The quality of the coach-athlete relationship predicts objective performance in elite cricket

The purpose of the study was to investigate the links between interpersonal aspects of coach-athlete relationship (CAR) quality and performance in elite cricket. Understanding how objective indicators of performance associate with interperson- al relationship aspects can provide new insights about the role and significance of the coach-athlete relationship. 25 male and 28 elite female cricketers completed questionnaires assessing CAR quality (closeness, commitment and complementari- ty) along with shot data for 28,215 balls faced across the 2021 county championship and in the Rachel-Heyhoe Flint trophy held in United Kingdom. It was found that CAR quality predicted cricket skill execution performance (middled%). This research is the first of its kind in providing an empirical link between CAR quali- ty and on-field performance in an elite environment, suggesting its importance in providing a potential physical competitive edge. This study opens new avenues for future research and should encourage more multidisciplinary research which brings together sport psychology and performance analysis.