Feature image source– Twitter / X @tough_to_talk
In the annals of cricketing folklore, while we have seen some of the finest moments on the 22 yards, what goes behind the scenes, especially in the mind of the cricketers, is also equally important.
However, only a few have spoken about the pressures they have had to absorb in the eras gone by. That told, as seen today, more and more cricketers are coming out of the closet to talk about their mental fears, anxiety and depression that have increasingly- and rather unfortunately- become a part of Cricket.
A lack of runs, wickets becoming as rare as the level of goodness or nicety in society coupled with long months away from families on outbound tours have reached a level where pressure has finally burst out of the cooker called the human brain.
Truth be told, mental health has become a topic as real as they come and not only in cricket; but in wide-ranging disciplines of life.
Endless work, unreal deadlines, idiosyncrasy personified clients and a company whose sole goal is to play with your mind have undoubtedly elevated mental health issues in most of us.
I for one most certainly allude to the above.
Speaking about mental health in cricket, one over time has witnessed a host of stars calling time on their careers in their prime, the likes of Marcus Trescothick, one of the finest English opening batters to grace the game, his compatriot Jonathon Trott, their women counterpart Sarah Taylor and Meg Lanning, who’s not only the icon of Australian Cricket, but the women’s game on the whole.
All the aforementioned cricketers could not cope with the pressures this game had to offer and depression unfortunately had become a way of life for them during their playing days.
Well, the buck doesn’t stop here as some of the other big names also alluded to suffering from mental despair.
The likes of Australian great Glenn Maxwell who had taken time off from cricket in 2019, the Indian God Virat Kohli who felt his world was ending in 2014 when he had an ordinary series against England and current English test captain Ben Stokes who took a six-month sabbatical from the game back in 2021 after suffering from panic attacks.
Speaking about these greats, one would wonder how much does our profession constitute to our life and we often fall in this trap of making our work the entire reason of our existence which indeed becomes detrimental to the very reason of our being.
Not a good space to be in, is it?
Recently what was even more shocking was the death of England legend Graham Thorpe, who had lived with anxiety and depression for a major part of his life and decided to end his existence at age 55, leaving a weeping wife and two young daughters behind.
The gritty left hander was so disillusioned with his life that he had tried to end his existence back in 2022 to a failed attempt albeit the ills just kept hovering over him till he finally went to a higher place.
A horror beyond belief if you ask me.
Imagine what his family would be going through to see their loved one succumb to mental health.
Perhaps, Graham Thorpe’s demise has been one of the foremost reasons for me to pen this piece to make mental health something we should openly talk about.
We all need help at some point in our life and its of prime importance to identify the moment and act at the right time,else time would act on us and the feeling will be one of complete misery.
