The relationship between team emotional intelligence (Team EI) of six cricket teams and their sports performance in a South African national cricket competition over two consecutive seasons was investigated. Team EI was based on cricketers measured prior to the start of the competition in each season using the MSCEIT ability test and averaged over all games for that season. This was correlated with a team sports performance measure, the final log points standing for the team at the end of a competition. The results showed that Team EI was positively associated with the sports performance of the cricket teams. Further, Team EI was shown to be a significant predictor of sports performance, with 61% of the variation in the log points explained. This finding suggests that EI may contribute to the success of teams participating in complex sports like cricket.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) training and development on the EI profile scores of individual cricketers. 24 players attending the South African National Cricket Academy were randomised to an intervention group (EI training and development intervention program) or control group (no intervention). The experimental design was executed in 2007 and 2008 with different cohorts of players. The EI of the players was measured pre and post intervention using the Mayer, Salovey & Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). In 2007 the baseline Total EI score for the intervention group was 84.9 and the post intervention Total EI score was 96.6, giving a relative increase of 13.7%. By comparison, the baseline Total EI score for the control group was 81.8 and post intervention the Total EI score was 83.4, giving a relative increase of 2%. In 2008 the baseline Total EI score for the intervention group was 89.4 and the post intervention Total EI score was 101.7, giving a relative increase of 13.8%. By comparison, the baseline Total EI score for the control group was 87.4 and the post intervention Total EI score was 84.8, a relative decrease of 3.1%. The estimated intervention effect for the percentage change in Total EI score over both years is 14.5% (95% CI: 11.9 to 17.2%) and is significant, indicating EI training and development may contribute to increasing the EI profile of individual cricketers.

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