Scotland Cricketer Priyanaz Chatterji On Why Music Is Her Most Powerful Performance Tool

Music has always been a big part of my life. My parents listen to a lot of different genres and my siblings also really enjoy it, so it's always been something we have bonded over. I was involved in lots of different music growing up too, and it is always the group element that brings me the most joy: coming together with other people and the connection you can create through that. In a way, it is similar to team sports, working towards and creating something together and feeling the satisfaction that comes from doing that.

For a long time, though, I tried to keep the fact that I played music a bit under wraps. I am not totally sure why, because I actually use it to my advantage when it comes to playing a match or even just training. Music can help you feel a whole range of emotions. If you want to get some energy and fire yourself up for something, or if you are feeling a bit low and just want to sit in your emotions for a while, there is music that can do all of that for you. And when it comes to competitive sport, it brings me back to myself and helps me switch off from the pressure of what is actually going on.

So, at some point in my Scotland career, I brought a guitar on tour as a way to escape from the intensity of competition. As it turns out, there are a lot of girls in the teams I am part of who enjoy a sing-song, and I am far from the only one who finds it therapeutic. We recently had an overseas player from Australia, Maitlan Brown, come and play for Surrey, and the two of us became good friends quite quickly through a shared love of music. Both of us consider it a really important part of managing our overall wellbeing.

And to further prove that music is powerful and can bring so much joy and connection between people, one memory that really stands out is from the 2024 World Cup qualifiers. The day before our must-win game against Ireland, which determined whether we qualified for our first ever World Cup, a few teammates and I wrote some lyrics and got the whole team involved in singing them to our staff. It was just a bit of fun, but it definitely got me into a relaxed headspace and I'd like to think it helped the team connect going into that game.

So, not only can music help manage your mood or get you from one state to another, but it might just be one of the most powerful tools for connection we have.