Rising West Indies batter Amir Jangoo joins The Cerebral Cricketer Podcast to unpack the mental side of that debut hundred against Bangladesh, the doubts that came before it, and the faith that keeps him grounded when the game humbles him.

We go deep on how Amir thinks about failure, why he believes you must accept that you will fail as a professional, and how that frees him up to trust his preparation and play with clarity.

He breaks down the chase ball by ball, talks through the moment he was on 94 and decided he was going to hit a six for his century, and explains what it is like to be in that flow state where every option feels on.

Amir also reflects on his journey from Bradman U16 MVP in Sydney to first class debut for Trinidad and Tobago, a double hundred in domestic cricket, Super50 runs, sharing dressing rooms with West Indies stars, and dealing with the comedown after a dream debut tour when the next series does not go to plan.

If you are a young batter, coach or just a cricket tragic who loves the psychology of the game, this one is packed with real talk on confidence, doubt, routines, faith, and staying level when cricket takes you from hero to struggler and back again.

In this episode

• Story behind Amir's ODI debut hundred and record chase vs Bangladesh
• Fear of failure, second guessing yourself, and how pros learn to live with it Flow state, clarity and backing your options under pressure
• Bradman U16 in Sydney and early West Indies Under 19 memories
• First class debut for Trinidad and Tobago and learning from senior pros
• Domestic double hundred, Super50 runs and breaking into West Indies sides
• How faith, family and support networks keep him grounde

🎙 About The Cerebral Cricketer

The Cerebral Cricketer is a podcast where we explore the mental side of the game with players, coaches and experts.

We break down mindset, decision making and the inner conversations that shape performance.

If you enjoyed this episode with Amir Jangoo, please like, comment, subscribe, and share it with a teammate or coach who loves this side of cricket.

Timestamps

0:00 Intro and why Amir's debut hundred mattered

0:01:18 West Indies call up and getting the debut cap

0:02:56 Dropped catch, walking in at 4 for 86 and starting the chase

0:14:37 Fear of failure, faith, visualisation and scoring mindset

0:22:18 From debut high to Ireland struggles and mental reset

0:31:55 Dad, early love for cricket and confidence in his batting

0:36:51 Test match foundations, Red Force culture and value of first class cricket

0:53:15 Youth pathway, zonal cricket and wicketkeeping development

0:56:35 Bradman Under 16 tour to Sydney and MVP at Bradman Oval

1:04:16 First class debut, double hundred and big domestic seasons

1:16:29 Franchise cricket lessons from Pollard, Shakib and other global stars

1:23:43 Adapting to Dubai, Bangladesh and New Zealand conditions and the short ball

1:35:57 Draft XI mini game picking an XI from his team mates

1:51:28 Fast bowling stories and final advice for young cricketers

NSW future star William Salzmann joins The Cerebral Cricketer to unpack the mind behind his batting.

From coming through the NSW pathway and U19 World Cup, to opening the batting for the Blues and scoring big runs, Salzmann takes us inside his batting philosophy, how he builds his game around strong defence, and what his mental routines actually look like in the middle.

We dig into how he rewired his self talk, deals with negative thoughts after a mistake, and gets back into flow state ball by ball.

He shares how he plans an innings, his between ball routines, the cues he uses at the crease, and the role of coaches, mentors and senior players in shaping his mindset.

We also have some fun picking an underdog Ashes side, talking about facing quality bowling, and what it really takes to turn promise into a long career.

If you are a young batter, an all rounder, a coach, or just love the mental side of cricket, this one is packed with practical insights you can steal for your own game.

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction

1:30 Navigating Injuries

5:00 Opening the batting with dad

07:00 Cricket as a Child

14:00 Coaching from Neil D'Costa

25:00 Adjustments when opening the batting

33:00 How top batsmen stay present

44:00 How to Use Breathwork as a Batsman

46:00 Negative self talk

56:00 Do some batsmen not feel fear?

1:01:00 Coming in at 5/23

1:05:00 Green shield vs Sam konstas

1:10:00 Age group carnival

1:12:00 U19 WC

1:18:00 Debut for NSW

1:23:00 5/23 and scoring a 100

1:26:00 NSW Debut at the WACA

1:31:00 Fantasy Draft - Best Ashes T20 XI

1:52:00 Wrapping Up

Queensland Bulls quick Callum Vidler joins The Cerebral Cricketer to unpack his need for speed, what it feels like to bowl 140kph plus, and why he is always hunting poles rather than bowling safe.

From U19 World Cup glory with Australia to a breakout Sheffield Shield final for Queensland, Callum opens up about the mindset behind fast bowling, learning to compete hard without losing control, and how he uses pace as his point of difference.

In this episode we cover

- Growing up in Brisbane and discovering he could bowl genuinely fast

- School and club cricket, and the moment he realised cricket could be a career

- U19 World Cup memories, handling knockout pressure and "mind games" with batters

- Breaking into Shield cricket for Queensland and that 4 for in the Shield final

- What "hunting poles" actually means for him as a fast bowler

- Managing adrenaline, routines between balls and staying present at the top of his mark

- Dealing with an early injury setback and using rehab to come back better, not bitter

- Fast bowling role models, from Queensland greats to international quicks he studies

If you enjoy deep dives into the mental side of cricket, mindset and performance, hit subscribe and share this episode with a fellow cricket tragic.

Timestamps

0:00 Intro and Callum's cricket story so far

18:00 Handling drop catches, anger and extra pace

19:46 Not being greedy and the best ball plan

20:28 Simple game plan, top of off and bouncers

25:38 Fast bowling journey, never being told to slow down

27:40 Early technical tweaks and no back injuries yet

28:46 Grade cricket light bulb moment, finding extra pace

32:15 Intensity, gears and learning from Dale Steyn

33:52 Injuries, hunger and loving bowling again

34:28 Under 19 nationals and Ryan Harris as coach

35:21 Playing nationals at 17 and teammates like Hugh Weibgen

49:15 Game day fuelling and diet lessons from England

50:26 Warm up, sleep and first ball mindset

51:31 Switching on mentally without heavy meditation

52:05 Planning for batters without overloading on analysis

1:00:44 Shield final bowling plans and Andy Bichel's message

1:01:33 Beamer then beauty to remove Nathan McSweeney

1:02:26 Body language, run up tempo and staying calm in the final

1:03:02 Mindset defending 95 and staying in the moment

1:04:32 Tackling flat wickets and using pace as a point of difference

1:07:20 Under 19 World Cup selection and move to South Africa

1:08:26 Cross seam bounce, South African pitches and Aussie quicks

1:09:24 Four for vs England, cross seam and DLS twist

1:14:20 Batting with Raf McMillan to finish a chase

1:15:00 Preparing for the World Cup final vs India

1:16:25 Resetting after bad balls in a high pressure final

1:24:42 Learning from Marnus and game awareness in Shield cricket

1:25:06 Playing Shield cricket against Sam Konstas after the World Cup

1:26:33 Partial back stress fracture and missing an Australia tour

1:27:04 Injury emotions, staying around the group and Harvey Bay trip

1:28:14 Studying finance, life outside cricket and rehab runs

1:29:16 Hunger to return and not taking cricket for granted

1:35:14 Bowling when sore, being present and finding a way on tough days