Quest for No.1

At Test Match level, batting is as much about the ability to cope with the pressure as about technique. Indeed, a player's technique may well be a reflection of his temperament. In this book, one of England's premier batsmen explores the psychology of batting, revealing how he is motivated, how he concentrates and what he feels when he is preparing to face the West Indian fast bowlers. The book incorporates interviews with Robin Smith's wife, with sports psychologist Dr Graham Jones, with Brian Mason (a "motivator" who has worked with Smith), and with Mike Brearley, the former England captain who is now a trained psychotherapist. John Crace is a freelance sports journalist and the author of "Wasim and Waqar: Imran's Inheritors".