J- Would India call it off, I don’t think so. Firstly, I don’t think India would call it off.

I- So they called it off saying its bad light?

J- Could we (Ind) call it off. Yeah sure

I- Has this happened with you any time?

J- Ah… (thinking), oh yes it happened quite a few times actually. There have been times

when the umpire’s have offered us light, when we have been in a situation where we have

had to save the match, if they offer it to us, we go ahead and take it because it was the

longer version of the game. When they offer us light, it is basically in the longer version of

the game.

I- You mean test match?

J- Yeah. It doesn’t happen in the smaller version of the game. This is one rare occasion

where it happened in a one-day match. Generally, happens in a 4- day game. In a 4-day

game, it can go for you, it can go against you. It has happened with us but when you do it

(accept lights and play), you want it to go for you. There are times when we have done it

and it has worked for us.

I- If you were in the Indian team, how would you feel?

J- Oh, if I was there, I would be very mighty disappointed.

I- Yeah all the Indian players look pretty disappointed.

J- Yeah, I would be angry actually, because they, they… [long pause]. I would be quite

upset.

I- So how would you pull your self out of such a situation?

J- I would go in there and beat the **** out of them in the next few matches [quite

demonstrative]

I- Yeah, India did bounce back very well.

I- Anything else you want to say about this clip?

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J- No, that is about it.

I- Do you remember the incident where the England Captain got hurt by a bouncer during

the Ashes tour last year. The England batsmen got hit on the nose and it started bleeding!!

What do you think of these kind of incidents?

J- As I said aggression to a certain extent is good. Controlled aggression is very, very good.

When you know what you are doing, you got to control it. Once it gets out of hand, then it

is not very good. Being a fast bowler, you are going to be aggressive and charged up but

there is a thin line.

I- Have you been in such a situation wherein the bowler hit you on purpose?

J- Uh, no. I have had bowlers running into me but I obviously stay away, I think it is

unnecessary. Players come right in to me, unless I am like really upset, I go straight on (into

bowler) but if I am not, I just sway out of the way. I don’t mind them just talking, jabbering

for a while.

I- Have you had instances where the ball has been thrown back at you?

J- Yeah, I have had instances where people have thrown the ball back at me and I have

moved out of the way, sway off because they just want to perturb you and disturb you when

you are batting.

I- But isn’t that a breach of the ICC code?

J- Yeah. When you showed me the ICC codes, I agreed there are certain codes we

cricketers obviously have to follow. I think we do most of the times but then there are times

when you really want to do well, you really desperately want to do something. I mean get a

wicket or get some runs, or just what ever it may be, you just try and do everything possible

to achieve that; even if has to be abusing someone or just disturbing or perturbing their

concentration or whatever it is.

I- Interesting. What is your opinion on the role of culture?

J- Oh culture, definitely plays a huge role; it plays a huge, huge role. See the Aussies they

are very aggressive guys on the field but when they come off the field, they are really,

really cool guys. They really, really talk to you, they are nice to you, friendly and they talk

to you off the field, they interact. You see the West Indians they are very laid back. They

are aggressive also, but on the field they don’t show it much only when they have to, unless

they are provoked they don’t really show it.

I- You are talking about the West Indians?

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J- Yeah the West Indians and I think Indians are like that as well, you never find anyone

(Indian player) going and barking at someone. You always have people going about their

job in a very subtle way and doing what ever they have to do. I think the Pakistani’s are a

little aggressive. I think they come out and talk a bit.

I- Don’t you think our (Ind and Pak) culture is pretty much the same?

J-No it is not very much the same. No just because we are Asians it does not mean, we are

pretty much the same. I think we are very different from each other. They are a lot.. (pause)

they are pretty brash, if I can say so; they go about doing things in a very (pause).. blunt

manner, they are very arrogant sometimes. But we Indians are not like that, we are pretty

much simple people, don’t go about and really do things in a very brash manner, we just go

about doing it. Yeah there are some boys who are really happy about themselves and they

have lot of airs about themselves but inside they are just good guys, nothing else.

I- What role does culture plays in your game, in cricket?

J- Culture has played a huge part as in me being a ***** who are supposedly very very

aggressive.

I- Okay.

J- I have been aggressive, very aggressive all my life but then I have had to control that and

keep it under watch. You know be conscious of what I say when I am batting or when I am

playing the game.

I- Aren’t they pretty diplomatic as well? I do have a few friends.

J- Yeah we are very diplomatic. We got about doing things very diplomatically. We know

what we are doing, we are trying to be in control of what we are doing. So, for me culture

has played a very important role. It has made me learn things about the game as well, there

are times when you react to certain things and issues in certain ways and think probably this

is not the way to do it. You have learnt and watched a few things from your own family and

you inculcate that into what you are doing. It helps a bit, helps a lot actually.

I- What about your senior teammates?

J- Yeah like X and Y (both from Karnataka, so is Jim). You want to be like them. You see

X, he is a fighter on the ground, he does not let you go and he is on you all the time, like a

tiger and Y is something else. Y is very cool and calm, emotionless, does not show much.

So you want to be someone like X and Y, need to be cool at times and need to be

aggressive at times. It is very natural.

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I- Yeah.

J- You see player X off the field, you wont find a gentleman like him. He is really helpful,

no matter who you are. He talks to you, he really listens to you, and he is very genuine,

really nice to see actually. It’s not that you get to see people like that.

I- Has any non-Indian player influenced you?

J- Ricky Ponting, Mathew Hayden, Brain Lara.

I- What about these people?

J-Ricking Ponting for his batting. I like the way he bats, his approach to batting. I love the

way he bats, his approach to batting is beautiful. I always watch and try to learn from him a

lot.

I- Okay.

J- Matthew Hayden for his work off field. How he works and prepares for a match is what I

love about him, his dedication and determination is amazing. There was this time when he

was down in the dumps and really not getting runs. He really worked it out and got runs.

Those are things, you know this guy is working off the field. You know he is doing

something off the field to get back to the game well. People like Brian Lara, some one who

sets goals and goals, and goes about achieving it. That is an amazing thing, you don’t find

people doing that. A week after Mathew Hayden got 380, Lara said oh, ‘I will get 400’ and

he got it, in a week. So you can imagine his mindset, the man is a genius to go about and

achieve what he tells.

I- Yeah, especially at his age.

J- Yeah, he is 37 and he is fit, so fit. It is amazing to watch.

I- Is there something called cricket culture?

J- Yeah there is cricket culture. For example, when you are playing a 4 or 5-day game,

there is certain culture and norms that you have to follow like let the batsmen walk out off

the field first. When the umpires go into the field, the fielders always go first.

I- Okay.

J- There are certain cultures that most of the teams follow. You see the Captain leading the

team off (after play) and then the batsmen following the fielders but when the team is going

in (at the start of the game), you see the batsmen going out first and then the fielders

following. Unless there is a change, if it is a 50 over game and the opening batsmen need to

change quickly, then the fielders who are going to bat, go and ask the batsmen if they can

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leave the field first, the rest of the team follows the out going batsmen. It happens all the

time, there is cricket culture, yes there is.

I- Is there something called Indian cricket culture, something very specific to the Indian

cricket or the team?

J- I don’t know to be honest, I don’t know, so I am not sure.

I- That is fine, we are just trying to explore, even I don’t know.

J- I don’t know, I don’t think so. Not that I know of

I- Okay being a cricketer, how is it dealing with off-field codes? You are not allowed to do

certain things if you are under the BCCI contract right?

J- It’s easy, if you know what you are going to say. You are talking about certain issues,

what you did, your game and what you felt on that day, it is easy.

I- That is with the media. How about in general. The other day I came across a clause in the

BCCI contract that said players’ should not do bungee jumping. What about those kinds of

clauses?

J- I am really not aware of it. Oh, that is the BCCI contract that I have not signed, I have

played only 3-4 games for India, I have been with the team for about 10 games, so I don’t

really know about the contract because I have not signed any as yet.

I- So you don’t have any such restrictions?

J- No I don’t have any such restrictions, I can go ahead and bungee jump (smile).

I- Okay that just caught my sight because the clause said, players cannot involve in any

hazardous activity because the organisation invests so much on them.

J- Yeah.

I- How is it being a cricketer off the field? What about your personal life?

J- Yeah you don’t get to meet your family sometimes you are away for 2 or 2.5 months,

you tend to miss your family. You want to be there with them and spend some time with

them; at least for about 2-3 days, you need to be with them. It is quite hard sometimes but

you understand that it is a much more professional game right. So if you are going to be a

cricketer, these are part and parcel. There are going to be ups and down slides to it, these

are one of the down slides but then there are also going to be some up sides to it.

I- Do you feel your privacy is invaded?

J- As of now I don’t, but I am sure there are cricketers who feel their privacy is invaded.

And I think in India it happens quite a lot because people adore their cricketers, they love

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them. Whereas, if you go to Australia, they do have a certain amount of respect for

cricketers but they are very cool about it- ‘Ah, there is Matthew Hayden’, it is not an issue

for them but then here nah (no), its different. I had a couple of boys (Indian players) come

home. I had told nobody about this, they had come home for dinner and they just got out of

the car and went inside the house and that was about what people got to see, in 20 minutes

there were about 600 people outside my house. So, you can imagine the love and

compassion they have for the cricketers. I think in India, yeah privacy is invaded.

I- it’s got its up sides and down sides right?

J- Yeah, imagine 600 people screaming for you, yelling for you and waiting for you. It’s a

good feeling for sometime but not after that. It is like that.

I- Any other off-field code?

J- No, nothing

I- What do you think about the Sri-Lanka tour and the bomb blast?

J- I think it is pretty dangerous; it is pretty scary actually. I can imagine what the boys

(Indian players) must be feeling right now, you are there and a bomb blasts a kilometre

from where you are, it is pretty scary. I am worried about them, just hope they finish the

tournament and come back safely.

I- Yeah that is what the whole country wants but this is the scenario nowadays. There was a

lot of criticisms in the media for sending the players (Indian) to Sri Lanka.

J- Yeah which is quite scary, just feel bad for the boys, hope they play well. It can be

difficult to focus under so much pressure but if they are going to perform, you can see how

mentally strong they are and how they are prepared to face it.

I- True, the South African team decided to pull out

J- Yeah.

I- Do you have to maintain your impression? What do you think say against the media?

J- It’s okay, it does not irritate or upset me because I know I have to be in a certain way

with them but there are also human beings they understand you are having an off day. I

think they pretty much understand if you are having an off day. I have never had problems

with them, never got irritated or upset with the media.

The fans yes, there was one time when I got upset, when I was telling you that I had

600 people outside my house. I had people jumping over my gate which I felt was a little

too much and I had to push and shove a few people.

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I- What did they want?

J- They just wanted to see us, take some autographs and all that but there were 600 of them,

so it was quite difficult. I felt they should not have jumped, you know they were almost

breaking the gate. So I had to push and shove a few people, which I regret but otherwise I

think it is good.

I- Do you think you manage your emotions to large extent?

J- Well not really, yeah to a certain extent.

I- In the long run, how do you think it will affect you?

J- I think managing emotions will affect me in the long run, actually it might affect me to a

certain extent (now) but I always keep it under control, how I react to certain situations, I

keep that under control.

I- Does it affect your performance?

J- no I don’t think so.

I- I have finished asking my share of questions. Is there anything you want to ask or

clarify?

J- No

I- Is there anything else you would like to say?

J- No

I- Thank you so much for your time and participation.

J- You are welcome. Can I take my best friend off (mike)?

I- you can keep it if you want.

J- hah.

