Comments on: Kevin Pietersen’s outrageous natural talent

By: D Charlton

D Charlton — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:19:22 +0000

Ne said it was a mosic. What’s a mosic? Sounds great.

And talking of length Dave Barry – see this:
http://www.thewisdencricketer.com/blog/?p=125

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:34:42 +0000

KC,

That last comment was just too much arse about bollox.

By: King Cricket

King Cricket — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:12:40 +0000

Maybe we’re getting close to the point that we were probably trying to make all along (without quite knowing it ourself).

Development’s a continuum rather than a before and after, so how can you label one player ‘naturally talented’ rather than another.

As Ne says: it’s all a mosaic.

By: Ne

Ne — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:46:18 +0000

or “it’s all a mosaic baby” even.

By: Ne

Ne — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:44:54 +0000

Define natural? Genetic? Childhood developmental factors (diet, activities, and all that)? In utero environment (maternal diet etc)? It all a mosic baby.

By: King Cricket

King Cricket — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:44:36 +0000

“Given an equal amount of practice, some players will still be better than others.”

Could that difference not have its roots in childhood development? Could the ability to ‘pick length’ not be acquired and refined by some activity long before a child’s capable of cricket?

These aren’t rhetorical questions. We don’t know.

By: Daneel

Daneel — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:08:01 +0000

As Gary Player once said, â€œThe more I practice, the luckier I get.â€

By: Christopher

Christopher — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:43:54 +0000

Talent, like genius, is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.

By: David Barry

David Barry — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:28:53 +0000

I always assume that natural talent for batsmen refers to the ability to pick up the length of the ball early. The earlier you can do this, the more naturally talented. Pietersen looks like he sees the ball very early, so I’m happy with calling him naturally talented.

Presumably this can be practised to some degree, but I would suggest that it’s the single biggest factor that makes some people able to score runs in Test cricket and others stuck in club cricket.

Of course the best players are those with great natural talent and an insane number of practice hours behind them. But given an equal amount of practice, some players will still be better than others, and that’s down to talent.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:25:34 +0000

Yeah KC used to be rubbish at talking arse about bollox. But after months of being locked in bunker, practising talking arse about bollox he finally unleashed King Cricket. on the world and did arse about bollox to a gold level standard.