Most people know they should exercise to both improve cricket performance and reduce the risk of injury. The problem is that often exercising can just be reinforcing the imbalances in your body and doing more harm than good.

This study from 1991 shows the risks. Athletes with significant differences in strength and flexibility from one side of the body to the other have a higher risk of injury.

This is part two of a series on how to captain in the field. To go to part one click here. To go back to the introduction click here.

This is part one of a series on how to captain in the field. To go back to the introduction click here.

A good cricket team has a certain attitude. They concentrate on every ball, show a never say die attitude and encourage each other in the right ways. However, this is easier said than done, especially in sides where the attitude has historically been different.

One of the first images of captaincy that springs to mind is the leader in the field. There is nothing as commanding as a skipper orchestrating his side with precision, especially when his tactical nous leads to a wicket.

Captaincy might be about a lot more than that, but it's this element that naturally draws people to the job. I'm sure you have imagined yourself exuding calm authority as captain. It demands admiration and respect.

This article has been written by Ryan Maron, Assistant Coach to the Netherlands national cricket team, VRA player coach and Director of Ryan Maron's Cricket School of Excellence in South Africa.

Are you making the muscles in the head work as hard as those in your body? The consistent finding in Sports Psychology research is the relationship between levels of confidence and success.

Purpose: To allow 5 fielders to practice throwing and flat catching (with a little ground fielding thrown in too). This drill seems a little complex at first but don't be put off. It is excellent and flexible practice especially for before games.

Description: Player 1 rolls the ball to player to who runs in, picks up and throws to player 3 to catch. He then follows the ball to where player 3 is standing (figures 1 and 2).

This 2 minute video has been created to help with your cricket warm ups. You can see more on warming up for cricket here and here.

The arm ball, or floater, is probably the single best weapon an orthodox finger spinner can have. Ray Illingworth says he once took 41 wickets of 135 in a season just with the arm ball.

At first the ball seems counterproductive. Spinners should spin the ball hard, hoping to impart enough revolutions on the ball for it to dip late in its flight and move off the pitch. This is true for the stock delivery and is what you should do at least 80% of the time.

Good swing bowling can literally be unplayable. If a ball swings late enough nobody, not Sachin, not Lara, not Bradman, has ever had good enough reactions to counter the movement. It's a physical impossibility.

Yet somehow great players manage to build epic innings when the ball swings. How do they do it?

While science has no answers yet, there are some interesting theories to explore.

A recent article in Wisden looked at the format of club cricket, questioning whether the game should be played in a declaration or limited overs way.

In England at least I feel there is no choice in the matter. One day declaration cricket is more fun, more challenging and leads to better games.