In the movie, Bridge of Spies Mark Rylance is beset by extreme pressure. However, whenever Tom Hanks asks him if he is worried or upset he always answers with the same refrain,

“Will it help?”

Three words that get to the heart of a problem that many cricketers face every time they play. We feel pressure and we respond badly. We panic and do things we would never do when the pressure is off.

I assume cricket is not as stressful as being a spy. Yet, how many of us find the nerves jangling before going out to bat? How do you respond when the captain throws you the ball in the last over with seven runs or two wickets needed?

If you feel stressed or panicked you can also ask yourself “will it help?”.

The answer, of course, is always “no, it won’t help one bit”.

Instead, recognise that the situation is only stressful if you let yourself be stressed by it. Someone once said that life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react. This is dead right.

Take a moment to recognise this, tell yourself that getting stressed won’t help, and get back to calmly executing your plan.

Even if your plan is to hit four outrageous sixes in the last over of a World final.