Overwhelming against all-odds England eye-catching wicket-keeper and stylish England batter Sarah Taylor, who suffered from mental issues since 2015, has come a long way to overcome the depression and anxiety which further made things miserable in her prime playing days particularly in the white-ball cricket.
In the game of glorious uncertainties, the sumptuous Sarah revealed she is looking forward to continuing playing cricket, in a bid to walk out as a champion in real life.
Sarah is known for doing better while holding the willow. One of the best traits of the batter is to pierce the gaps which is further a hallmark of her success for being bold and best in business on the twenty-two-yard surface while representing England at the highest level.
The promising prospect Sarah, who also played eight Tests, started playing cricket at the very tender age, as she took an indistinct break from international cricket in 2016 for nearly a year, before breaking down again while recalling the moments of recent title triumph, donning the national jersey, and throwing the light on fear of socializing and much more.
“You’re very negative. Everything is the worst-case scenario. My panic attacks would come because I couldn’t breathe properly. I’d spend the entire day focusing on breathing,” told the Guardian.
Reckoned as a central figure as a batter for the One-day format, Sarah has been at the forefront to play a pivotal role for England, as her return has boosted the side particularly behind the stumps which further saw the Whitechapel-born cricketer claiming splendid catches, stumping owing to her acrobatics and fast hands.
With the time, Taylor has also learned how to overcome the panic attacks which left her in a state of despair and almost ended her elite-level cricketing career.
Straight forward in response, the bold cricketer opened up about her struggling life, as she is adamant in approach to admit the fact that there is a lot to be covered in her life as a thorough professional.
“Yeah, I am. I’m proud I’m spreading a message that it’s OK to admit these feelings. I’m proud I’ve bought my own place but I’m also proud of the small things,” Sarah said.
(Read Also: England Retain Unchanged Squad For Lord’s Test)
The 28-year-old top-order batter Sarah revealed she has cried after the hosts lift the coveted title of 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup at iconic Lord’s, under the leadership of Heather Knight.
On July 23, after clinching a thrilling grand finale by nine runs against Mithali Raj-led India which out-rightly saw Anya Shrubsole steamrolled India by bagging six crucial wickets, as Sarah reiterated it was tough to be a cricketer, but she has enjoyed the moments of glory in front of the packed stadium.
“We were on the field waiting for the presentation and it hit me. A year ago I wasn’t even playing cricket. Six months ago I wasn’t even playing. Everyone was crying. Typical girls – we were all crying,” Sarah remarked.
The inspiring story revealed how a player like Sarah bounces back following the major setbacks during their career.
Sarah while narrating the harrowing tale revealed the little Puggle (dog breed) known as ‘Millie’ has played a major reveal in her life when she was confined to her room while effusively praising the efforts of a psychologist, who has given her multiple responsibilities to work on before allowing her to make a new friend out of Millie.
“I bought myself a dog, an adorable little Puggle called Millie. She genuinely saved my life. At first she was not allowed out and so I spent a few weeks with her, cuddling, bonding. And then, after her injections, she was allowed out for a walk,” Sarah further added.
(Read More: Jason Holder Credits Self Belief As Factor Behind Epic Win against England)
Remarkable with the bat, Sarah is known for her quality stroke-making and has the knack of playing longer innings, as she was eagerly waiting to return to the field after facing a lot of hardships during her career while going the purple and lean patch in the similar fashion.
“What am I doing with my life? I’m just stuck in bed, can’t breathe.’ That would make you worse. You spend the entire day having some form of panic attack. It’s awful because you don’t know why,” Sarah maintained.
While revealing the ordeal, Sarah was taken by surprise when she was struggling to inhale, as her body has battled the demon in the recent past.
“I was shaking, couldn’t breathe, on my own. This had happened before but I didn’t know what it was. All of a sudden it was more normal than a normal day,” Sarah believes.
Sarah was also mocked by people during the 2016 Twenty20 World Cup when she struggled to be among the runs and kept herself limited to a hotel room while developing the fear of meeting the people.
“I spent all my time in my hotel room. I didn’t talk to anyone. Everyone used to joke I was ‘Room Service Sarah’,” Sarah asserted.
After hitting the nets in December 2016, Taylor has praised the efforts of former Leicestershire coach Tim Boon for simplifying the game and approach for perceiving the things, as he suggested the former to focus on her strength.
The right-handed batter Sarah, who made her debut at the age of 17, has played 110 ODIs in which she amassed 3,657 runs, at an average of 40.63.
While donning the wicket-keeping gloves, Sarah claimed 79 catches and eventually collected 42-stumping, under her belt in the 50-over format.
Sarah scored 2,054 runs at an average of 30.20, in 81 T20Is after making appearing in 79 innings.