Answer : Dear pratap, Dear Pratap, Thanks for your mail. Please elaborate on your problem. What do you mean when you say that you can’t watch the ball? Is it that you take your eyes off the ball? Fear can be overcome by hard work and perseverance. Just bat as long as you can in the nets and the fear factor will disappear. Or is it that you are finding it difficult to sight the ball because of poor eyesight? You could consult an ophthalmologist. You need not feel bad if you need to wear spectacles or lenses. Some of the greatest batsmen in the history of the sport wore glasses or lenses throughout their careers. Geoff Boycott, Zaheer Abbas and Clive Lloyd are three names that come to mind immediately. Work hard in the nets and get your eyesexamined. All the best, and keep writing!!! Polly Umrigar Expert Panelist Cricketforindia.com  

Answer : Dear pratap, Dear Pratap, Thanks for your mail. I suggest you gain some weight and do weight-training every other day, plus cardio exercises two to three times a week. You should also increase your protein and carb intake. Taking multivitamin, vitamin C and protein supplements with milk will also help. A qualified Sports Physio will be able to recommend a proper weight-training programme. All the best!!! Dr. Hima Dalal Expert Panelist Cricketforindia.com  

Answer : Dear Aamod, Dear Aamod, Thanks for your mail. An opening batsman needs to be able to concentrate intensely. This is necessary as he has to contend with a new ball, which tends to swing and come faster off the pitch. Net-practice is an excellent method to try and improve one’s efficiency. I think you need to hone your concentration and temperament after such a long break. Serious net-practice against competitive bowling will help you get back on track. You could insist on some of the bowlers using a new ball. All the best, and keep writing! Polly Umrigar Expert Panelist Cricketforindia.com  

Answer : Dear AJINKYA, Dear Ajinkya. Thanks for your mail. I understand what you are going through. It is important that you learn to ‘judge’ the length of the approaching ball. Intense net-practice can help in this regard. You could ask your bowling mates to land the bowl consistently in the good-length area. I am sure they will help out. Don’t despair, for many batsmen, even the great ones, tend to have problems with deliveries that land in this ‘neither-here-nor-there’ area. That is why it is called the ‘good’ length area in the first place. The length is such that the batsman doesn’t know whether to go on the front foot, or play it off the back foot. They overcome this deficiency with persistent practice that enables them to acquire a sound judgment. All the best, and keep writing! Polly Umrigar Expert Panelist Cricketforindia.com  

Answer : Dear vishal, Dear Vishal, Thanks for your mail. Length and direction are the two ‘basics’ every bowler should concentrate on. The objective of the bowling action is to enable the ‘release’ of the ball from a comfortable, well-balanced position, whereupon optimal efficiency is obtained through the coordination of the fingers, wrist, arm, shoulder and the rest of the body. The length of the run-up should be such that it serves this purpose. The run-up should be straight and smooth. A quick bowler should look to achieve optimal momentum at the point of delivery and get the body in the best position to infuse ‘punch’ into the delivery. He should keep his arm as a high as he can at the point of delivery, as that will enable him to get a ‘lift’ from the pitch. This could be an invaluable asset on bouncy wickets. Length and direction can be improved by bowling at one stump in the nets. A spot where the bowler wants to consistently land the ball could be marked out on the wicket. Stamina can be improved by performing exercises like running, skipping and weight-training. All the best, and keep writing! Polly Umrigar Expert Panelist Cricketforindia.com  

Answer : Dear vishal, Dear Vishal, Thanks for your mail. Good fielding is as critical as good batting or bowling. In fact, excellent fielding might well win a team more matches than proficiency in the other two disciplines. Remember that dropping a catch is like giving your opponents an extra batsman for all practical purposes. It is important that you ‘enjoy’ the process of fielding. It will be difficult to become a good fielder if you don’t enjoy being out there. Fielding and catching should be practiced in different positions. He should take some slip-catches, then flat catches and later high catches. Physical fitness is a must, for it will keep the player’s body flexible and his reflexes intact. Learning the art of diving in the outfield is difficult for most Indian youngsters because of the poor state of our maidans. You can practise sliding if you are lucky enough to play on a lush green outfield. Observe how the fielders do it in Tests and one-day internationals, and act accordingly. All the best, and keep writing! Polly Umrigar Expert Panelist Cricketforindia.com  