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Tim : Interview 1

I- Interviewer T- Participant

I- First of all I’d really thank you for taking the time off.

T- Please go ahead Chaitanya, please go ahead

I- I would once again like to emphasise that whatever you say is totally confidential. So

please be as honest as you can.

T- Yeah definitely

I- First of all what are your views regarding the rules of conduct that cricketers are expected

to follow?

T- Nowadays especially yaar (meaning mate) lot of disciplinary action is taken because

everything we do is exposed, whatever you do on the field and may be off the field too is

exposed. Everything is exposed in a lot of ways like the television, media, paper media and

made public. Everyone gets to know about a celebrity at the highest level of the game. They

(general public) want to see what we are doing, how we are living and coping at the highest

level, this is what we undergo when we are at the peak.

Ahhh discipline wise, we make sure our common activities apart from cricket does

not invite attention, we try to avoid funky stuff, like bungee jumping and all that, which

will create trouble, especially since the younger generation follows us, so we try to play

low profile and be disciplined. We don’t want to show many things. We have contract

system in India which states you should not to do bungee jumps, mountain climbing etc

which is not good for your career (cricket). The Board is spending… [paused]... The

country is expecting a lot and hence the Board does not want you to get into such things,

which is good in other ways.

I- How is it following these rules 24/7?

T- As a sports person, you mature quickly; you are doing everything on your own. In the

sense you are dealing with it individually, so once you go higher and higher, you learn

things from your seniors, so you get matured. We have a short career, a player retires at 33

or 34, unlike a normal human who works up to 60 years and then retires. We know our

limits by experience, meeting people, interacting with media; we get to know things we

should not do. So we avoid those things. There are demerits and merits. We stick to the

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merits and make sure we do not get into trouble. That is the very important thing as a

youngster.

I- Here is a list of ICC codes, could you please have a look at them (hand out)? What do

you think of them?

T- Actually those days, I mean if you compare the current era to cricket 20 years before,

there were no strict rules; sledging, clothing, kicking the wicket was all accepted, but now it

is different. Like for example, excessive appealing [ICC Code], you cannot avoid it in the

heat of the moment, your enjoying, you are in a celebration mood. You might forget to

appeal if it’s a caught behind but you get fined. I was fined in a test match, in the first

innings for excessive appealing and in the second innings because I did not appeal (and

celebrated a dismissal).

I- Fined for not appealing, am I right?

T- Yeah in the sense I was fined because I did not appeal. It was out so I just ran through

and celebrated without appealing. Getting fined for these things is a little disappointing

because sometimes as a human being, you tend to enjoy as you have done something really

good for the team. At such times you may forget these ICC rules. Such codes are not good

for rules and regulations.

I- I understand. Any others? How about the codes on the sheet provided?

T- Swearing in frustration at one’s performance is difficult - it is individual. You try to get

out your emotions; you are trying to do something to get back to the positives. People like

John Macnroe do a lot of self- talk, it is not just swearing in frustration at one’s own poor

play. I don’t think it is a good rule; it will not help the team to improve.

I- Do you swear at yourself sometimes?

T- Yeah, I do swear at myself. Everyone, each and every individual does it, not just in

sports but also in all walks of life. If they set a target and are unable to achieve it, then

definitely there will be frustration and it is expressed though self-talk or self-swearing.

I- Yeah, true. So does this affect your behaviour?

T- See if this self-swearing helps a cricketer; it should not be a problem.

I- So what if you get fined for that?

T- You have to live with it (laugh), if it helps my team to perform better; I have to live with

it.

I- So you are ok being fined for it?

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T- Yeah. It is like controlling your ability. For example, if a cricketer is getting lot of runs

with a shot and the rules say you should not play that shot, it’s like controlling his ability.

And thereby controlling team performance, so it affects both the ways.

I- What do you think about match bans?

T- That is a very very serious concern for self- swearing. I think the match ban is too much,

especially for self-abuse. If I abuse the opponent or some other cricketer, then its fine but if

I am boosting myself with self-swearing or self-talk it’s not an offence.

I- What about match fines?

T- Yeah I have been fined a couple of times because of excess appealing and not appealing.

I- How do you deal with it?

T- Excessive appealing happens naturally in cricket. We cannot control it, sometimes it

happens. Not appealing is different, once you get a wicket, you are celebrating so you don’t

turn around and appeal because it is a nick [definitely out] and everyone knows it is out, so

to turn and appeal for that is a different thing for us cricketers. We are not used to it. It is a

very strict rule for which I have been fined.

I- How do you deal with not appealing?

T- I have to deal with it. Every time I take a wicket, I turn around and start appealing. I

practice it in the nets and get used to it mentally. It should come from here (gestured to

head).

I- So now you appeal even when you are sure the batsman is out?

T- Yeah because umpires really expect players to appeal but you should be careful not to

over appeal. You need to be careful.

I- So how do you actually prepare?

T- You play (visualise) mentally and try to get that to your physical act. I have tried to get it

into my mental strength. I visualise to get used to appealing for nicks (sure outs).

I- Okay that is good. Anything within the BCCI that you find difficult to handle?

T- Everything is perfect within the BCCI because cricket is a growing game. The way it is

in India, it is very good for the cricketers because our career is very short. They are paying

good money and they are expecting (stopped), the demands are more when you have

competition. So it is very good for Indian cricket, it has shown very good results in the past

and I am up for it.

I- Okay. Do you suppress your emotions, for example in a game situation?

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T- You cannot express emotions in international cricket but you can do it in domestic

cricket because international is covered by the media and everyone gets to watch it in

action.

I- Do you suppress emotions? Say for example, the umpire turns down your appeal for a

plump LBW? What are you feeling then?

T- It happens lot of times. Every individual cricketer will have to suppress emotions in

many situations.

I- Can you give an example of such a situation?

T- The first ball of the first final in Melbourne, ‘X’ (Australian opening test batsman) was

plump in front (LBW). The first ball of the second innings, he was plump; in the sense

LBW appeal was very good and everyone thought it was plump (out) but the umpire turned

down the appeal. He went on to score 80 odd runs and they won the match.

I- So what were you feeling?

T- There is lot of ifs and buts (laugh), so you cannot just blame the umpire all the time.

They are also human beings; they cannot be 100% all the time, so sometimes I take it in a

sportive manner. I get poor decisions also in my tally, so I have to cope up with it. I should

not be blaming the umpire.

I- How did you deal when the umpire turned down the decision and you knew it was out?

T- It is like your teammate dropping a catch, you take it in a sportive manner because he is

your family man.

I- That’s right but what were your thoughts at that moment?

T- I get disappointed, I get depressed but you have to cope with it. But it is not a batsman’s

game, I am a fast bowler I have lot of chances. Make up my mind fast and move on in the

next ball. I keep telling myself ‘you have to move on’.

I- You mean it is more difficult for batsmen?

T- Yeah if a batsman gets a bad decision, that is all. It is the end of one innings but whereas

for me (bowler) I have lot of balls.

I- What about the other way round- suppress positive emotions or express unfelt emotions?

Like you have done really well but the team lost? Its mixed emotions right?

T- Definitely if you contribute and the team does not win, it is really disappointing because

it is a team game not an individual sport. You will be happy with your performance but it

did not help to put the team on a winning note. At the end of the day you are in touch and

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can get runs or wickets, so you will be a little bit motivated and a little more confident. But

on the other hand, if the team loses you still did not achieve what the team management or

others expected from you. So you are disappointed.

I- Okay. Do you need to manage the emotions of others?

T- You have to overcome your emotions. You can share it with your teammates only if it is

good but if it is negative you can’t express it.

I- Has there been a time when you got selected and a close colleague or friend did not get

selected?

T- That can happen to me also. If my friend plays and if I am dropped with injury or bad

performance, the other person has to be given a shot (chance). I have to take it and accept

that there is a better person in the team.

I- So how to deal, what are you thinking?

T- So I have to prove myself. Take it as a challenge, I am expected to do something in the

team, if I don’t then they (selectors) will go for a better person. It is very good for the team

because it is a team game.

I- Yeah that is right. So what are you telling your self? How do you cope?

T- I take it as a challenge. Try to get in par with that other guy who is performing in my

place.

I- What are your thoughts about pre-game (just before the game)?

T- A little bit nervous, everyone gets the nerves and stuff but once you are experienced in

the grade of cricket, you try to overcome those things. Whether you are a cricketer or any

sportsperson you get to know what is expected of you and what you should avoid, because

you know how the situation will be, the entire atmosphere is known. So you try to put in

the right place because you are experienced and you know what is expected from you, you

are clear with it. Whereas, if you are a new comer, definitely you will have confusion, you

don’t know what it is like and what it feels, it will take some time.

I- So experience helps is it?

T- Yeah by experience you overcome fear. Sometimes your bad nick, low confidence, over

confidence will all be overcome. At one point of time you will overcome all this in your

sporting career. So you get to know you should avoid some things due to experience. For

example, I don’t perform well when I do this, so I should avoid the negative thoughts and

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be more positive in the way of approaching the game. By experience you get to know lot of

mental stuff and you will be focused. All this comes by experience.

I- How do you get back after a rough patch?

T- First of all there are things I can control and some that I cannot control. So it is best to

think about the controlling things in your hand, bowling in the right place and working on

the technique, if it is not at its best. But the media and selection you cannot control, it is not

in your hand, so it is better to leave it and not think too much about it because it should not

affect your cricket. Take control of what is in your hand, like your cricketing ability- take

control of that. That is what X and Y are very good at. They know how to prepare

themselves and control their own abilities and they don’t bother about other things they

cannot control.

I- Okay. So do you feel you have to manage your emotions in cricket?

T- Yeah definitely, especially when one encounters victory or failure, I have to manage my

emotions.

I- Okay say for example you are playing against Pakistan

T- (laughing) It is different on the field and off the field

I- Does it affect your behaviour on the field?

T- On the field I like to take wickets because my dream is to take wickets. I try to overcome

obstacles and when I do that, I am happy but I cannot express it fully.

I- What about off the field?

T- It is very different. You expect that your country people should behave differently- I

mean sometimes people are very polite and treat you very well. You are amazed by the

reception that you get and at other times they don’t care. It makes a big difference when

they greet you well.

I- What happens when the opposition is sledging? Do you have to manage your emotions

that time?

T- Yeah to some extent. Actually I don’t care about sledging because batsmen rarely

sledge. Most of the time my opponents are batsmen, so I don’t really have to worry about

it. Sometime when I bat, I receive sledging because they want to take my wicket but I don’t

really care. The responsibility when I come down the ladder is a lot less, I know what I

have to do and hence don’t get affected by sledging.

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I- Do you think you need to manage emotions with your own teammates, selectors or

coaches?

T- You have to over come it by self. If it is a positive emotion then you can share it with

your teammates. Whereas, if it negative emotions, you have to deal with it. May be find

someone who can help you overcome it but then if you don’t have someone, you will be

left alone. So I think it is best to deal with it by your self. I believe in people correcting

their own mistakes. I try to put myself under pressure during non-competitions and over

such situations. For example through imagery, I try to do what is expected from me.

I- Okay that is a good technique. Could you give an instance where you found it difficult to

deal with any of the codes?

T- I think the code which states that Captains get fined if they don’t control the teams

minimum over rate requirements that is not fair. If you have good fast bowlers like Glenn

McGrath and Shoaib Akhtar you have to use them because they can win matches. I feel

sorry for Captains because they have to rush and use a part-time bowler because they are

not in the stipulated time. Batsman will get used to the part time bowler, once they have

settled. I think it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous.

I- Any instance where you effectively coped with a challenging situation? It could be media

interviews as well?

