The 48-year-old is dominating snooker but influencing other sports too
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Ronnie O'Sullivan is widely credited as the greatest snooker player of all time but his impact is more widespread than the sport he competes in.
England batter Zak Crawley has revealed how the Rocket has had an influence on Ben Stokes' Test side in recent years.
No player has won more World Snooker Championships than O'Sullivan, while he picked up his record-extending eighth Masters earlier this month.
But no one demands more from the 48-year-old than himself and he is not happy with how he is playing despite winning the last three tournaments he has entered.
Ronnie O'Sullivan is inspiring the England cricketers with his approach to snooker
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Ever since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes joined forces in 2022, the England Test team has adopted a positive style of play.
The Bazball approach gives more value to how you play than it does to the results it produces.
Crawley says O'Sullivan has played a part in inspiring that mental approach.
He said: "I love the way Ronnie plays and talks about sport. To him, the way he plays is more important than the result.
"That’s such a powerful mindset. It’s a hard one to get into, but whenever you get into that mindset, you find yourself playing better.
"Baz is big on that. He talks about it all time, that the way we play is more important in the long run, and that will bring results.
"Baz always seem to find the right moment to speak. He certainly has an aura about him. He’s never negative.
"He’s an optimist. That’s what we need sometimes in English sport. As a nation we’re quite pessimistic at times."
England have often been criticised for their gung-ho approach and struggled on the opening day of the first Test against India.
But speaking before the match started, Crawley insisted they would not play any different.
He added: "We’re not going to change our approach. It has to be judged at the time. We talk about being fully present.
"If you’re not present, you build up all these ideas about what it’s going to be like, what the pitches will be, but we could turn up and the first Test is on a belter of a pitch.
"We could turn up and it’s an absolutely raging turner, so you have to adapt your gameplan and play the situation.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan is a source of inspiration for the England cricket team
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"You can’t decide that until you’re out there and you’re reading the situation. This time will be a lot better."
O'Sullivan has often flirted with retirement and his recent comments have only heightened the possibility.
But he hopes to continue playing professionally for several years yet if he starts enjoying it again.
O'Sullivan told WST: "I still haven't changed my stance, I'm still not enjoying playing to be honest with you because I'm not playing to the level or the consistency.
Ronnie O'Sullivan holds himself to the highest standards
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"It's just a bit untidy to be honest with you, it stops me from enjoying the game.
"So I'm just having to battle but I think it's good that I take a break now.
"Because I want to play for the next five or six years but I'm not sure I can keep playing tournament after tournament and not enjoying it."