Famous cricketers and their personality type - Part 2
In part two of the series famous cricketers and their personality types, we try to analyze the personality of some of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game.
Also read: Personality analysis of Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble and a few others
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.
Kevin Pietersen – The Imaginative Idealist
Personality Type – I (Introversion) N (Intuitive) F (Feeling) P (Perception)
What comes to your mind when you hear the name Kevin Pietersen? Audacious? Arrogant? Ostentatious, maybe? Hold on a second, what if I told you Pietersen is an introvert?
Kevin Pietersen is surely considered a showman on the field. But according to his own admission, Pietersen is a self-absorbed individual, something that is contrary to his personality on the field. In his autobiography, Pietersen claimed that he is an instinctive introversion, just like an INFP according to the Myer-Briggs Test.
INFPs are highly growth oriented people, who seek an ideal world for themselves and those around them. They are also highly passionate in whatever they do, and are considered the most creative among all personality types, seeking unconventional ways to execute a task. Pietersen’s energy on the field has always displayed his passion for the game. He’s also been highly innovative with his batting, trying out offbeat shots, and also has the invention of the famous switch-hit under his name.