T- I have never had problems with the media because I am not a big star (when compared

to some of the other cricketers). On the field I have had many challenging moments.

I- Can you give one?

T- The deciding test in Pakistan, third test. We were bowling; they had lost 2 wickets the

previous day. Lot of catches were dropped but I did not get disappointed because I was

enjoying my bowling since I was in a good rhythm. Then, I got three wickets in the same

spell. So, I did not bother too much about the dropped catches and at the end of the day, we

(India) won the match. I got three wickets in the same spell and it helped the team to win

the first series in Pakistan. So that was one of the most challenging moments that I

overcame by my self. Even though my teammates dropped catches, I just focussed on my

bowling and did not get disappointed. I did not think of other things ‘like, what is going on

and all’. I put in effort, believed in my teammates and we won the series.

I- Yeah that is good.

T- That was a very challenging moment in my life.

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I- Do you think what the organisation or cricket in general expects from you has changed

than when you first started playing?

T- Yeah obviously, definitely. Your age, experience and you’ve become a very important

person in the team, the responsibility goes high; the team and organisation also expects lot

of things from you. You also have to mentally boost the team because you are an

inspiration in the team and physically you have to perform very well, be consistent with

your performance. I mean everyone should follow you when you are at the peak, if you are

the top guy in the team. You are the trendsetter and take the team to greater heights with

your effort.

I was dropped from the Indian team but I did not lose heart and bowled really well

in the Ranji (major National competition) trophy, I got 50 wickets in the season. We (the

State side) entered the final after a long time that felt really good because I helped my team,

in the sense lead the side in my bowling. So it felt really good because I got wickets after

being dropped, it was tough but I did well.

I- Yeah. So do you think it was tough dealing with the international scenario when you first

started?

T- Yeah it is. I made my one-day debut in **** but I was dropped because I did not bowl

well and I did not cope well with international pressure. I made my come back one year

later and became an experienced bowler and also became stronger mentally. I started

performing well at the international level in Australia and Pakistan and also in India-

Pakistan matches. You have to react fast when you are at the highest level of the game as

there is less time and lot more demands from people (general public) in India, the team and

everyone; I did very well in that part. That is why I made a come back in the team and

performed really well in India and Pakistan.

I- Thank you very much for your feedback and time. I have actually finished asking my set

of questions is there anything you want to ask or clarify with me?

T- Nothing.

I- No I mean if you are wondering why I am asked any specific question?

T- No. I think sport psychology helps sportspersons because sometimes the player does not

know what the exact problem is, so they would like to express themselves to professional

people who can help them overcome the problem, they can do a good job. They can help

the person deal with the stressor. It is a big thing coming right now, it is just picking up in

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India. So I am happy with people who are taking up professional sports psychology. I am

very thankful to them, to be prepared to work with the big stars, it will definitely be a big

help to the sporting fraternity. Definitely sportsmen will gain a lot, if we do things in the

correct way.

I- Yeah definitely.

T- Thanks to Chaitanya.

I- Oh I should thank you.

Tim: Interview 2

I- In the last session we spoke about your experiences in cricket. This session will focus on

the role of culture. Also, I will show you a video-clip and get your opinion on it.

T- Okay.

I- This was during the first match in Pakistan during the Hutch cup.

T- Oh yeah I remember this match, Pakistan was declared winners based on the D/L

Duckworth-Lewis method. The match was stopped due to bad light.

I -Yeah that is the one. Were you watching that match (he was out of the team due to

injury).

T- Yeah I watched a little bit.

I- Did you watch the end?

T- No I did not.

I- That is fine. Let’s have a look at this video-clip.

T- Sure.

After the video-clip was shown

I - So what do you think about it?

T- It happens you cannot do anything about it. Well it is a rule; you cannot do anything

about it. It happened before also, this is not the first time. It also happened when South

Africa played against New Zealand during the world cup, that was sad. It happens in cricket

because it is a sport and anything can happen. Nobody expected rain or bad light at that

point (referring to the video- clip). If it does, you just have to accept the rules as there are

rules for everything.

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You will definitely be disappointed. There were three overs left (18 balls) and

Pakistan needed 18 runs, it was a 50-50 chance. We had a definite chance; the results could

have gone in a different direction [indicating that India may have won the match] if the

weather did not play spoilt sport. But there are rules, umpires and referees and they know

what is the correct thing to do; you just have to accept it.

I- Were you watching this match?

T- No I did not watch it till the end. Initially, the match was going in Pakistan’s favour but

then the Indian players gave a good fight and came back well into the game (got some

wickets). You really cannot do anything about these things.

I – How would you cope if you were the Indian team at that point?

T- It is just another match and you cannot do anything about these things. It counts when

you are playing against your archrival (Pakistan) and people (Indians fans) will be

expecting a lot from each and every player. But you cannot do anything about these things,

it is not your fault, you have not made any errors, so you just accept the decision and move

on. The rules take over, that is all. Of course, you will be disappointed because we had a

50-50 chance, anything could have happened. They had 3 wickets in the end [tail-enders

batting]; it is a matter of three balls.

I – In the end it says Pakistan won by 7 runs

T- That is the D/L method. I don’t know the rule exactly but they calculate the quotient by

wicket.

I- Do you have want to say anything else about this clip?

T- No.

I- Have you ever been dismissed by a controversial umpiring decision?

T- (laughing) No I have not because I am a tail-ender (comes in to bat at number 9 or 10)

and I get very less chance to bat. Probably in one-day some times.

I- I mean some times you are very sure you are not out but you are given out?

T- See you never know. On the field you have very less time to react, so you do show your

anger or frustration but once you are in the dressing room, you are ok. There are neutral

referees doing their job, so you cannot tell them that they have made a mistake. You cannot

blame them.

I – So how do you control your anger or disappointment?

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T- Every body wants to perform when they get an opportunity and prove to others. You are

more eager to perform against good teams like Australia and Pakistan. If you get a wrong

decision, you definitely feel bad as you lost one opportunity to perform. (younger players

more obvious as they are trying to make their mark).

I- So how do you cope?

T- It is easy to say, ‘okay I have to accept it’ but mentally you are really disturbed. Very

hurt inside, you know you missed an opportunity; it was not your mistake but still you

missed a good chance to prove your self. You just have to accept it.

I- If something like this happens, how do you cope or prepare your self for the next game?

T- If you are in a good rhythm and your confidence is high it does not affect you much.

Whereas, if you are not doing very well, then your thought process is different; your mind

plays tricks on you. It is very negative and you are thinking too much about the incident or

about poor form. You need to do what you like to do because you have to move on. You

have other days to come. Just accept that it is the past and move on to the future. If I can

recover fast, then I can perform better. It is no point living in the past and saying ‘I lost an

opportunity’. No point blaming the umpire. No point they are also human.

I- What happens if something like this happened at the beginning of an innings? How do

you pull your self out of it and come back? Or when you are bowling and the umpire turns

down your appeal for a very important wicket and you are sure that it was out?

T- Re-creating performance is very important for me. If I have done very well yesterday, I

want to re-create that the next day. I mean if my rhythm was very good, mind processing

was positive and my confidence was high, I try to re-create it. Your mind plays a very

important role, so you try to re-create positive incidents. You should not force it but it

should come naturally. This helps you to think positively. Do things that will help you. You

might experience lot of things, re-create what is positive on that particular day, which can

enhance your confidence.

I- What if you have had a bad day?

T- If you have a good mind process, you can prepare your self. So, you know you have to

move on if you have had a bad day. If you know how to come out from that, if you have a

good thought process, then you can easily over come it.

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I- I remember one instance when player ‘X’ hit you for a six (last ball of the game and the

opposition needed 6 runs from the last ball, Tim got hit for a six and India lost the match).

What were you thinking or feeling at that point?

T- I felt really bad to be honest. It was a match we wanted to win desperately, especially

against one of the best teams. We had won the first match and wanted to win the next one. I

got a chance to bowl the last over. I did everything perfect but unfortunately one bad ball

(last ball) that cost the match. I was very low after that over, after experiencing my

emotions and that experience. I was a little negative but I overcame very well from it. I

bowled very well in the next two matches and even in the finals I bowled very well. So I

really coped with the pressure and negative emotions.

I- How did you pull your self out? What were you telling your self?

T- Actually at that point I remember ‘X’ said ‘one man cannot lose a game or win a game’

that really helped. I am not the person who should be blamed; I did my part, ok one small

error. It is a team game. I recovered very fast mentally. I was not thinking too much about it

but a couple of bad performances do stay in your mind, you don’t always remember your

good performances. I still cannot remember that incident, I cannot recall the moment, I am

blank regarding that part and what happened in that match. If you ask me, I can tell you but

I cannot recall that picture. It is totally erased.

I- In a way that is good.

T- my mind processing is good. If I bowl to the same player again, I will be more

confident. The bad performance should not come to my mind.

I- Do you take it as a challenge?

T- No, I don’t take it. I just leave it. It is not in my mind but I wont make the same error

again (bowling).

I- Was ‘X’ the Captain at that time?

T- No ‘Y’ was.

I- But that was a pretty useful piece of advice from ‘X’.

T- Yeah, it really touched me and made me strong. Those kind of little things helps in

making you stronger. Actually, I really did overcome that incident and performed very well

in the next two matches. I totally forgot that incident; it did not stick in my mind.

I – That is good. What do you understand by the term cricket culture?

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T- Cricket is a game which you can afford very easily in India because it is not very

expensive. Therefore, everyone tries to involve themselves in the game, it is easy to get

involved. You can see gully cricket, street cricket. If there is little place inside houses, then

people play a different cricket, be it under arm or over arm bowing but ultimately it is

cricket. Everyone loves the game. They are enthusiastic because they are involved and they

know the game. Most people play cricket in India because they love the game. The passion

of this guy is too high in India, it has become the culture. It is different with other sports.

For example, hockey is the National game of India but you cannot play it on the street or in

your house. It is hard and at the same time it is expensive, golf is also expensive. Other than

that, cricket is easy to access. In the sense, you can play cricket if there is two, six or ten

people; the minimum is two, one to bat and the other to bowl. You don’t need any facilities.

I remember marking three stumps on the wall and playing in my backyard, so it is easy to

learn the game for a youngster. Just take a bat, if you don’t have a bat, cut wood or coconut

tree and make a bat out of it. I remember during my younger days when I was in school, we

did these kind of things, if we didn’t have a bat or ball, we would make a paper ball and

play even in the classroom. So cricket plays a big role in India.

I – Do you think cricket or cricket culture affects your emotions or the way you behave?

T- I distinguish between my personal and professional life. Sportsmen mature very fast.

You see money and fame at a very young age if you play a very good sport. You get to

know what is fame, what is money. You learn how to cope with media, pressure, in

preparing yourself and related aspects. So, you mature a lot. In India, a non-sports guy

finishes college at 21-22 but by that time (22-23 years) a cricketer will be playing for India

or at Ranji (State) trophy or league cricket. Everyone tries their best but I know how I

would have been if I was not a cricketer and just went to college to study. Cricket taught

me a lot. I know how to meet people on the field and off the field, how to accept pressure

and overcome the mental processes. I am a little more matured than others at my age. I am

talking in average; a cricketer at my age (24) is more mature than other guys (Indians) at

that age. You get to know the fame, money, and pressure if he plays for the country, there is

too much hype and expectations. He has to live up to the expectations, so you have to do lot

of things.

I- There obviously is lot of positive things but is there anything negative?

T- If you think too much about it, then it is negative.

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I- So how was it after you played well against the Pakistan team?

