Killer Instinct

Someone like Mike Tyson had bucket loads of aggression and killer instinct in the beginning of his career and lost it as he had lost the desire.

This is something some of us have and some of us don't and it is a real thing especially in sport. The will to win by doing something some of us wouldn't think of doing and that is showing no mercy. When you see the opportunity you finish things off no matter what as the desire to win overpowers our other instincts.

I raise this topic as it was something I saw when watching the Australian cricket team over the last week when they played India. There was something missing and it was very much apparent this team that Australia has right now has a soft edge and is weak with no killer punch.

You need to make life so uncomfortable for your opponents that they would rather be doing something else.

The commentators raised the question of using different tactics to roughen the Indian batsmen up making things unbearable. If you have to hit the batsmen with short balls whether it is at the head or the body this is international sport at the highest level. This is the test of your abilities and finding out your weaknesses as this is what is expected. As a player you have to ask yourself what would you not like if you were swapping places and that should be how you think.

What happened was quite the opposite and was a bit of a damp squib affair with a little sledging behind the stumps, but no rough stuff dished out. Funny enough the commentators were from previous Australian teams that dominated cricket when they played as they had what it took to win. They could see what was missing and if they were the captain of this team they would have won as that is how you win.

It is not just this team as I have seen it in other sports like football and boxing. If you are two nil up how many managers take the foot of the gas and shut up shop defending when they should be going for the next goal and burying the opposition. Winning is all about attitude and demoralizing your opponent.

I have seen boxers land a perfect upper cut or right hook and step away instead of going in and knocking their opponent out. Normally it turns out they end up regretting that moment as their opponent wont hesitate to put you in hospital.

When I played serious sport we looked for any advantage we could gain whether it would be targeting a certain player who we thought was scared or weak. That to me is the difference between a winning team and a losing team as every team has strengths and weaknesses and your job is to find them. It is not about winning at all costs, but within the rules as otherwise that is cheating.

I would be shocked if Australia doesn't change their captain for their next tour as nice guys don't win. Not having a winning mindset is a weakness that cannot be overlooked and it is hard to think of an Australian team that never had a strong leader. Their rugby team could do with a change of leadership as well I believe as they have lost too many games under their current skipper and without doubt think he is a weak link in the team. The captain doesn't have to be the best player, but he needs to guide the team in the right way of thinking with a winning mentality. Weak skipper equals a weakened team.