HOME Cricket Answers Cricket COACHING Q&A

Winter Nets/Training

When does everyone start their pre-season training? I'm concsious my players want/need a break after the season but equally believe the winter is the best time to improve technically.

Jack GrundyOther, England

1 answer

ANSWERS

Annabel DunnillCoach, England

Hi Jack,

Excellent question and so refreshing to hear a coach consider their players welfare!

Personally, I believe it is important to give your players a couple months off to refresh, spend time with their families and enjoy some well earned time off after a long hard season. This prevents players from burning out, potentially picking up injuries and losing the love of the game.

I would suggest offering up indoor sessions 1-2 months on from the end of the season. These could run once or twice a week depending on time. You could even stick a rest week in every now and then to keep your players fresh, this period is mainly about just keeping the cobwebs away and fine tuning technique so it's important not to over do it!

Hope this helps and all the best for the winter season.

Archie

JOIN SPORTPLAN FOR FREE

search our library of 350+ cricket drills
create your own professional coaching plans
or access our tried and tested plans

Cricket

LATEST COACHING TRENDS

Captaincy and Bowling Changes: Reading the Game and Making the Switch

A bowling change can dismantle a partnership, halt a run surge, or hand the match back to the batting side. This article explores how modern captains use match phases, matchup data, and rhythm signals to time their changes, with a practical framework coaches can use to develop tactical thinking in young captains at club and age-group level.

June 2026

Sportplan Coaching

Strike Rotation: Beating Dot-Ball Pressure in the Middle Overs

T20 data shows that teams bowling 40 or more dot balls win more than 65 per cent of matches. Strike rotation is now the most undervalued skill in batting. This article breaks down why singles matter more than sixes, the soft-hands and crease-depth techniques behind elite rotators, and a coaching framework to train relentless ones and twos under pressure.

May 2026

Sportplan Coaching

Pre-Season Batting Foundations: Building Technique That Lasts All Summer

Pre-season is the best time to rebuild and refine batting technique without the pressure of match results. This article covers the fundamental batting positions that underpin consistent run-scoring, provides a progressive session framework from shadow batting to live bowling, and highlights the common pre-season mistakes that coaches should avoid.

April 2026

Sportplan Coaching

VIEW ALL COACHING TRENDS