T- It is good, it is good for you, your family. The only thing is you miss out on studies. If

you take cricket as your profession, then you completely miss your studies because you are

at your peak between 17 to 22 years. To get into the National team, you have to be in the

peak and 17-22 is the studying age. (In India, there is usually no break in an individuals

education (middle class and upward). 17 years would generally be when a youngster starts

college (+11 and 12) and by 21-23, he/she would have completed under graduation or

masters and then start working). That is the time when you chose your career be it

medicine, engineering etc. As a cricketer you take cricket, this is my life. I give it my best,

whatever happens I have to live with it. You need lot of guts and courage to take such a

decision. Lot of parents will not allow their kids to chose sports, especially in India as they

expect kids to be a doctor or engineer which will ensure that they are settled (Emphasis on

education is very high in India). Now it is improving as they realise there is opportunity for

job and to earn money, in addition to making your country proud. So there are positives and

negatives. If a cricketer fails early, it is hard. So you are in two minds whether to choose

studies or cricket.

I- Yeah agreed. So how was it when you got recognised as an Indian cricketer?

T- You get recognised only when you perform, if you don’t perform you don’t get

recognised by the people or media. I would not be talking to you if I were not an Indian

cricketer. So whatever I have achieved or learnt from this game is paying me, otherwise I

would not be sitting in this five-star hotel, I don’t know where I would be if I was not an

Indian cricketer. There are lot of cricketers who have suffered in the past.

I – Yeah things were different 20 years ago

T- Not 20 years, 10 years ago. There is lot of opportunity now but 10 years ago it was very

difficult because there was no money, no opportunity; you had to take it with faith. You

have to give 100 percent, what ever you take (cricket or other careers).

I- Is there anything very specific to BCCI that might be different to the ICC codes?

T- No, actually nothing.

I- What do you think about sledging?

T- Indians are meant to be quiet and very good skill wise and so we don’t need to sledge

but the era is changing, may be youngsters are going to be different. They are aggressive

and are learning a lot from their childhood. Nowadays kids are very aggressive and sharp.

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They might not be good physically but mentally they are sharp, so the aggressive attitude is

coming in. It is a good in a way but they should become good technically and perform well.

It is no point having an aggressive attitude but you don’t perform. Any attitude should help

your performance and not affect your performance. At the end of the day, you have to do

something with your ability and potential and show the world.

I- yeah, so you don’t feel there is anything separate from the ICC?

T- The ICC are coming out with different codes but it is good for cricket. They want more

discipline and gentleman ship in cricket.

I – do you really think it is still a gentleman’s game?

T- Yeah because it is controlled, so Australians do not sledge because they will be fined.

I- I think they still do (it is evident in any match you see).

T- No. They used to sledge before 3 - 4 years before but not now. There is code of conduct,

there is match ban, life ban, penalty, fine, everything.

I- But they still do (had to assert due to emphasise the truth)

T- Then they are taking a chance.

I- They do.

T- Nobody will sledge if they are going to get banned or fined.

I –Yeah I agree but they take their chance. In my first study, few players said that ‘sledging

should be allowed’.

T- it is up to them, it is different from person to person. If a person sledges and performs

better, why not? He might lose some money but he is still performing for the country.—

I- Do you think it is the same adhering to the rules in another country?

T- It is different [pause]. The rules are same in each and every country, we have a

committee, technical committee or whatever. They make the rules and it is provided to the

players and association, it is common to every one.

I- So you feel it is the same playing anywhere in the world.

T- Yeah (hesitant).

I- Where are you more comfortable playing, in India or elsewhere?

T- (smiling) The atmosphere is different in India. You enjoy cricket here (in India) because

there is so much of energy in the stadium, there are so many things happening. But at the

same time you have to concentrate and perform, it is very tough because there is so much

noise and so many things are going on (cricket stadiums are generally very noisy in India).

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I – You are talking about playing in India right?

T- Yeah, to be honest it is very tough. At home (India), everyone (Indian players) feels

pressure because you want to prove your best at home. And there is a high expectation from

everyone. Definitely there will be pressure when you play at home, but, you enjoy if you

start performing (well) at home. Once you start performing at home, you know the

expectations, the atmosphere and you start enjoying playing, especially in India. I have

enjoyed playing in India, my best hauls (career best) are in India, so I’ve enjoyed all my

home series.

I- How is it playing against Pakistan?

T- It is definitely challenging playing against Pakistan. More challenging because of the

expectation, the media and all that. They (media) put too much pressure by saying ‘you

should not lose to Pakistan’ but it is just a game and can go either way.

I- How do you feel and prepare against Pakistan?

T- I don’t prepare myself differently for Pakistan, it is another team. But outside sources

create the hype. They (media) start writing all kinds of things. I don’t read papers when I

play international cricket because it does not help in my mental preparation or strengthen

me mentally. So I don’t read papers or watch sports channels as they cover too much of

criticism and hype things, I avoid them. I prepare myself to do well against each and every

country, not just against Pakistan. Players prepare themselves against all teams, be it

England or Pakistan.

I- But if you see an India-Pak match on TV, there is so much difference.

T- Obviously, it is the expectation.

I – Both the teams are so tense.

T- They don’t want to lose, no on wants to lose.

I- But you (India) do not want to lose against any country?

T- Everybody plays to win, especially if it comes to Pakistan [stated quite assertively].

As an Indian born guy, you’ve grown up watching the hyped cricket matches, immense

expectation and competitiveness. Even Pakistan players would not want to lose against

India and we don’t want to lose against Pakistan.

I- Yeah but why is it that India has breached most number of codes against Pakistan? Run-

ins for small things, Indians are not usually like that.

T- It is presented like that in the media

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I – I remember even Irfan’s clash with Asif I think and Dravid had to come, infact both the

Captains had to come and pull them apart.

T- You want to appear that way to them. So may be you show it in terms of your body

language or other ways.

I- Remember the Prasad – Sohail incident during the 96 World Cup?

T- Yeah that peps you up. That makes you to prove your self because that is how we are

brought up and also because we have not seen the Pakis.

I- But why against Pakistan?

T- Aggression comes when you play against a tough competitor.

I- It does not come out so much against Australia?

T- I mean in terms of expectations, the competitiveness especially when you are

encountering a team which is in par with you, then aggression is more (laughing).

I – Cool (laughing).

T- You try to give your best against Pakistan because you do not want to lose, as you know

how the reaction will be at home (India).

I- Yeah, even the Prime Minister and President congratulated the Indian team when you’ll

did win against Pakistan (very rarely against other teams).

T- (laughing) You don’t want to lose, nobody (any Indian) does not want us to lose against

Pakistan because they are our rival.

I- Agreed, same with me.

T- It is like Ashes, England and Australia. The same thing happens when these two play.

England does not want to lose to Australia, we (India) does not want to lose to Pakistan.

I- true. What is your opinion on sledging?

T- It is different. As I told you, if you are ready to accept the fact that you may get penalty

and fine. I mean if it is sill helping you, then go ahead. You cannot control your natural

emotions. If it comes naturally to you, then you have to live with it.

I – Do you sledge?

T- No I don’t. I am a different kind of bowler. I don’t sledge and get wickets (like other fast

bowlers). I keep myself cool and perform well. If I sledge I don’t know whether I may get

wickets or not. I may not, so I don’t sledge.

I- But most fast bowlers sledge don’t they, most bowlers sledge not just fast bowlers right?

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T- Fast bowlers try to be aggressive and show that attitude because they are meant to be

mentally strong as they are at the receiving end. You bowl the ball and the batsman can do

anything to that ball (four, six).

I- Okay.

T- so unless I get a wicket. It is not all about sledging, it is bringing the best in you. It can

be self-talk or aggression. You can show your aggression to a batsman in three ways, by

making eye contact, through your body language and sledging. Aggression does not have to

be only with sledging, can be through eye contact and body language as well.

I- Ok, do you establish eye contact when you bowl?

T- yeah I establish lot of eye contact because that is how I have grown up and not by

sledging.

I – Do you think culture has anything to do with the aspect of sledging?

T- Yeah we have grown up in this way. Indians are soft-spoken people; we are very humble

and modest cricketers. We are not aggressive; we are soft. That is our culture. I don’t mean

other countries don’t have culture, they do but it is not better than India. We have many

more rules and societal norms, that is how we have been brought up. If parents say

something, we obey them. We are aggressive in our own way but not through physical

aggression. Our aggression is to prove with silence and perform better.

I- So you feel culture plays a role?

T- Yeah definitely that is how we have grown up. We prove our aggression with silence.

I- What do you think the cricket fans expect? Like say, if I am watching a match and as

Aussie cricketer sledges, do Indian cricketers give it back?

T- (smiling) We do (stopped).

I- So do you think the fans are for or against sledging?

T- (still smiling) But you cannot just go and fight if someone (opponent) is starring or

sledging at you. You have your own emotions but if you start an argument or sledge back,

you may lose (your cool). I don’t want to lose, so I show it in a better way through my

performance and not by sledging. I know my strengths and limitations. I know what will

help me perform, so I maintain a low. It depends from person to person. Indians are very

much like that, they focus on what they have to do. If you take X (Indian player), he shows

his aggression through his silence and he performs well. You don’t seem him getting

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aggressive or fighting with the bowler, he just concentrates on his game. He keeps himself

cool and at the same time he performs very well. That is what is required.

I – So it does not matter as to what people expect?

T- (smiling) You cannot go with people’s expectation

I- Has there ever been an occasion when you tackled sledging or aggression affectively?

T- A couple of them (Note- how he initially said he does not, even for people with a cool

temperament, they do get caught with verbal tee-tee at the heat of the moment).

I- can you please give one.

T- I had an argument with Y [Pakistan bowler].

I- When? He was bowling is it?

T- Yeah I was batting and he was bowling. ‘X’ was batting with me and we put a 50 run

partnership for 9th wicket (second last wicket). So he wants to hit me with the ball. In the

sense, he is a fast bowler so he wants to take some charge. I played him very easily, in the

sense as a tail ender [tail enders are not very good at batting as they are bowlers] you are

little fearful of fast bowlers. But I am not a tail-ender, honestly I am not because I know

how to cope up with the fast bowlers. So that is what happened when Y [Pakistan bowler]

tried to hit me with the ball and bowl a couple of bouncers, I kept myself cool and hit a six

of his bowling, that showed my skill. I did not worry about the bouncers or sledging. He

did sledge but I did not care because I could not understand Hindi to that extent or Punjabi

may be (smiling).

I – So it was good (smiling).

T- (still laughing) Hah (yes). The advantage is that I don’t bother when some one some one

stares or sledges at me, I more concerned about batting or bowling. I enjoy if I can hit them

(four or six) when they sledge me, I enjoy hitting them a lot. I can show my ability in

batting and don’t have to retort back with sledging. It does not bother if they (opponents)

are sledging.

I- That is good. Do you feel there is a difference in what the organisation expects of you?

T- Yeah lot of difference, cricket is different altogether because now a days, we are very

secure in cricket, i.e., if you play first class cricket. When I made my debut my match fees

was Rs. 3000 (equivalent to 100 Australian dollars), so if I get to play seven matches in a

year it is Rs.21, 000, that is all for the whole year, especially if you don’t have work outside

cricket. But now cricketers (Indians) are paid Rs. 1 lakh per match, so if you play seven

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matches you get Rs. 7 lakhs, that is more than enough for a year. It is more than Rs. 50,000

per month. So you are secured. At the same time, if you play 25 matches then there is the

option; I mean pension and all that, so you don’t think too much about your future. So

players who have played 25 matches and if they don’t want to continue (stopped). If they

are not performing well, if they are not getting runs; they play 25 matches and they quit.

