Mental Disintegration | Who Does it Well Now?

[kingusama92]

Aussies were top class when it came to playing mind games. Obviously, it helped that they were stacked from top to bottom in terms of stars.

Before them, it was the West Indies of the 80s. They were at a completely different level as opposition players actually feared for their lives with them!

Is there any team of that level any more?

The English have tried playing mind games. I would say they are hit and miss, mostly miss. South Africans have tried it through Steyn recently, but I don't know how much effect it had.

Has Twitter kind of rendered this phenomenon useless? Players are used to conversing with each other so much, the 'aura' of opposing players is gone.

[Savak]

Australians have lost that aura. South Africa is the only team which comes close to it now especially in their own backyard.

[CricnPak]

Best recent example - Vettori against South Africa in the WC QF. He pounced on Faf after running out AB and nobody saw it coming.

Mental Disintegration = Successful Trolling

[Shayan]

As you say, the quality of the players in the team is what creates the mental pressure, nothing else. South Africa currently have the team to do that.

[Anfield]

Idone . "I am going to unleash teesra on England" Worked like a charm. English players and media got so sucked into it.

as a team we probably are not good at it. Others are not that good to walk the talk. Gul one of them.

[MenInG]

Good point - I recall Faisal Iqbal trying to create mental pressure against England once...

[Jo_Don]

I've seen Steyn do it, but that's because he's a freak who can back up his words, and he's always in bastman's face even after getting them out.

The rest of the guys in the team are too mild mannered and lack that level of aggression. Smith has toned down a lot, and doesn't say much these days. Amla, Kallis, AB and Morkel are nice guys, who perform well but don't assert themselves as well as Steyn does to make their presence known.

[Anfield]

Originally Posted by Jo_Don I've seen Steyn do it, but that's because he's a freak who can back up his words, and he's always in bastman's face even after getting them out. The rest of the guys in the team are too mild mannered and lack that level of aggression. Smith has toned down a lot, and doesn't say much these days. Amla, Kallis, AB and Morkel are nice guys, who perform well but don't assert themselves as well as Steyn does to make their presence known.

Morkel is too nice to be a fast bowler. I have seen him walking away without saying a single word after bowling a fierce bouncer.

[Jo_Don]

Originally Posted by Anfield Morkel is too nice to be a fast bowler. I have seen him walking away without saying a single word after bowling a fierce bouncer.

Donald (who himself was quite good at this sort of thing) has apparently had some words with him about this, so I'm hoping to see a change in him. It's probably one of the missing ingredients preventing him from living up to his potential.

[TNA]

Australia played mental games on the field, im afraid currently there is not a team that will come close. The Aussie team from that era was class from top to bottom

[Green Leopard]

Steve Waugh's philosophy of mental disintegration was not following on, and batting longer then needed knowing full well they could bowl out the opposition inside a day. Basically grinding down the opposition.

But this was hijacked by many of the Australian players into blatant acts of disgusting sledging boosted by inflated self-importance.

[OZGOD]

Like Green Leopard mentioned above, mental disintegration is much more than just sledging the opposition. It was really about applying relentless pressure through not just words, but actions, to cause the opponent to start to doubt himself, and subsequently to choke or fail to perform at his best. For example, putting up 600 at 4+ rpo in a couple of days, bowling out the opposition for 250 and then batting again to put another 100 or so on the board and make the demoralised opposition chase leather for a couple of sessions. It's an arrogance backed by performance. McGrath nominating a bunny, and making it happen. Or Gilchrist hammering a 60-ball ton before a declaration in the 500s. Warney appealing whenever the ball raps the pad, or taking an absurdly long time to make pointless small changes to his field to mess with the batsman's head.

Or with the WI it was Viv Richards coming out and blasting at No3 after the first wicket had fallen, forcing the opposition captain to put a one-day field on the first day of a Test match. Or them using their battery of quicks to bowl bouncer after bouncer at batsmen's heads, to put the fear of God into them.

