South Australia batsman tries to eliminate risks

Cosgrove seeks percentage plays

Peter English

July 19, 2007

Mark Cosgrove wants to spend more time hitting the ball along the ground early in his innings © Getty Images

Numbers seem to dominate Mark Cosgrove's life. When he hasn't been talked about for making attractive runs in the style of Darren Lehmann, his weight has been analysed, and criticised when it approaches three figures. This winter he's been concentrating on percentages and ratios to shed waste from his batting while watching his waist.

After rejecting an offer to spend a winter at the Centre of Excellence in 2006, Cosgrove accepted a second invitation from Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, and completed three months of the programme's "preparation phase" before starting the Emerging Players Tournament this week. Due to his body shape it's unlikely Cosgrove, who received a one-month suspension at South Australia for being overweight in 2005, will ever be as toned as his team-mates, but he is pleased with his fitness ethic and is not self-conscious when talking about his battles.

"I've got to work on it for the rest of my career," he said. "If I don't train for a month I'm well out of where I should be. It's something I've got to monitor and keep on top of until I turn 40 and end my career. Then I'll be fishing on a boat somewhere."

Trying to make the fitness sessions fun hasn't solved the issue, but he is feeling the benefits. "If you do the hard work, at the end of the day you think: 'How well did I do that?' I've run 5kms and had a good bat, which makes you realise what you can achieve and you get a kick out of it."

Another rewarding exercise has been altering his batting outlook and when he talks of playing the percentages he is not only speaking about the Academy's intermittent card school. He wants to hit more balls along the ground until he is 30 instead of trying to dominate from the moment he walks out.

"As you get into the innings you can get into the bowlers," he said. "Instead of making it a 50:50 contest you can make it an 80:20 contest in your favour."

The changes are tricky and he is facing a similar problem that was conquered last summer by Michael Clarke, whose youthful rashness turned into responsibility. "I always like having a go at the bowler and getting on top as quickly as possible, but you don't get away with that every game," he said. "If I take my time, bat half an hour in four-day games, get myself in, then I make it a 60:40 contest or a 70:30 contest. Then you have the upper hand without doing anything stupid."

Sometimes I give out lifestyle tips," he laughs, "like eat salads and fruit

Lapses have been common throughout his four-year career, but there has been enough promise to prove to the national selectors he deserved three one-day internationals over the past 18 months. However, he was left out of the 30-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September.

"It wasn't a surprise because I didn't have a great Twenty20 domestic competition," he said. "Hopefully this summer if I start everything right, make some runs, I'll find a one-day game in the summer."

As an older member of the Academy intake at 23, he feels he is maturing and the influence of the younger players is making the game more fun. They are even asking him for help. "Sometimes I give out lifestyle tips," he laughs, "like eat salads and fruit."

Mostly he tells them to watch games when they're not playing and think about how to eliminate risk. It's the same advice Lehmann gave him.

Peter English is the Australasian editor of Cricinfo

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