They don’t continue the game because of insecurity and background. So once this pension

scheme was announced, you can go on with your ability in a higher way, we can take our

game to the next level- higher level. So that is very good for us (cricketers), for our

security. Competition and passion has gone very high and India is doing really well in

international cricket. We have topped the ranking, next to Australia in a couple of years and

we have broken the record of 17 consecutive chasing victories. This shows that Indian

cricket is going at the next level, it is going in a positive way. It’s good for youngsters.

I- What about the pressure?

T- Yeah the expectation has also gone up. They (organisation) tell you what is expected and

your responsibility, if you are not coping well with the expectation or pressure- there will

be a guy to fill your place. You have to be a little agile and good with your consistency,

with your performance. That is all you can do.

I- yeah true. How do you see your role with younger players?

T- In what way?

I – I mean when a new younger bowler comes into the team, do you need to help them?

T- No I don’t need to guide them, they know there job better. They are not playing once in

an awhile. Cricket is happening in India.

I- At the international level?

T- If some one comes and asks for help, you try to help them and guide them in a better

way, not in a negative way; better preparation, how you prepared for your debut and how

you prepare for your come back, over coming injury and mental powers. You share the

experience with the youngster asking your help. But on the other hand, youngsters are

doing very well because nowadays, there are good facilities. For example, zonal academy

has done well. Your performance is evaluated and if you perform well, you will definitely

get a chance of getting into the higher level (Indian National Team) and won’t get lost (not

recognised). This is one very good thing the Indian Board has provided for the youngsters

I- You mean zonal?

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T- Zonal academy, talent research committee and lot of other things. It’s going in a very

positive way. Lot of youngsters will benefit from this kind of exposure.

I- That is good. What about managing emotions? Do you think you manage emotions?

T- yeah if you perform very well or when you have not done well, there were some errors

in your performance, you have to accept it. I don’t expect from others but I have to fulfil

others expectation, it is a challenge for you. You should not take it negatively, as in, ‘ I

shouldn’t be dropped or I should have been there’ and all that. You cannot control those

things.

I – What about team meetings or meetings with coaches and selectors? Have you had to

control or manage emotions?

T- Why do you need to control your emotions?

I- No, I am just asking whether you need to or you don’t need not.

T- Actually, I am a very quiet person and I listen a lot. If there is something wrong, there

are people to decide – the team management to decide; I am not the one to take the

decision. I keep quiet and listen to what is going wrong or what is going well. In the sense,

analysing the game or what others say, I have to keep it to myself because I am a youngster

and I am not in that dire to express my views.

I- What about the media. How do you deal with them?

T- Media you have to always have to handle them. Apart from cricket, it’s one more

challenge.

I- Do you have media training?

T- Yeah we do have media training. We know what we are talking, it should not affect the

team, affect the board and the management, so we should be very careful when you face the

media. So, speak very less and make it useful.

I – What about negative criticism from media and commentators?

T- I don’t watch the TV to be honest because it is negative criticism, it will not help me to

perform better. I see and do only those things that helps me to perform better and keep a

positive attitude, so I don’t really watch the negatives. If its helps me, then I will watch

negative criticism. As a person, cricketer I don’t enjoy watching negative criticism in the

TV or the paper, so I don’t watch it.

I- What do you about it?

T- No, they (commentators) are paid to do that kind of stuff.

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I- What about media?

T- you can’t control what the media says. I definitely can’t control it. I won’t go to the

press office and tell them that what they have written is not true. I don’t really bother

because it is not really in my control. If they (media) write something wrong, it is o.k, leave

them. I know what the truth is, so I don’t need to bother.

I- Do you feel playing too much cricket affects you emotionally and at the personal level?

T- I don’t really know how my personal life (relationship) will be. It’s different- personal

and professional life. I have not really enjoyed my personal life [gf’s, its not accepted to

talk about gf’s in India] because I have always enjoyed my cricket. I have sisters and

parents. I love to be in the ground till I am fit and perform for the country. But you have to

look into your personal life [settle as in marriage], it’s very important. To keep any one of

these happy, one will be affected. I will concentrate on the career, as it will help me in my

personal life, If personal life helps, then it is good. It is not like if I am playing well, I will

behave differently and if I don’t perform well, I will behave in another manner. The

outcome of your performance should not affect your personal life. You should not come

and show the negatives to your family, I was doing that; everyone does it when they were

young but once you mature you know how to handle. So we handle wins and loss better.

Cricket is a short game, it is a long duration game and we spend a lot of time in other states

and countries, definitely we miss our personal life a lot. If a person is very attached, then

they miss their family but everyone learns how to handle it as they grow.

I – Do you feel you are a different individual due to managing emotions and being a

cricketer?

T- Yeah definitely. It is a different life altogether when you are playing at the highest level,

you have lot of pressure, expectations, so you are a different person. When you come home,

you are a different person altogether, you cannot just shift to that very quickly. It takes a

couple of days to adapt to your family life again, it won’t happen immediately. You have to

be smart to adapt to these kinds of things very quickly. You cannot show your emotions

and anger at your parents because they don’t know the inside story. It is unfair to them.

I- Have you ever had to deal with some controversial issue with the media?

T- No.

I- Quite a lot of players have reported that they feel like ‘robots’ when are talking to the

media because their answers are so expected. What do you think about this?

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T- I tell them what all I can answer and what I cannot. I make them understand that I won’t

answer questions as I feel it is controversial and don’t want to get involved.

I- Has there been a time when you wanted to answer but you knew you shouldn’t?

T- No I have never felt because we know how to handle the media, you don’t want to give

everything you know. I give them only 20% of what I know and not give 100%. I don’t

want to be honest in these things as it will definitely affect the other person. I keep quiet, I

don’t want to hurt anyone by expressing these kind of things.

I – Do you mentally detach yourself while playing cricket?

T- It is cricket, it has showed and taught me lot of things in life, which I have accepted. I

don’t bother when I fail, I used to when I started at the international career. I wouldn’t eat

or sleep very well when I don’t perform well because I was thinking too much but it is not

the right way, as it is not helping me to recover myself. It is affecting me to get more

involved and disturbed. Now, I know to do things which helps to perform. I keep

everything at an optimal level, it should not affect my mindset or give distress to me, I

don’t want that. I don’t want to sit over here and think of what happened, like, ‘ I should

not be doing this or that’. It won’t help me perform better in the next event or opportunity.

I’ve learnt and experienced it, so I won’t make the same mistakes. I know this is cricket,

eight hours of cricket that is all. I come home, take shower and go out. My friends do help

because they don’t talk too much about cricket. That is very good for me. My close friend,

he never talks about cricket, he knows the game well but he never talks about cricket or my

game since he knows that it will not help me perform better. We just shift our mind.

I- Is there anything else you would like to add regarding your regarding the emotional

demands associated with professional cricketers?

T- No I am through.

I- Thank you very much for your participation.

T- Thank you Chaitanya. Hope your project will come out very well in WACA university.

T – Hopefully, thank you.

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Mark – Interview 1

I- Interviewer

M- Participant

I- What are your views regarding the rules of conduct, both on and off the field?

M- I think most of the codes are fine. It’s just that the way you look at the codes with

respect to different countries, I feel they are not quite equal on that, they don’t look at it in

the same way; the same criterion is not used throughout. I think probably the Asian

countries suffer, that is my feeling.

I- can you elaborate a little on that?

M- the way you look at a rule for say probably a white player (non-Asian) and for an Asian

player it differs. I feel Asian countries suffer.

I- Ok, what about off-field codes? Are they easy to deal with?

M- Again certain things are fine but sometimes certain codes feel really funny. They seem

stupid to me because all the other countries players do media work if they are not playing.

Say if you are a one-day player they do media work when they (team) plays test match

cricket.

I- You mean commentary?

M- Yeah commentary or any studio-analysis or things like that but it is only in our country

for every small thing, whether we want to sneeze or we want to drink water, we need to get

permission [from the BCCI]. That is what sometimes irks me a bit. Listen, if you look at it

every player has a shelf life and cricketers do have shelf life and if they can look at it in a

different career and they are getting opportunities to do it, why not do it. I don’t know why

the Board should come in between.

I- Yeah and your career is short.

M-Yeah our career is up to 35-36. Obviously different people are going to get paid different

kind of money but the thing is if you are getting opportunities, why not take it. Why not

take it?

I- Yeah. Okay these are a couple of ICC codes which a few players have said it is hard to

adhere to. Can you have a look at it and see if you find any of these difficult to follow?

M- I think everything is fine, except for the fact that ‘sometimes shaking of the head’ (ICC

code) does happen. Like if you don’t accept (the decision), it does happen at the heat of the

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moment, I don’t think it should be taken too seriously if the person is not doing it on a

regular basis, on and off is fine. Again, as I said the way they interpret it for us (Indians) or

I would say the Asian countries and the way they interpret it for the other western countries

is different.

I- Have you ever been in a situation where you shook your head and got fined?

M- no I have not been thankfully. I have been though at the domestic level, quite a few

times.


M- Nothing, sometimes it is just heat of the moment.

I- have you been fined?

M- No I have not been fined but sometimes chirping is interpreted in a very wrong way

here (India). Chirping in the international matches is interpreted in a very different way.

I- Yeah I was coming to that point, what are your views on sledging?

M- I am quite happy with the way that if you can chirp without getting too personal on

family and things like that, it’s fine. I think it is part of the game, it is banter. It’s cricket, it

is part of it, you are just trying to play the mental aspect of the game, and it’s fine as long as

long it does not cross certain limits.

I- According to the ICC you are not supposed to chip at all is it?

M- No you can chirp, you can needle the other person (opposition) but I don’t think you

should get too offensive and abusive. I think that goes beyond limit but as long as you are

trying to get the mental side of it, trying to psych them out or think them down a different

lane, that is fine.

I- Do any of the codes (that you saw) affect your behaviour? Do you need to change it?

M- Yeah sometimes. Obviously, these things are going to get you thinking and restrain

your normal chain of actions sometimes. Everybody can lose their temper once in a way but

I think with this, you tend to have a check, an emotional check but still as I said a ‘shake of

the head’ and all these things do happen once in a way because crucial situation and you are

given out and things like that, obviously you are going to be disappointed.

I- Okay. You’re a bowler so what do you think about ‘excessive appealing’? You can be

fined right?

M- Yeah you can be fined but as I said when you think it is out, purely out, plum out; you

are going to appeal till the time the umpire doesn’t give an LBW. You might be dismayed

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at the fact that he (umpire) has not still given it out, so you tend to appeal. Nobody does it

wontedly, if you are doing it wontedly, then again there is a limit. You can actually see that

they are doing it wontedly for everything they are appealing but sometimes the entire side

(team) feels that they have got the man, that’s when it happens (excessive appealing).

I- There are certain players who appeal for everything.

M- Yeah but then again interpretations of the rules is different for different players.

I- Okay.

I- Are there certain situations within the BCCI you find difficult to deal with?

M- That always happens. I think with BCCI it has been a problem for a long time. Selection

issues are going to be there, not everybody is going to be happy. Again, as I said different

yardsticks are always there for different people. The same yardsticks are never held for

different people. So, I think in that process, you are going to have lots of grumpy faces and

people are disappointed but that happens, and I don’t think it has changed over the years,

could have become marginally better but I don’t think so it has changed. When it comes to

organisational issues, there are loads because any small thing (didn’t complete). The other

countries, although our country is supposed to be the richest professionally we are not the

best. All the countries, I think by far they are very ahead in terms of standards. The way

they go about with players starting from injuries to Everything to the fact that organisation

of the fact that you are going to go somewhere, the team is going to assemble, lots of them,

lots of logistical issues, I think they are way ahead of us.