These days not many do it very well, because the top teams are all close to each other in ability. Mental disintegration works well if there is a fear factor backed by overwhelming superiority in performance. I don't think any of these teams fear each other. They all think they can beat each other on any given day.

[Savak]

Originally Posted by OZGOD Like Green Leopard mentioned above, mental disintegration is much more than just sledging the opposition. It was really about applying relentless pressure through not just words, but actions, to cause the opponent to start to doubt himself, and subsequently to choke or fail to perform at his best. For example, putting up 600 at 4+ rpo in a couple of days, bowling out the opposition for 250 and then batting again to put another 100 or so on the board and make the demoralised opposition chase leather for a couple of sessions. It's an arrogance backed by performance. McGrath nominating a bunny, and making it happen. Or Gilchrist hammering a 60-ball ton before a declaration in the 500s. Warney appealing whenever the ball raps the pad, or taking an absurdly long time to make pointless small changes to his field to mess with the batsman's head. Or with the WI it was Viv Richards coming out and blasting at No3 after the first wicket had fallen, forcing the opposition captain to put a one-day field on the first day of a Test match. Or them using their battery of quicks to bowl bouncer after bouncer at batsmen's heads, to put the fear of God into them. These days not many do it very well, because the top teams are all close to each other in ability. Mental disintegration works well if there is a fear factor backed by overwhelming superiority in performance. I don't think any of these teams fear each other. They all think they can beat each other on any given day.

This is how it should be. All top teams equally well matched with each other. I was getting tired of the Aussie aura with too much one sidedness. Lol at Gilchrist's comment at one point in time "Australia should be seperated from the rest of the world, there should be a different tier system in place etc". Little did he realize that any team is only as good as its players, domestic cricket or not, if you dont the real thing, others will eventually catch up.

[cricketworm]

McGrath MADE IT HAPPEN!

Australia could have never done that without him. I hated him when he used to take our batmen's wickets! Rising delivery out side off ..... caught behind every SINGLE time!!! He got in to my nerve!!

What a legend.

[cricketworm]

The thing is if your team is backed up by fearsome bowlers and few attacking batsman! You could really do that. I must say only one man has done that in our team. Viru! He had done lots of damage to Lankan test team and their mindset. You can call him FTB but you just don't bat like that in test! He had played some unreal innings against them.

[Canistani Hero]

The Australians still do it to an extent, but only on home turf, so do England but no team truly does it as blatantly as 7-8 years ago. South Africa would probably top the charts at the moments but largely because of Steyn.


..who remember's Sreesanth

[kingusama92]

Originally Posted by Canistani Hero ..who remember's Sreesanth

He took 'mental disintegration' to a whole other level.

His team mates were the victims of his efforts.

[freelance_cricketer]

Only freakishly great teams like West Indies of 80s and Aussies of Notties could do that. Not the kind of stuff you expect from any other good team. Winning a series in style is one thing, dominating a sport for a decade is another.


So there is no answer to your question (and thank god for that and i dunno why i say this even though i claim to be a spiritual atheist but anyway), as it doesn't exist. Raging Bulls in PPCL are getting close though.

[LastLaugh_PK]

Afridi blowing a kiss at the bowler..

That is the definition of ultimate mental destruction..

[fusebulb]

And then skying a full toss in the hands of midoff..... That is the ultimate self mental destruction.....!!!!

[withlovefrom vizag]

i think steyn and english bowlers do have a go at the batsman!

Did any one noticed a spat (...almost) b/w kohli and pradeep

[velu]

Indian batsmen seems to be doing it to lankan bowlers these days

[Lethalweapon]

Originally Posted by cricketworm McGrath MADE IT HAPPEN! Australia could have never done that without him. I hated him when he used to take our batmen's wickets! Rising delivery out side off ..... caught behind every SINGLE time!!! He got in to my nerve!! What a legend.

