Probably one of the greatest all-rounder of all time, is Ben Stokes. He’s done it in T20s, in Tests, in ODIs, at home, away, and at all stages of matches. Mind you, he’s still very much at the starting stages of his international career, and has yet managed to achieve so much. However, news came in yesterday of Stokes taking an ‘indefinite break’ from cricket to focus on mental health.
So our focus for today is not really on Ben Stokes or on the fact that the all-rounder is going to miss the entire 5-match home Test series against India. It’s not on whether Craig Overton will be a fitting replacement to the all-rounder or not. It’s actually on the topic of mental health and how important this topic is for cricketers, especially the new-age lot.
In the pursuit of greatness in the sport, and of course, money, these cricketers are on the road right through the year. Sometimes, they spend months away from home and their families, in unfamiliar conditions and are always under the highest amounts of pressure to perform well at all times. Let’s not forget that Covid-19 has only made it worse for them as they know how to stay confined within their bio-secure bubbles.
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Having lived in quarantine for a few days myself, I can tell you it’s not easy to do it for days, go out and play cricket, be worried about your performances, miss your friends and family, and not step a foot outside the bubble arrangement for weeks and months at a stretch. And quite honestly, kudos to Stokes for bringing up the matter and being open about it, as not many are open to accepting mental health issues.
One of the earliest to speak about mental illness and even quit international cricket while at the peak of his career was Marcus Trescothick, while Jonathan Trott and Glenn Maxwell also pulled out of international tours because of the same reason. English woman cricketer Sarah Taylor was another one who had to fight these demons while Will Pucovski struggled too, taking a break at the age of only 20 years!
In fact, one of the best in the business, Virat Kohli, also spoke about one of the darkest phases of his career in 2014, so it doesn’t affect the under-performers only. Cricketers train from a young age to achieve these great highs but all of them need a break every now and then to reset and reload. Mental health is a serious issue, and shouldn’t be taken lightly!
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