I- So what do you do to cope with these situations?

M- I think in India whatever happens, for us everything is ‘chalta hai’ (goes on) attitude.

We are not quality conscious anyways.

I- Does it irk you as a player?

M- Personally such things irks me a lot because I always believe in honesty and all these

things but I think everybody (all players) should be treated in the same way. I think is does

not happen, so it irks me a lot.

I- So what do you do?

M- I think in India, there are more bulls because we are all thick skinned now because we

are so used to things happening.

I- Even then, how did you cope the first time such things happened?

M- I have always asked questions of people and I do but the thing is nothing happens.

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I- How was that taken?

M- I have always been held for probably being too frank and too out-spoken, so it has

always got me into trouble. But I think that is the way to be, I am not here to do the good

things, I am here to do the right things. So, as long as I do that, I am happy with myself.

I- Do you think that might jeopardise your selection chances if you have been too out

spoken?

M- Probably it could have. I still think that, lots of times you are held as a rebel or that kind

of thing, it could have affected my chances.

I- So how do you balance between the two? You want to be in the team but also be

yourself?

M- I think I would love to be in the team for what I am and not what I am supposed to be,

so I will back my cricket rather than all these things to do that. As I said, if something

needs to be done the way its supposed to be in the right way, I would love to do it that way

rather than look for ways and means around.

I- That is really nice to know.

M- As I said I have always held it that way. I suppose you need to do the good things and

the right things, and not what people like.

I- Yeah we’ve seen lot of cricketers doing that.

M- Yeah I think it is more in India than elsewhere.

I- Are there situations where you need to consciously suppress your emotions, on or off the

field?

M- Yeah I think it is always like that, In India you have to be like that; Probably more often

than not, you cant express your opinion. It happens most of the time but if it goes beyond a

point, then I don’t stop myself. If it’s something trivial, I don’t show too many emotions

but in situations in which you have to show your emotions, I do.

I- Can you give one example where you consciously suppressed your emotions, whether

umpiring or something else?

M- It was more of a selectorial decision. I think it was just before the world cup, the last

world cup. I had done exceptionally well in the one-dayers, I was part of the one-day side, I

went to X country and they just dropped me just before the world-cup without having

played any game in X. I had done so well here (India) and gone to X country, then I didn’t

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play a game and came back. I was just disappointed and kept quiet but I could not do much

about it. There have been million such instances.

I- So how you cope?

M- You can’t do much. Obviously, you are going to be grumpy for a few days but the thing

is that you are not going to benefit by staying grumpy. So, might as well move on with it

and the fact that playing for the country is more important, that is what keeps you going.

I- What about the reverse- suppressing positive emotions or express unfelt emotions?

M- Ahhh.

I- Like you have done well but the team has lost.

M- See it happens sometimes. Even in those situations, there is a tinge of disappointment

inspite of you doing well, the team does not do well. On a personal front, you are going to

feel good if you have done well. As I said there is going to be a tinge of disappointment,

inspite of your effort, you didn’t win. You’d always feel that my five-wicket haul or 100

(century) was not of any use, especially the team’s use. So there is always going to be some

disappointment there.

I- What about pre-game thoughts?

M- Yeah if you ask any. if you interview millions of players, all the million will say there is

a tinge of jitters or nerves. I think its good, if you are too nervous it shows and if you are

not, that also shows. I think a bit of nerves is important.

I- Yeah we call it the optimal arousal.

M- Yeah there is an age old saying that only a student who has studied well, will feel

nervous before the exam, some body who has got no fear of failure wont because he is

going to fail anyway. So I think for somebody who is mid way, he is going to feel nervous

‘am I going to do well’ kind of thing. So I think I am as nervous as many people.

I- Do you think that you have to cover up certain emotions or behaviour just before the

game begins?

M- No I don’t think so. I am what I am and when it comes to nerves, it keeps going on in

your sub-conscious mind but it doesn’t show otherwise.

I- How was it when you first started?

M- I think I have always been like that, it has not changed much, pre-game nervousness has

been the same whether I play club cricket or international cricket, it is probably the same

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because if you have set few standards, then you want to be there and not lose it. So, that is

the kind of nervousness you have.

I- Who do you feel the expectations are from? Team, organisation orcountry?

M- I think the expectation is more from the country than anything else because teammates

are all doing the same kind of effort and they know the expectation.

I- By country you mean the people?

M- I think the people who are watching, everybody is included. You cannot segregate the

press, the media. I think in total it is everybody except the team.

I- Do you need to manage your emotions quite a lot being a first class cricketer?

M- Yeah that is because of the code of the conduct. If there were no rules and regulations

then everybody could be allowed to do whatever they wanted, that shouldn’t happen. I

think there are a few emotions and reactions which are bound to be there, which you are

going to have. At the same time there are few negative things which are supposed to be

suppressed and not supposed to be there, I think as long as you cater to that, it is fine.

I- Do you think it affects your behaviour to an extent?

M- No, as I said if I have to show emotions, I will show it. I wont let it cross a certain limit.

I- Okay so it does not cross a limit?

M- Sometimes it could, it has but the thing is that it does not become so bad. It does not

become ugly. You always have this, probably a short win that just goes beyond everything

but I think it has been under control more often than not.

I- What strategy do you employ to be in control?

M- Nothing, you just keep telling your self that you are not supposed to do it.

I- But does that work all the time?

M- Yeah if you keep telling yourself not to do it; sometimes, if things go beyond control,

you tend to do it. As I said, some negative emotions are supposed to be controlled, like you

are not supposed to use expletives, not abuse people, that is a negative emotion. Whereas

praise is a positive emotion but you praise only when you feel like praising but the thing is

even if you feel like abusing some one, you are not supposed to abuse.

I- Can you give an instance when you felt it challenging to deal with a code?

M- No I have not felt anything like that.

I- Any, even when you felt it was a straight plump but it was not given out.

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M- Nah it happens many times, you cannot do anything about it. You tend to live with it

because some times you get decisions which are not supposed to be given, I think it does

balance out. It could sound like a clichéd thing but it does happen, whether you are batting

or bowling it does happen. So there is no point in fretting about it.

I- You have been playing international cricket for awhile right?

M- Yeah seven years.

I- Do you think the pressure is more now?

M- When you first started you had nothing to lose because you have just come in and want

to do something but as you keep playing people’s expectations go up and the way the

present day media dissects everything, even if you sneeze or cough, they make something

out of it.

I- How do you deal with the media?

M- You cannot do much about it, some times it upsets you but the thing is then at the end

of the day you think ‘forget it’. I will be surprised if some body says it does not bother him.

I think it does, it does but again it is just that how much you let it go to your head. It is

going to upset anybody when somebody is going to say negative when it was not warranted

but at the same time if you can use it to help you or if you don’t get it too much to your

head, that is fine.

I- Do you think the organisation expectation has also gone up?

M- No I don’t think so. I have not felt that much because they don’t communicate that to

you.

I- I mean in obvious ways.

M- As I said again, different yardsticks are always held for selection. You are not going to

be on the right end of the stick always, more often than not you are going to be in the

wrong end of the sticks. You have to take it with your chin up. As I said in India you tend

to do that because you will have to live with it. Either change your self or the organisation,

the other does not happen, so it is better to change your self sometimes. Probably, I would

have been different had I been living in some other country but (laughing) the thing is that,

yeah, you just tend to be positive about the entire fact and then go about it. Lots of things

don’t go, as by what you expect it to but you cant do much about it. Beggars can’t be

choosers.

I- Oh my god, if you’ll say that. What would some one else?

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M- As I said, it is the same for everybody else. If you go to an organisation which is not

connected to cricket, you have to get something, you go there. Lots of people are standing

in line and they treat you (public) like shit, they don’t even cater to the fact that they are

there for their own rights. At the same time, they see a cricketer or something, their attitude

changes which is funny, which has happened many a times. That is a different thing, here

we are talking just about cricketing issues and cricketing issues are cricketing issues, they

don’t change.

I- Okay I have actually finished asking my set of questions, is there anything else you want

to say or clarify regarding what I have asked?

M- No I am fine.


M- No problem.

Chri: Interview 1

I- Interviewer

C- Participant

I- Thank you for your time. Before we begin, I’d like to stress that whatever you say is

totally confidential.

C- How can I trust what I say will be treated as confidential?

I – Trust me it is. It is stated in the information sheet as well. Your name or any identifying

characteristics won’t be revealed.

C- If I want to answer I will say yes, if I don’t want to answer I will say no.

I- Yeah, it is up to you; feel free to answer the questions you are comfortable with.

I- First of all what are your views regarding the ICC rules of conduct?

C- I think what the ICC has done is in the right direction. We need to have some sort of a

code, whether it is a professional game or a daily life we need to have some sort of a rule.

So in one way, it is good for cricketers because they know when to act and when to cross

the line. It is good to know the rules before hand, so if we show any gestures, we will be

fined. And that is a good thing, they can be aggressive but they have to keep the emotions

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under control. That is what the ICC has done; you cannot show gestures or make comments

on the opposition, it is good for the game as so many people will be watching, kids will be

watching. They are going to play next; we are the role models for those kids.

I- Anything negative?

C- No

I- Have you ever found any of the codes a little demanding or difficult to follow?

C- No.

I- Okay here are a couple of ICC codes? What do you think about them?

C- Absolutely fine.

I- Do you find any of them difficult to adhere to?

C- No only this one, excessive appealing (ICC Code). Sometimes in the heat of moment, it

looks like you are appealing more but they don’t do it deliberately. Only this one they

stretch too far, all other codes you have to avoid.

I- So what about the fine that goes with excessive appealing (last code on the sheet

provided)?

C- Sometimes but you need to accept the fine as you have already been informed what the

penalty for excessive appealing is, so you are ready for it. You don’t want to appeal

excessively but it happens some times.

I- Okay these are ICC. Do you find anything within the BCCI hard to follow?

C- No it is the same; BCCI and ICC are the same.

I- So everything is the same.

C- Yeah mostly. But with BCCI you cannot talk to the media when you are playing, that is

absolutely fine. You need to take permission from the BCCI before doing that. Once you

retire or you are off the field, I mean you are not playing you can talk to the media. When

you are playing you cannot talk to the media, once you are not playing you can.

I- Does India have off-field codes?

C- Yeah that is one of them.

I- So there is no other code or restriction?

C- No.

I- Can you give an example where you had to manage your emotions, either suppress or

express emotions?

C- As in?

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I- During the game or anything related to cricket, even umpiring decisions.

C- That has happened so many times

I- Which one comes first to your mind?

C- Once our team (state team) was playing against the Kenyan National side. The umpire

was calling wides, just like that. I did not react to it but one of our bowler reacted as he

bowled and it was declared wide, though it was not a wide as it had just missed the stumps

and the umpire called it a ‘wide’. Actually the umpire was not doing a good job, he was

doing it deliberately, every one knew that, the full team knew that. I had requested all our

players not to react but our bowler was fed up with the umpire and asked him, ‘how come it

is a wide, it just missed the stumps?’ Suddenly the umpire called me and said, ‘how come

the Captain cannot control the players, where did you learn your cricket from?’ It was too

much for me to control. I had waited for almost 2- 3 days, I replied, ‘where did you learn

your umpiring from?’ because he did not know the rules of the game. Of course, there was

a line drawn and we are not supposed to talk, our manager and coach had also informed us

not to talk, so that was the only time I had reacted and that became a big issue. He took the

bails and walked off and he said, ‘I am calling off the game’. But everyone knew it, our

players and even their players knew that he was doing it deliberately. He was not sane.

