Cricket Knowledge: How Cricket Captains Make Good Decisions

Winning a test match depends on more than just talent. The type of pitch, the weather, the ball, and even luck, all play an important role in influencing the result.

And though the focus is often on the batters at the crease and the bowlers, it’s the captains who will have to make the important decisions.

Especially when fielding, captains have to constantly evaluate and adapt their strategies depending on the stage of the game, how the pitch is playing, what the ball is doing, and how comfortable the batsmen look against their bowlers.

But how do captains know when to rotate their bowlers or which field to set?

The Conversation asked Jonathan Connor, a coaching specialist in skills acquisition with Cricket Australia, to help explain some of the intricacies of this unique game, and the factors that captains rely on to make good decisions.