Famous cricketers and their personality type - Part 1
The beauty of team sport is that it brings different characters under one roof – each having their own distinct characteristics and idiosyncrasies – that further adds to the sporting spectacle in the middle. The importance of characters is even more vital in a sport such as cricket, which can go on for a length of five days, allowing more time for players to express themselves.
Furthermore, this also makes a case for the coaching staff to assess the personality traits of each player individually. This provides the coaches with not the key insights about the strengths and weaknesses of a player, but also about their motivations and their role-fitment in the team.
One way to identify the personality type of an individual is The Myers and Briggs Type Indicator Test (MBTI). The MBTI is an introspective self-report questionnaire designed to indicate psychological preferences about how people perceive the world and make decisions. Although this technique is regularly used in the corporate world, the MBTI was successfully used as a coaching technique in cricket by the England and Wales Cricket Board during the 2013 Ashes, that England won 3-0.
It is believed that this test allowed eleven vastly different England cricketers to gel together into an effective unit. The MBTI also used to be a pathway leading to selection for the England team as well as throughout county circuit; pointing that Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook and James Anderson will all have completed the test when they were youngsters, eyeing a spot in the national squad.
Given the proven effectiveness of the MBTI in cricket, we at SportsKeeda will bring you a series of articles profiling the personality types of well-known cricketers.
Note: The personality types of the cricketers have been ascertained by the writer through his understanding of the player's personality. No actual test were conducted with the said cricketers.
Harbhajan Singh – The adventurer thrillseeker
Personality Type – E (Extraversion), S (Sensing), T (Thinking), P (Perception)
The one striking aspect about ESTPs is their energy levels. ESTPs are a fun-loving lot and will often be seen chatting and joking with friends and strangers alike. They also have an amazing sense of humour; often keeping their surroundings witty, rather than boring and serious. But don’t get fooled by their funny nature; in any crunch situation, ESTPs are the quickest to come out with practical solutions.
Harbhajan Singh is known to be a bundle of energy both on and off the field. When the team morale inside the dressing room, Harbhajan is quick to make a quip, and turn the despondency to instant laughter. According to cricketers, Harbhajan is also the first one to respond with a rational solution to difficult situations.
True to his quick-thinking abilities, Sachin Tendulkar in his biography Playing it my way mentioned that Harbhajan once saved the life of his daughter Sara during the India’s tour to New Zealand in 2002-03.