In this episode of The Cerebral Cricketer, we sit down with Tom Scollay, former professional cricketer for Middlesex and founder of Cricket Mentoring.

Tom shares his journey from growing up in Alice Springs to playing professional cricket in England, including his experiences at Middlesex and Lord's.

We also explore the deeper side of cricket development, including confidence, pressure, mindset, parental influence, preparation and why so many talented young cricketers struggle to reach their full potential.

Tom also breaks down the philosophy behind Cricket Mentoring and its holistic approach to developing players beyond just technique, looking at the technical, tactical, mental, emotional, physical and lifestyle sides of the game.

This conversation is a must-listen for young cricketers, parents, coaches and anyone interested in the mental and emotional side of cricket.

Topics covered:

* Tom's journey from Alice Springs to Middlesex

* Playing professional cricket at Lord's

* Why talent alone is not enough

* The difference between coaching and mentoring

* The mental and emotional side of cricket

* How parents can better support young cricketers

* Why players lose confidence and enjoyment

* Cricket Mentoring's 6 Pillars of Success

* How young cricketers can understand themselves better

Guest: Tom Scollay

Follow Cricket Mentoring:

https://cricketmentoring.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cricketmentoring/

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:17 Growing up in Alice Springs

03:00 Falling in love with cricket

06:23 Studying the game before smartphones

07:43 Playing for Northern Territory

09:29 Facing future Australian stars as a junior

11:52 Steve Smith and the viral net session

13:32 Playing against older cricketers

17:17 Moving to Perth and joining Melville

19:05 The move to England and Middlesex

21:55 Hitting 24 in the first over on trial

23:41 Earning a Middlesex contract

24:17 Playing with Eoin Morgan, Chris Rogers and Andrew Strauss

25:22 Playing with freedom and making a statement

38:08 Self-worth, results and young cricketers

40:16 What parents should say after a game

43:03 The danger of forcing your dream onto your child

46:20 Lord's debut, pressure and imposter syndrome

01:03:51 Technique, tactics and the mental side of batting

01:06:08 Cricket Mentoring's 6 Pillars of Success

01:06:57 Facing world-class T20 players

01:14:38 Advice for young cricketers

01:15:31 Outro

We sit down with Aryan Sharma, an Australia U19 all-rounder and Victorian rookie, for a powerful conversation about cricket, family, belief and the journey towards professional cricket.

Aryan's story is about much more than runs, wickets and selections. Behind his rise through the Australian pathway is a family story built on sacrifice, especially the role of his father, who came to Australia with $500 and spent years driving him to training, games and carnivals without complaint.

Aryan opens up about representing Australia at U19 level, earning a rookie contract with Victoria, learning from elite players in the Melbourne Stars and Victorian environments, and the pressure of trying to build a professional cricket career at a young age.

We also speak about confidence, faith, gratitude, taking positives from difficult situations, handling fear of failure, breathwork, batting with clarity, bowling spin in the modern game, and the mindset required to keep improving.

This was a very honest and grounded conversation with one of the exciting young all-rounders coming through Australian cricket.

Topics covered:

• Australia U19 journey

• Victoria rookie contract

• Family sacrifice and immigrant story

• His father's role in his cricket journey

• Faith, gratitude and belief

• Handling pressure and fear of failure

• Breathwork and staying present

• Confidence as a young cricketer

• Learning from Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and the Melbourne Stars

• Batting, spin bowling and becoming a genuine all-rounder

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment and subscribe for more long-form conversations on cricket, mindset and performance.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

02:40 Learning from Glenn Maxwell

04:57 Becoming a genuine all-rounder

06:29 U19 World Cup semi-final pressure

08:22 Breathwork, nerves and clarity

09:59 Learning to bat longer

11:50 Red ball vs white ball mindset

12:56 Good risks vs bad risks

13:30 Aryan's early cricket journey

15:00 Becoming a left-arm spinner

18:57 Virat Kohli's influence

21:15 The viral Boxing Day Test poster

23:31 Faith, gratitude and perspective

27:00 Representing Australia U19s

28:04 His father's sacrifices

31:25 Family support and his sisters

33:06 His father coming to Australia with $500

35:33 U17 carnival and pathway cricket

38:47 Method to the madness

39:22 Confidence and fear of failure

43:03 Dressing room culture

44:07 Playing against future Australia U19 teammates

48:56 Australia U19 debut series against India

51:23 Oliver Peake and teammate success

54:26 Getting a Victoria rookie contract

55:12 No handouts, earning his place

56:44 Chris Rogers' advice

58:06 Melbourne Stars experience

01:01:13 Haris Rauf and facing high pace

01:02:26 Batting clarity and staying still

01:08:09 Breathwork, recovery and professionalism

01:09:52 Downtime, music and Ronaldo

01:13:09 Outro

#Cricket #AryanSharma #AustraliaU19 #VictorianCricket #TheCerebralCricketer #CricketPodcast #CricketAustralia #MelbourneStars #CricketMindset

We sit down with Harjas Singh, one of the most exciting young left-handed batters in Australian cricket.

Harjas is a 2024 Under-19 World Cup winner, Australia's top scorer in the final against India, the Western Suburbs batter who smashed a record-breaking 314 off 141 balls, and has now earned his first NSW rookie contract.

In this conversation, Harjas opens up about what the NSW rookie contract means to him, how life changes when cricket becomes your profession, and the hard work still ahead as he looks to push towards a full contract and future BBL opportunities.

We also explore one of the most unique parts of Harjas' journey, his background in Sikh/Punjabi martial arts. Harjas explains how training with sticks and swords from a young age helped develop his wrist and arm strength, and how that physical base carries into his batting.

This episode also dives deep into the mental side of the game. Harjas shares how breathwork helps him manage adrenaline, calm his nerves, stay present, and avoid getting caught up in past failures or future outcomes.

He reflects on the mindset shift that helped him enjoy his cricket more, focus on his Monday to Friday preparation, and produce a breakout season in NSW Premier Cricket.

A fascinating conversation on culture, power hitting, breathwork, pressure, staying present, and the journey from junior cricket to becoming a NSW professional.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

00:36 NSW rookie contract and becoming a pro

03:55 Punjabi martial arts and life outside cricket

08:30 Faith, adrenaline and demonstrations

10:00 How martial arts connects to batting

11:21 Breathwork and controlling nerves

14:02 Staying present and calm

16:10 Batting instincts, zones and the 314 mindset

19:14 Junior cricket, pressure and enjoying the game

22:23 Preparation over outcomes

23:44 Family, Westfields and his dad's influence

28:53 Facing genuine pace and Australia U19 selection

32:40 England U19 debut and Youth Test hundred

38:12 U19 World Cup memories

41:22 World Cup final against India

44:16 Sydney Sixers and learning from elite players

48:57 Breakout Premier Cricket season and adapting formats

52:19 Switching off between balls

54:35 Matchups, T20 batting and grade cricket lessons

57:12 Best players, hardest bowlers and best advice

01:00:10 Advice for young cricketers

01:00:59 Final words

#HarjasSingh #TheCerebralCricketer #CricketPodcast #NSWCricket #SydneySixers #U19WorldCup #AustralianCricket #PunjabiCricket #CricketMindset #BattingTips #Breathwork #CricketTraining