Really? he said he will get SRT 6 times in 2001 series but did NOT do it. SRT got 2 50s and ton. Infact, Gillespie looked more threatening against SRT than Mcgrath in that series.
Steve Waugh got it back , a certain SC Ganguly reversing Mental disintegration on him, Waugh seemed to be affected by it till his last test.

[leatherface58]

Kohli. Malinga. Hobart. Ultimate mental disintegration.

[Abid Z]

does mental disintegration count if one does it to their own team?

you could sense the pak team disintegrating the minute kami got behind the stumps or Sami bowled to 5th leg stump!

[IcedEarth]

Originally Posted by leatherface58 Kohli. Malinga. Hobart. Ultimate mental disintegration.

Nah, Ambani, Malinga, India is the better combination. But that is called financial disintegration.

[Statsman]

Sehwag Vs Gul comes to mind #worldcupSF

[Statsman]

Atherton "That's the Sehwag effect. You've got a bowler coming into this game in prime form, and within a space of 1.5 overs he's lost it!"

[Lethalweapon]

Originally Posted by IcedEarth Nah, Ambani, Malinga, India is the better combination. But that is called financial disintegration.

Blame the Srilankan board who ignored Malinga when he was injured in 2008-09.

[Statsman]

Originally Posted by IcedEarth Nah, Ambani, Malinga, India is the better combination. But that is called financial disintegration.

defendersofbharat1.JPG

now keep crying

[IcedEarth]

Originally Posted by Statsman Attachment 26345 now keep crying

Keep crying, yeah!

(Stats up to 1st ODI od SL vs IND series)



Stats of Malinga and other bowlers, against India and against others. Ex. Malinga averages 1.729 times against India pre-IPL, while others average 1.518 times higher against India.

Since Malinga has not played between IPL1 and 2, aevarge of two previous seasons is used.

[leatherface58]

interestingly, malinga was lanka's best bowler vs india in 2011 wc final. if he really were after an ipl contract he would have given his worst performance ever at the grandest stage of them all just to reiterate his "loyalty".

[IcedEarth]

I am not saying he's fixed or is a cheat. Just doesn't appear to give 100% against India. He just don't bowl according to the situation. Even in WC final, few searing short balls with a wet ball at Dhoni could have made a difference, because the ball skids on and a batsman will hardly have time when it is delivered at 145k. But WC final I'd say he did well.

[praveen]

I'd still go with Aussies . India is coming along with kohli being the flag bearer.

[DeadlyVenom]

Originally Posted by Anfield Idone . "I am going to unleash teesra on England" Worked like a charm. English players and media got so sucked into it. as a team we probably are not good at it. Others are not that good to walk the talk. Gul one of them.

Haha yeh ajmal trolled England big time.

[Statsman]

Mat Hayden did it well too. The way he used to walk down the pitch to hit the trundlers out of the park...totally demoralized them..

same way KP does it now..

[velu]

Chris gayle stance vs trundlers when he is ready to launch himself is a scary sight even for non-strikers.

[dadvoc]

England are the only one that comes to mind now.
Their bowlers keep on talking and playing mind games, Broad and Anderson are the prime examples

[truthseer]

Originally Posted by dadvoc England are the only one that comes to mind now. Their bowlers keep on talking and playing mind games, Broad and Anderson are the prime examples

Barbie ranks highest on mental disintegration?

[IcedEarth]

Originally Posted by velu Chris gayle stance vs trundlers when he is ready to launch himself is a scary sight even for non-strikers.

Chris Gayle is hugely overrated. The trundlers of today are nor prepared to bowl line and length at him, and try too many things. Ask Vaas, he'll still nail Gayle with his eyes closed.

[Gotham Cronie]

I think the two teams best suited for it are playing each now in a test series.

[SL_Fan]

No one. Not enough argy-bargy these days. Sadly.

[Square Drive]

I'd definitely say Saeed Ajmal, with the Teesra. He strangled the Englishmen, threatening to bowl the Teesra (even though the Teesra turned out to be his 3rd child ).