Answer : Dear vishal, Dear Vishal, To increase weight and stamina without increasing fat, it is important to ensure that your diet consists of quality carbohydrates with dairy products in the mornings.e.g. Alu paratha with dahi + a glass of warm milk and banana / eggs with wheat bread + milk & fruit. This is the most important meal of the day. Also include bajra, jawar, whole wheat, rajma, urad dal, soya nuggets in your diet. Adding soya flour in the rotis and eating chicken (not fried), til, and nuts along with snacks will help. You could consult a doctor and accordingly include a high protein and multivitamin, vit B -complex ,vit-C supplements in your diet. But please do not do so on your own. Some isometric strengthening is also advisable. Try this for six weeks and keep us informed about your progress.  

Answer : Dear AJINKYA, Dear Vishal, To increase weight and stamina without increasing fat, it is important to ensure that your diet consists of quality carbohydrates with dairy products in the mornings.e.g. Alu paratha with dahi + a glass of warm milk and banana / eggs with wheat bread + milk & fruit. This is the most important meal of the day. Also include bajra, jawar, whole wheat, rajma, urad dal, soya nuggets in your diet. Adding soya flour in the rotis and eating chicken (not fried), til, and nuts along with snacks will help. You could consult a doctor and accordingly include a high protein and multivitamin, vit B -complex ,vit-C supplements in your diet. But please do not do so on your own. Some isometric strengthening is also advisable. Try this for six weeks and keep us informed about your progress.  

Answer : Dear KIRAN SARUK, Dear Kiran, Thanks for your mail.The shoes shouldn’t be too tight or too loose. They should fit the individual perfectly. It’s obvious that only the person who is going to wear the shoes should have a say in their selection. Tight or loose shoes can be injurious to the feet. It is also important that the shoes are light and comfortable, with inner soles that give a cushioning effect. Ideally, there should be about ten spikes at select points on each shoe. It’s not advisable to wear more than ten spikes. All the best, and keep writing!!! Polly Umrigar Expert Panelist Cricketforindia.com  

Answer : Dear nabil, Dear Nabil, Thanks for your mail. Only one batsman can be dismissed off a delivery as per the existing law. However, the ICC is considering a proposal to allow two dismissals off the same delivery. Regards Piloo Reporter Expert Panelist Cricketforindia.com  

Answer : Dear chaitanya, This is Devendra, the Content Manager of Cricketforindia.com. I am taking the liberty of answering your query for I was in not too dissimilar a situation a few years ago!  

Answer : Dear pratap, ‘Sledgers’ should be ignored. You should behave as if you haven’t heard anything that has been said. Avoid eye-contact and concentrate on your game, for the best way in which you can reply is by letting your batting or bowling talk for you!  

Answer : Dear sandeep, Dilip Vengsarkar made his Test debut against New Zealand at Auckland in 1975-76. Two other Indian cricketers – Surinder Amarnath and Syed Kirmani – also made their debuts in this Test. It was also Sunil Gavaskar’s first Test as captain of India. India won by eight wickets.  

Answer : Dear chaitanya, It’s heartening to see that there are people who are passionate about cricket statistics!  

Answer : Dear chandru, Thanks for your mail. Hope this is the first of many! India should win comfortably in Sri Lanka. We have the strongest of the three sides. The new captain and coach will also be keen to begin the new season on a winning note. We might well see some fresh thinking.  

Answer : Dear prashant, We will be uploading a cricket quiz on the site, the winners of which will be eligible to win attractive ‘cricket-specific’ prizes. The quiz will be uploaded in the next few days.  

Answer : Dear prashant, I am presently working on a series of shoulder-related articles for the website. Please refer to them.  

Answer : Dear prashant, Some people possess a speed that is god-given it, but then, they constitute only 1 % of the fast-bowlin community. The remaining 99% have to work really hard to gain pace.  

Answer : Dear prashant, You seem to be a stickler for perfection! Keep it up! The fact is that the on-drive is a difficult shot to master. The best of international-level cricketers have struggled to execute it in the recommended manner.  

Answer : Dear prashant, Please tell me your age. Your weight should ideally stay between 65 and 70 kgs. The weight of your bones is also important.