Five Famous Cricketers Who Faced Mental Health Problems

Aug 24, 2020 at 1:10 PM

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Five Famous Cricketers Who Faced Mental Health Problems

Going through mental health issue is considered as a shameful disease which should not be openly talked or discussed in society. However, there is a positive drift in handling the mental health issue stigma but there is a lot to do. 

Being a sportsperson, cricketers also go through a lot of pressure and stress for their performance on the field. They are all-time under a scanner which could affect their mental health. Few players openly talk about it but many chose to silently suffer because it could affect their career. 

Here, we have listed five cricketers who went under mental health issues:

Glenn Maxwell:

Glenn Maxwell, Five Famous Cricketer Who Faced Mental Health Issue
Glenn Maxwell (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Australia’s white-ball specialist Glenn Maxwell became vocal about his mental health in 2019. He surprised many fans but was appreciated for boldly talking about the issue. He decided to take a break from the game for some period. The all-rounder stepped away from the game during Australia’s Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in October 2019.

He returned to the field for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League 2019-2020 season. He performed amazingly in the T20 league but he has lost his place in the national cricket team. Last year, he gave an interview where he explained his mental health:

“I’ve been getting back into the swing of things for a while. I think I was pretty cooked. I decided to take some time off and a big reason as to why I took that time away was because I was mentally and physically ruined from I think it was eight months on the road and living out of a suitcase,” Maxwell told reporters.

Jonathan Trott:

Pic Credits: PA.

Jonathan Trott made the dreamlike debut, scoring a century and leading England to regain Ashes 2009. After playing his maiden series, he became the lynchpin of England’s batting order and heavily scored for them in ODIs and Tests. But he had a sudden downfall in his career in 2012. However, He bounced back in the 2013-2014 Ashes series and helped the team to retain Ashes. At that time, Jonathan then didn’t open up on why his form degraded. 

But in his book, Unguarded, he revealed the reason behind his form dip. His book explains how the brutal grind of professional sport can unsettle its best performers.

“You want to find a way to avoid going to the ground,” Trott says. “You hope the covers have leaked overnight – or you hope for rain. But it got worse and, as soon as I put my tracksuit on, it was like a trigger. I was going back into that arena, that pressure cooker, that place of judgment.” Trott wrote in his autobiography.

Sarah Taylor:

Sarah Taylor says anxiety attacks forced her to take a break from cricket
Sarah Taylor says anxiety attacks forced her to take a break from cricket.

England’s wicket-keeper batwoman Sarah Taylor retired from international cricket because she was battling with anxiety. She surprised her fans with the decision but the veteran said that retiring was a tough choice for her but it was good for her mental health. 

“This has been a tough decision but I know it’s the right one, for me and for my health moving forward. I am extremely proud of my career. I leave with my head held high and with excitement for what my future holds and what my next chapter brings.”

Taylor played a key role in England’s most memorable victories which included the World T20 win in 2009, and the 50-over World Cup win in 2017. Positioned behind the stumps, she has 232 dismissals in her name, the most in women’s cricket so far. 

Andrew Flintoff:

Andrew Flintoff Five Famous Cricketer Who Faced Mental Health Issue
Andrew Flintoff. Image Credit: Twitter.

Andrew Flintoff is a big name in this list who has suffered mental health issues during his prosperous career. He was the mainstay for the team and was the key member in contributing to the 2005 Ashes series victory where England registered the first Test series victory in Australia.

But he faced depression during the 2006-2007 Ashes whitewash in Australia. He could not bear the stress and had started drinking a lot as he revealed in the interview. The former cricketer never shied to talk about his mental health.

While talking to The Guardian, he said, “I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I knew when I got back to my room I couldn’t shut off, which is why I started having a drink. It got to the stage where I was probably drinking more than I should.”

“All I wanted was for the doctor to tell me what was wrong but no one suggested it was depression. There’s a certain sense of shame when I remember sitting in the dressing room after winning a one-day international in the West Indies. The lads were celebrating and I didn’t want to be a part of it, I didn’t want to do anything but sit on my own in the corner,” he shared.

David Bairstow

David Bairstow, Five Famous Cricketer Who Faced Mental Health Issue
David Bairstow. Image Credit: Getty Images.

David Bairstow, the father of England team’s wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow, had a tough persona. He was the attacking batsman who got under the opposition’s skin. He enjoyed much success in domestic cricket in the 70s and 80s but failed to replicate it in international cricket for England. He played only a handful of Tests for England but managed to stick around longer in ODIs due to his aggressive brand of cricket with the bat. 

But because of financial crises after his wife Janet suffered from illness, he suffered from depression and decided to end his life. In late 1997, the former cricketer took an overdose of tablets.

Although he survived, after a few weeks he hanged himself at his home due to depression. His suicide news had shocked the whole cricket world. 

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