Afterwards, we realised that he was not doing it deliberately but he was like that. They

called off the game.

I- This was in Kenya or India?

C- Kenya, Nairobi. Both the managements spoke and resumed the game after an hour.

I- Okay. So do you think that was the best way to deal with the situation?

C- Yeah sometimes you need to be express your emotions. You can’t do it in an

international game.

I- Yhat was an international game right?

C- Yeah but it was not recorded. The umpire knew that what he did was not recorded.

I- So the match was not at all recorded?

C- It was recorded but not for an official purpose. It was a warm-up game between the State

side and National team. That was the only time I expressed my emotions. Otherwise in a

recorded match, we have never expressed out emotions as it South Indians don’t react, I

mean in general, they know that they have to accept things, especially in a game of cricket.

I- Okay. What are your views about pre-game thoughts? What is going on in your mind?

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C- Lot of things. In an international game, the pressure is somewhat high compared to a

first class game. You know that the thoughts are going to come; you are already ready for

it. Some times you ignore those thoughts, at other times accept it and try to find a solution.

There are different ways of dealing with things; the best way to me is to ignore it.

I- So if you are playing against a good team, what is foremost on your mind?

C- Your performance and then your team is winning. If the team is winning, then

everything will be in place. If the team is not doing well, then the thoughts will be more;

there is lot of pressure on you to perform, lot of pressure to do well. They want to do win

but it is just not happening. That is the time when you need to be very strong.

I- So what do you do during such times?

C- You need to back yourself. You need to say all those things happened previously and

now I am just going to get on with things. You need to have that faith, that is the only thing

you carry during the time of danger. That faith comes to you gradually, it does not come in

one day or one month or one year, it come over a period of time. That is the main thing. So

people who are very strong like ‘X’ and ‘Y’ (Indian players) knows how to deal with those

things and handle situation. They come out of the slump very easily. I mean they struggle

but they know how to react and how to think. The thought process in very important. If you

know you are going to be very positive, not just for the sake of thinking, you need to act

also. So if you can act and think in a positive way, then things will start going in your way.

That is one way of dealing with things, it does not come easily. It comes over a period of

time. You cannot teach someone how to think, as his thought process is different from

mine. It is totally different, I cannot force someone to think the way I think. It is all

individual, some people can’t sit in the room just before the game, they go out and come

late at night. That is the way they do and perform really well the next day. Such people

don’t want to sit in the room thinking about the game. There are two things switch on and

off, if you can do that perfectly, then your performance will not be affected. For some guys

like me, I cannot go out; I need to stay in the room, sleep well, I need to have the sleep. It is

totally different for others, some of my teammates cannot sit in the room because they are

so tensed, they need to go out and keep themselves occupied. They don’t want to think

about the game but when they enter the field they are totally different. It is all different, you

cannot teach a guy what to think.

I- During pre-game do you feel you need to cover up emotions?

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C- As in?

I- Just before the game?

C- you have to suppress those negative emotions. It happens to everyone; in fact when you

do any thing new, you are nervous. In cricket whether you are playing a domestic or an

international game, the first few moments are very nervous. You need to talk to your

seniors during such times, they play a part, they need to calm you down but some of the

guys want to be there (international) from the start. For example, I played domestic cricket

for five years before I played an international match and I had interacted with many

international cricketers, so I knew what was forth coming and what I had to do. So I was

ready for it, as in when I entered my first game, I knew billion people will be watching me

but I was ready for it. In a way that is good, if you plan and get ready for it, then half the

job is done. Some people are not ready, they are just posing type, then they do not know

what to do because things are happening so fast, before they realise everything will be over

and they will be out of the side also. That is where some people are lucky and some are not.

So you need to talk to a lot of guys, read lot of books and get ready mentally, especially for

an international sport like cricket. I mean for any sport but cricket is such a big thing in

India.

I- I was coming to that, do you think there is a lot more pressure in India than elsewhere?

C- Yeah obviously the pressure is a lot more in India. Even now cricket is not a

professional sport in India, it is an amateur sport. No cricketer is a professional; he is

employed in some other organisation, like I am employed in a bank, that is my profession.

You act professionally as a cricketer but actually you are not a professional. All

professional cricketers are in England or Australia, they are paid to play cricket. Here it is

not like that.

I- Hasn’t it started yet?

C- No it has not yet started. They want to have gradation now, they are slowly doing it. The

thing is we are not salaried, in the sense we are not paid salary to play cricket, we are paid

salary to work somewhere else but we play cricket. We have been given the fees but it is

not the salary. That is the difference.

I- Do you need to manage your emotions relating to cricket related incidents?

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C- Yeah you have to manage emotions lot of times but if a cricketer is mentally fit, then he

is not bothered about the administrative work, the selectors, crowd, pressure, the media or

anything.

I- Yeah agreed. But do you still need to manage emotions to an extent? Say with younger

players.

C- Yeah there are times. We try to explain things in the best way possible, sometimes they

listen and at others they don’t. If they don’t accept, then we have to accept the situation.

The best way is to think that you cannot change everyone but easier to change yourself, be

quiet and ignore them. That is the only way.

I- So how do you deal with wrong umpiring decision or when you are not selected?

C- In one way I take it inside, I don’t express it outside because I don’t want others to know

when I am frustrated or angry. Suppose I am not selected in the team, I tell myself that ‘I

will prove so many people wrong’. I take it in a positive way, as a challenge. I don’t know

how others deal with it but this is the only thing you can do and climb the ladder. Otherwise

if you start sulking, you go down gradually and once you do that you cannot climb up the

stairs. It is pretty difficult; after all sports is for a short period, if you keep sulking and you

keep on looking at the past instead of being worried about the future, it is very difficult.

I- That is a good point.

C- Take it as a challenge and do lot of positive things. Work it out, score lot of runs if 100

is not enough score 200. We try to teach all the youngsters to do the same thing, you cannot

crib about small things, you cannot keep on complaining. I mean they will but we need to

accept things.

I- How do you deal with deselected players?

C- We need to talk to them that is the only way. Show them the example of people who

have come up from the slump. We need to make them believe that they can do it; that is the

only way. I mean at the end of the day, you cannot go and play for him; it all depends on

him. You can only make sure he trusts himself and keeps on going, belief is something you

can put in. I can speak to him for half an hour when he is dropped and make him think.

Suppose he does not want to come for practice the next day because he is dropped, at times

you may need to force him. Later he will realise what I have done is correct. He cannot give

up practice because you are not in the team. Emphasise their positives and they will listen

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to you. At that moment, they are frustrated and may not realise what I am doing is good but

later they will.

I- Can you give an example where you found it reasonably difficult or challenging to deal

with?

C- No.

I- Even umpiring decisions?

C- I have always accepted if it is an umpiring decision, I just think ‘I have another game, it

is fine’. I have not come across a situation that is very difficult.

I- Even with selectors?

C- Never been in a tough situation because I have not spoken to a selector till now.

I- Do you think there is a difference now?

C- Yeah definitely.

I- In what way?

C- It is all with the approach towards the game. People are a lot fitter these days, it is all

about fitness, fielding is improved, batting skill and running between the wickets; it is all

good for cricketers. I can see the change from 1992, the game picked up then because of

Sachin Tendulkar, Lara and all those players. The media coverage was too much and

people started taking these individuals as their heroes and they wanted to play the game, too

many kids got involved in the game and the game got bigger. That is when all these

changes took place.

I- And what do you think of the pressure?

C- A lot more pressure now, it is too much now.

I- Why do you think it is more?

C- Because there is a lot of money involved, a lot at stake. You miss one game, then you

are out of the side, you find it difficult to climb again because there are too many cricketers

waiting to get in. Nowadays, the chances are very less, the opportunities are very less; you

need to make the most when the opportunity is given. That is too much pressure because

once you miss it; you have lost it for your lifetime. If you think in this way, the pressure

gets on to you.

I- What about as a Captain, do you feel the pressure has gone up?

C- Yeah a lot more. I will tell you the case, when I started playing cricket our match fees

was Rs. 700 ($ 230 Aus approx), whether you play well or don’t play well, you get only

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700. Even if you win Ranji trophy (National tournament) you wouldn’t get anything. We

played the game just for the sake of winning it and not for money; money was not at all in

our mind. Now it is not the case, as I told you we are not professional cricketers. You need

to make money because the cost of living has gone up. If you stop playing cricket, you are

nowhere. You don’t have a career outside cricket because all our life we have been playing

cricket and studied only up to a degree (undergraduate) that does not help you now. After

35-36 you are stranded, so you know that when you are playing you need to make some

sort of security, not for luxury. So people (cricketers) know that if you play well you are

secured for your life, other wise you are nowhere. You will have to struggle for two meals.

This is the case in India, I don’t know how it is in foreign countries because they can opt

for social security, the government is there, here (India) nothing is there.

I- True.

C- So all these things build up. When you are playing, you cannot think of all those things.

You just need to play the game and leave the rest to go on.

I- True. I have finished my questions, is there anything you would like to clarify?

C- No I’m okay.


C- It is okay.

Chris: Interview 2

I- After the video-clip was shown, what do you think happened over there?

C- That is all because of the Duckworth Lewis (D/L) method. According to the D/L

method, the team batting second will score runs than the team batting first. So, in this case

India batted first, Pakistan would have scored more runs than the India. That is what

happened there in Peshawar (Pakistan), it is because of the projection. They take the

number of wicket, runs, and situation; it is all mathematical. It not real cricket, I mean not

won by the bat or ball. The calculations give the result; it is a very sad thing. According to

me, either the bat wins or the ball wins but not the calculation that is what happened. The

Indians were disappointed but they couldn’t help because of the rule. You can’t change the

rule.

I- If you were in that situation what would you be thinking or feeling?

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C – We would have known much earlier. Every over or every five, they (the team

management) will be sending us messages with the target we need to bowl and get wickets.

Since, Pakistan has lost seven wickets, their target has come down. It happened so fast that

Rahul did not have much time to think as it started drizzling, it became very dark and

within no time they had taken the decision and called off the match. That was very

disappointing for Rahul Dravid because he had no time to think or react. It was not a bad

decision from Rahul Dravid because they were fighting a game which was very close

because another three overs would have taken another 10-12 minutes maximum, they

(India) could have won but the umpires felt the light was too bad. You need to accept the

umpires decision also.

I- So what would you do in such a situation while you’re Captaining?

C- It would have been disappointing but you can’t help. Even there (in the clip) all the

players are disappointed because it was a high scoring game and a nail-biting game, anyone

could have won the game, the odds were even. Naturally, everyone will be disappointed but

you can’t show it. You have to hide those disappointments; inside you will be feeling that

you could have won the game because it was the first game [of the series]. If you had won

the first game, then you gain the momentum. You will be disappointed but you cannot

show it, you need to come back in the second game and that is what happened.

I- Yeah anyone would be disappointed.

C- Yeah but you can’t help it.

I- So how do you deal with those situations?

C- First of all, you have not done anything wrong, you have to think like that as you have

fought well, played well but ultimately it was not in your hands. You take it as something

which was beyond our control like the wicket, the weather, umpiring decisions, we cannot

think about it too much. You cannot change the course, so you console yourself, as you

have not done anything wrong so that you don’t get yourself down, you need to keep your

spirits high. That is what Rahul has done there and they (India) came back very well and

defeated Pakistan throughout the series. That is what Rahul would have said.

I- Have you ever been in such a situation where the D/L method was employed?

C- Yeah but we were on the other side

I- Okay, where was this.

