It has been quite heartening to see some of the comments from the likes of Younis, Inzamam and Youhana (included in my post
here). This shows that finally the team, as a whole, is looking forward to develop the "winning mentality". In the past, the typical mentality of most of our players, administrators and supporters has been something like this:
"
I have scored 40, took one catch, and got two wickets - I have done my duty for the Test, confirmed my selection for the next game, and my place in the team is no longer under threat - so I can take it easy"
and with that, the guy would consciously or mostly, subconsciously, take his foot off the gas and get complacent. To my mind, this is one of the key reasons why we are such underachievers compared to the likes of Australia and even England.
So historically, people in our team would score one ton, or get one four-wicket haul, and then they would feel secure in the knowledge that their place in the side is assured! Instead of utilising their good starts to win matches, our guys often are happy with 40s and 50s, in the mistaken belief that "they have done
enough". Enough for their own re-selection, maybe yes, but certainly not enough for the team.
For me the players themselves are less to blame for this, than the administrators, who have made selection such a lottery. The revolving door policy of team-building, where Test caps are handed out like confetti, leads to everyone watching their own backs, and selfishly, trying to cement their own places first and foremost, regardless of the team requirements. The supporters must share some of the blame too, quick to put players on padestals without them actually achieving their potential.
Instead, our players should have greater desire, and much greater hunger. This does seem to be happening, for instance, Youhana and Younis Khan, instead of patting themselves on the back, seem to be getting ready to score big 100s, and Younis Khan in particular sounds very positive. That is how a true champion sportsman would prepare himself, in any sport. But most of our guys feel, after scoring a 40 or 60, that "job's done", and then get complacent... in the rare occasion when someone other than Inzi gets a 100, they would normally assume they have the place in the team confirmed for a good few Tests, so can stop worrying about excelling.
These guys all need to realise that cricket is a team game, so what matters is not your own individual contribution and whether it was okay or not, but rather, the whole effort of the team, and whether that was upto its potential. So everyone in the team, even those who got 100s, and definitely guys who got less than that, should question themselves every day: Did I really do enough for my team today? Did I have the potential to do a lot, lot more? And how will I turn that potential into reality. This is the mindset of the likes of Dravid, Hayden, Ponting and Gilchrist. Never being satisfied, always looking to improve and better yourselves, and never resting on your "laurels". For me, this is the winning mentality, which will take this team to the next level.