Keeping calm at the crease a key challenge for Australian batsmen

The Australian cricket team has been told it should be doing yoga as its batsmen seek the mental serenity that can help bring lasting success.

• Paine excited to meet Lyon challenge
• Test axing failed to deter Labuschagne

“Your team should do yoga.’’

That was the message whispered in my ear from a senior member of the Indian press corp as a shattered Australian batsman walked off the MCG after yet another agitated dismissal on the weekend.

I looked up to see whether the veteran scribe had an angular grin or there was any other playful taunt to follow because Australia was, by then, an easy target.

But there was none of that.

It was a sincere suggestion from a sincere man and made in the belief that whatever the technical fragilities of the top order, a serene, settled mind is where Australia’s batting woes may start and finish.

In these days of merciless social media criticism and forensic analysis from five official media rights holders, gaining peace of mind is one of the greatest challenges a player can face.

Australia did a one-off session on a beach under the guidance of new yoga convert Cameron Bancroft in Perth earlier in the season.

Australian coach Justin Langer became a devotee of transcendental meditation. Picture: Getty Images

It will be interesting to see where Australian coach Justin Langer takes the team in the mind-power stakes because he has always had a strong spiritual bent.

A 23-year-old Langer felt the bottom had dropped out of his world on the 1993 tour of New Zealand when his form faded to the point he was to be the last man cut from the Ashes tour of England later that year.

New Zealand veteran John Wright, just about to retire, called Langer over in the dressing room with the farewell tip “you should try transcendental meditation’’ to which Langer replied “I’ve never actually heard of it.’’

When Langer returned to Perth he noticed an advertisement in The West Australian newspaper for a transcendental meditation course and considered the co-incidence too freakish for him not to sign up.

Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft took up yoga during his nine-month ban from cricket. Picture: Getty Images

He has practised it most days since.

When Langer retired from Test cricket Michael Clarke gave him a pen as a present with the words “conquering haste’’ engraved on it.

Langer had previously given Clarke a copy of Joe Hyams’ book Zen in the Martial Arts which talks about how those who show patience with life’s small frustrations will eventually conquer its greatest challenges.

Clarke read it and felt it identified his greatest problem — he could not conquer haste and was snatching at the outcome he wanted rather than on the steps needed to make it happen.

Langer himself knew the perils of haste.

In his book Seeing the Sunrise, Langer spoke how, early in his career, he asked Allan Border about how he could get a shoe sponsorship so he could get his favourite shoes for free.

In his typically direct fashion, Border said don’t worry about the shoes. Worry about scoring runs.

If that happens, you’ll get more free shoes than you could ever imagine.

It was a timeless and priceless lesson, especially now the shoe is on the other foot.

Every Test, ODI, T20I, and BBL match live & ad-break free during play. SIGN UP NOW!