Writing in his exclusive blog for PakPassion.net, the former Pakistan fielding coach Julien Fountain, attempts to put some context and meaning on the often used term "playing without fear" which is used by coaches, players and fans alike.

By Julien Fountain (23rd April, 2015)

If you followed the latest installment of the cricket World Cup, no doubt you will have heard this phrase uttered by a plethora of individuals. It was a message delivered by captains, coaches, pundits and journalists on a daily basis. But what exactly does it mean to a player, and how exactly do you “Play without fear?”

I lost track of the amount of times I heard “We need to play without fear” during a pre match press conference or “they played without fear” in the post match media interactions. So what does it mean, and why are some teams able to play without fear whilst others conversely seem to play paralyzed with fear?

During my twenty years in professional and international cricket I have heard this phrase both in team meetings prior to games and post match media debriefs more times than I can count. It is one of those cliched sound bites that are the stock and trade of anybody responsible for talking to the media, explaining how their team is either going to play or should have played.

But what does it mean? Well, we can separate the three words and define each one literally using the dictionary definition.

“Play” (a Verb): to occupy oneself in (a sport or diversion); amuse oneself in (a game) (transitive) to contend against (an opponent) in a sport or game - to fulfil or cause to fulfil (a particular role) in a team game (transitive) - to address oneself to (a ball) in a game

“Without” (preposition): not having, not accompanied by, not making use of.

“Fear” (Noun): a feeling of distress, apprehension, or alarm caused by impending danger, pain, - reverence, awe, concern, anxiety,
(Verb) to be afraid to do something, or of somebody

But how does this possibly relate to cricket, and specifically batting, as this is where we often hear it said? It was used in reference to both Pakistan’s batting and bowling on more than one occasion during the World Cup. I believe it was also used in reference to New Zealand’s world cup performances, but in a somewhat different context.

If a batsman swings wildly at a delivery and is bowled or caught out, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Do the captain, coach, fans and media think it's OK or does the player need to be chastised for being reckless and bringing the team’s ultimate performance level down? Nobody is condoning a reckless attitude, but if a player is to truly play without fear, surely we have to know what it is that they are afraid of. Is it the internal feeling that he could have done so much better? Is it the verbal dressing down from the captain or the coach? Is it the public humiliation from the media or the negative interaction with the fans?

Personally I think it is a combination of all of the above. Both Pakistan fans and media are the first to punish a player for being reckless and inconsiderate, playing a rash shot at an inappropriate time, thus causing the ultimate downfall of the team. Surely these are the same people that are telling the players to play without fear. How can a player hear one message and believe it, if the very people sending the message turn on them at the first sign of things not going smoothly?

If you view New Zealand’s World Cup campaign, you can see a team that “Played without fear” in all departments. They were successful, most of the time, and, despite a few hiccups along the way, were lauded by fans and media alike throughout the tournament. Is this more a reflection of how a team's performance is perceived, rather than how it is executed? One team is labelled as irresponsible and of poor quality (because the results were negative) and another is praised and held aloft as champions (because their results were generally positive).

I guess what I am trying to say is, it is easy to make statements after the fact. That massive top edge that for one player carries for six, but the next player it gets caught by an outfielder. Same ball, same shot, different outcome. One player is derided for being reckless; one is complimented for being positive. Go figure!

Personally I believe that a player should try not be weighed down by too many thoughts or too much external pressure. The game situation itself will provide more than enough pressure; let's not create bucket loads of external pressures in addition to that. Yes we want the player to do well, but if the player walks to the wicket dreading what is to be written about them in the following mornings papers, he is already facing an internal battle that most of us would struggle to win. And that’s before a ball has even been bowled at him! Providing he has been properly prepared technically, physically, mentally and tactically; all we can hope for is some sound professional judgement coupled with a bit of good fortune. The rest is down to fate.

In conclusion, I think there is a collective duty of all concerned; player, captain, coach, fans and media, to ensure that the player has the best possible chance of success each and every time they step out to the wicket. Some days it will go well, some days it won’t. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Discuss!