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C- It was a first class game and a test game. All the one-day games I have played have

never been rained off, full quota has been played.

I- Okay.

C- It was a first class game and we were supposed to bat, we were on the gaining end so we

didn’t have anything to crib about. It was in Hyderabad. We also felt sorry for the other

side but that is how it is, you can’t help because some days you will be on the receiving end

that D/L method only is like that.

I- Were you actually watching this match when India was playing?

C- Yeah I was.

I- How did you feel?

C- I just switched off the television, I was frustrated. We have been watching the game for

100 overs and then you cannot know the climax, it was totally anti-climax; it should not

have happened. They (Pakistan) were declared winners by 7 runs that is ridiculous, a team

batting second should be by number of wickets.

I- Yeah true.

C- Pakistan would have been ahead by 7 runs when the game was called off, so it was 7

runs.

I- Okay. Have you ever been out to a controversial umpiring decision?

C- Yeah so many times.

I- Yeah it happens, so do you react back?

C- Only once I had reacted very badly. It was in Australia, it was a side game (warm up). I

was in the Indian team and it was against Queensland Bulls. I played a flip shot, the ball

had taken the thigh pad, it rolled off and the umpire gave me out LBW. It was so high

especially for a six-footer like me, the ball hitting my thigh pad and that too on a wicket in

Australia where the bounce is so much, obviously the ball would not hit the wicket. I just

put my head down and reacted that was the only time.

I- But that is ok right?

C- Yeah you can show your disappointment but not any gesture.

I- Did you show any gesture?

C- I just showed my hand like that (gestured to thigh pad, indicating it was low) and that

was the only time.

I- So what happened?

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C- No because they also knew, some of them knew. The match referee came to me and

said, ‘you should not show gesture’ so I said ‘sorry, it happened in the heat of the moment’.

That was the only time.

I- So you didn’t get fined?

C- No.

I- So what do you think of the code which state that ‘Players must not show dissent at the

Umpire’s decision. This includes disappointment with an umpire’s decision with specific actions

such as shaking of the head, snatching cap from umpire, pointing at pad or inside edge’.

C- That is very difficult because the odds are so high I mean you know you know the

pressure is so much and you are always against the odds, so sometimes this kind of gesture

happens (shaking of the head) but it does not affect much like the other two (snatching cap

from umpire and pointing at pad) as it is obvious that you are disappointed. Some times you

cannot avoid it but you need to, that is why when you enter into the international side, we

are given lot of examples where you cannot react and you will be told what to do.

I- Okay but what do you when you face such a situation?

C- It still happens, later we realize we shouldn’t have done it and that happens in the heat of

the moment, you are too involved in the game and you are too pressurized. You want to do

well but suddenly something unfortunate like that happens, you will obviously tend to react

and then you will know that you shouldn’t be doing it, so you avoid it. You will later repent

it in the dressing room that I shouldn’t have done it.

I- Do you realize it with time?

C- Yeah this happened before, when they had just introduced all these rules.

I- Okay Sehwag has been fined a few times for showing dissent at the umpires.

C- people misunderstand

I- yeah he has been fined also. Have you been fined for any match breaches?

C – No, not even once.

I- So what do you do or how do you train youngsters in this regard?

C- Instead of saying what not to do I tell them what to do. If you tell not to shake their

head, they will do the same thing, may be subconsciously. So, you tell them to just walk off

once the decision is given. Not everyone will listen. Some people are totally excited or

short-tempered by nature they do that. They accept that they should not do it but they can’t

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control later they repent. They repent but not regret. It happened but they are not worried.

But if the player goes too far for a wrong decision, then he should be penalized.

I- What do you mean by too far?

C- Like shouting at the umpire which rarely happens, then he should be penalized.

I- Yeah that is rare.

C- Like what happened in Australia when Gavaskar was given out, those things don’t

happen now.

I- What happened I don’t remember?

C- Gavaskar was playing, he was given out LBW for a Dennis Lillee shot, he just walked

off and took the other batsman with him. That does not happen right now, you will be

banned for life (laughing). You cannot do those kind of things as players are pretty aware.

Awareness is very important and this sort of awareness has come only because of the match

referee, he is always there to watch you and at the back of your mind you know the

consequences you are going to face, so it is better to accept the decision and walk off. It

does not happen all the time, may be once in awhile.

I- What about bowlers?

C- Yeah bowlers can get fined for excessive appealing; it is the same thing. More than the

batsmen the bowlers will be running in hard, they will be toot tired and then they will be

frustrated if the batsman is not given out when it is obvious that he is out, they show dissent

and this sort of gestures. You need to cut down all those things. You try to do that but so

many times you try to control but you cannot. You should understand that it comes out but

the match referee does not spare even a single player in order to keep it down to the

minimum. The fine and suspension may be 2-3 matches can be very crucial and players

know that. If they miss out and someone is coming in, he will be losing his place. Players

know that, it is not the same old player who will be playing for years together; nowadays

the competition is too much. You cannot make the slightest of mistake and they will be

aware and try to do the needful

I- Do you think the pressure is also more?

C- Yeah.


C- You need to deal with that pressure. It is not a small thing. Before you go into the

cricket field you know what to do, you are mentally prepared even if it is a very bad

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decision, you control your anger, you control your temper that has come to all the players

right now. That is why there are so many decisions against the batsman but people are not

reacting, its all because of the ICC codes.

I- Do you think it is more with the Indian players. I have seen players from other countries

show their anger, like Australia or England.

C- they get away with it.

I- So do you think it has to do with the mental make up?

C- We cannot generalize, it all depends on the individual. Sachin has been given out so

many times and he just walks out, very rarely he has shown dissent. Even Rahul has not

shown, sometimes he has been given LBW when he has played with the middle of the bat. I

know 2-3 incidents but he has not shown dissent, they are too mature and ready for such

things. Sometimes people don’t know, they appeal excessively and the have been caught

but sometimes these foreign players shaking their head should not be confused, They are

not showing disappointment, sometimes they may be cursing their own self we should not

misunderstand those things. That is why the match referee is very important, he can judge

whether a player is doing intentionally or not. The discretion lies on the umpire and the

match referee; it is a very thin line between dissent and disappointment. If you are fined for

showing disappointment at your self, you can’t help it. Everyday we will be improving, if I

am fined for this today I wont it tomorrow.

I- What do you think about cricket in India, especially since it is so huge?

C- Everyone knows that it is more than a sport in India, people play cricket here to make a

living. Suppose I am a cricketer and I have chosen cricket, it is to make my living as well

enjoy that is secondary. The priorities change their numbers. My priority is to make a living

from cricket and obviously to enjoy is second. In our culture there is too much pressure, it

is the survival of the fittest. It is not like you are out of the team and you will be there

tomorrow. It is not like that, you are not sure whether you will be in the team the next day.

So players will be putting lot of effort to stay in the team and to make the team win. So it is

not just playing for their own self but also for the team. If you take out cricket from my life,

I am 90% dead. At this stage things are like that. If I was 20 years old and I had other

options, it would have been different. I have taken cricket for so long, I cannot go back and

start again, I don’t have a choice. I have put in so many, days and years of my life for

cricket, I cannot go back. It is not like some other countries, where they can chose their

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options or have alternatives, it is not like that in India. Here it is all about survival. There it

is something different.

I- So do you feel it influences you even outside cricket, your emotions?

C- If you are a cricketer in India you know how to deal with life, you know how to adapt.

You know how to handle failures and challenges. Cricket in a way teaches you how to

handle situations; it will bring character in you. It has helped me as well as lot of cricketers.

You learn lot of things as you keep traveling and meet lot of people. It is a diverse country

you need to understand that. There are lots of people from different languages, religion and

culture but still they play together. That is the best thing of Indian cricket. It would not

happen in some other country like Australia or West Indies where different countries come

from different islands, they would not be able to play together. That is not the case in India

that is one good thing about Indian cricket. So, cricket teaches you a lot. Basically in India

you need to adapt very quickly, if you don’t you are out. Like if you are speaking to a

cricketer who speaks Tamil his culture is different but you need to adapt and have tolerance

and not say he is a Tamilian or Gujrati. In a way, it is a good thing. So you know how to

adapt, how to speak, how to move about, how to mingle with players, it teaches you

everything. It is not like that in other countries, everything is the same whether you come

from this state or that, it does not matter because the culture is the same but here it is not

like that. So obviously cricket is a part of my life.

I- So does it influence every part of your life?

C- Yeah definitely.

I- How is playing in another country? I mean playing for India in India and India in a

foreign soil like Australia.

C- The challenges are different because you are in an alien condition, the players are

different, the wicket is different and you wouldn’t have been there for long. You need to

challenge the conditions so the pressure is less is another country because everyone knows

it is in alien conditions. If you do well, it’s fine but if you don’t do well there is not much

pressure. Whereas, if your playing in India, you are playing in front one lakh crowd and

one million people are watching (on television) obviously the pressure is more because you

are playing in home conditions you have to win.

Everyone knows you are

I- But what about the home crowd advantage?

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C- Yeah it can be but it can be both ways if you are doing well it can motivate you but if

you are not doing well, it can sap you down. So obviously the pressure is more in India,

Indian conditions because you have to win no matter what, people expect you to win

because that has been the trend for the past 15 years from 1990 to 2005. India wins at home

and don’t do well on foreign soil. Suppose you are on an Australian or New Zealand tour

and you do well, nothing like that but you have nothing to lose. Whereas, in India you need

to do well because the past record says that most of Indian teams have won, so the pressure

is always there. But there are two kinds of pressure; you know how to deal with it. It is

different there (outside India) and here (India). When it comes to cricketing terms there is

not much.

I- What about adhering to the rules? Is it different or difficult adhering to than in India?

C- It is the same.

I- What about sledging? Aussies are known for their sledging, how do you deal with it?

C- Most mature cricketers don’t react to sledging. In a way, we don’t understand their

(Aus) language (accent). Secondly, we know they are going to sledge and it wont create an

impact on a mature player, he will just shove it off and comes back and bats. That is what

they do. Before it used to affect, now they know what to do. May be it affects a youngster

but if he is mentally strong, he also wont react.

I- Okay. How is it playing against Pakistan?

C- I don’t know I have not played against Pakistan. Sitting here (outside) and watching is

very tensed, may be playing is easier.

I- Yeah it is pretty tense watching the match. What are your views on sledging?

C- It has to be there, otherwise there is no fun. I mean if two dumb people are playing, there

is no fun.

I- Do you mean to say there is lot of talk going on when two teams are playing?

C- Yeah there will be.

I- Okay everyone else doesn’t come to know?

C- Yeah there will be a lot of talk going on especially with the wicket keepers and close in

slip fielders, there will be a lot. There will be saying 100 things but only thing is others

don’t come to know.

I- Are you talking about both sides?

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C- Yeah both sides. They will give back when we come in to bat. So, you are ready for it

because if you accept that when you have given, they will also give when you come to bat.

It motivates you, if someone says you won’t play that shot, you will (stopped himself) you

won’t react.

I- Even Indians?

C- Yeah lot of cricketers talk. All the teams talk.

I- Okay the general opinion is that Indians don’t usually talk

C- That is because the microphone is off.

I- Even Indian.

C- Yeah (stated assertively). You think we (Indians) don’t talk but in reality every ball we

will be speaking, every ball there we will be commenting. It is not easy.

I- But doesn’t ICC codes say that you should not sledge? C- people do it but they don’t

show it.

I-Okay is there anything else you would like to say or clarify.

C- No I am fine.

I- Thank you very much.

C- You are welcome.

EMOTIONAL LABOUR IN PROFESSIONAL CRICKET

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