Abhijit Banare
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Written By: Abhijit Banare | Updated : June 4, 2014 4:43 PM IST
Oct 10 is World Mental Health Day.
In the hectic cricketing schedule, more and more cricketers are susceptible to not just physical injuries, but the psychological challenges that are part and parcel of a sporting career. On World Mental Health Day, Abhijit Banare looks at cricketers who have set an example by dealing with mental health problems.
Vinnie Jones was considered a hard man on the football field. When Andrew Flintoff interviewed Jones as part of the BBC documentary Hidden Side of Sport, very few could believe that Jones, such a colourful footballer in the '90s, once walked into the woods with a gun in his hand thinking of ending it once and for all. Jones, now 48, is a successful actor and speaks about depression openly and said in one of his interviews with The Guardian, 'It took me 40 years to see a psychologist. I often wonder how my life might have been different if it had been four years, or four months.'
Jones is just one of the many sportspersons Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff spoke to in his documentary. Flintoff himself admitted being affected by depression. More significantly, the former England skipper broke the notion that sportspersons are strong enough not be affected by the talk around them. And it's interesting when he confronts Piers Morgan former tabloid editor on how journalists criticise the player without thinking of the pain they been through.
Before Flintoff, Marcus Trescothick was considered a classic example of someone who successfully fought depression and he was among the earliest sportsmen to reveal his condition. To recount a part of his career, the left-hander returned mid-way from the 2006 tour to India citing personal reasons. Trescothick shuffled his career returning and withdrawing far too many times before he admitted the real demon within depression.
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of depression.
In his book Coming Back at Me, the cricketer recounts various phases which he went through. Much has been written about the former England opener. However, what's equally essential to understand is the immense support that Trescothick received during that stage from the board and former players around him. Despite fighting such a long and exhausting battle, Trescothick said to The Guardian in 2011, 'You still get it at odd times, when you think something is going to happen. You're always only one step away from it and that's why you need to maintain the good things in your life.' His book was well-received and many other sportsmen came out in the open, finding it comfortable to discuss their problems.
As psychotherapist Philip Hudson puts it briefly, 'If the mood inside isn't the same as the applause outside, they can't admit it.' Fortunately in England, the atmosphere surrounding such cases has eased up and players are accepted and supported for what they are.
Another English cricketer, Steve Harmison also part of Flintoff's documentary spoke about the problems he went through. Former New Zealand cricketer Iain O'Brien was among the prominent ones who came out in the open after watching the BBC documentary on the subject. O'Brien recounts that he could identify with the symptoms of depression at the early age of 20 but it took him 15 years to deal with it.
Unlike Trescothick, who struggled on tour, the former pacer was in fact much more comfortable on the road, but had trouble coping socially when at home. In an interview to The Cricket Couch, O'Brien explains, 'Back in 2009 when we travelled to South Africa, we had a sports psychologist Gary Hermmanson. Even back then, which doesn't sound like that long, there weren't a lot of guys (who) used them. There was a little bit of stand-offish [sic] sort of behaviour. Why is he talking to him? Is he having some mental problem? There was some stigma attached to it. Part of it changed when we saw a senior player spending a lot of time with Gary. And that was a pretty decent indication that it was probably a chance for me to go and find some stuff out that can help me play cricket better. Now things have changed a lot. Twenty two out of 95 first class cricketers sought some sort of help. The structure back in New Zealand has improved a lot.'
No cases in India?
In India though, you get to hear very little of such cases about an active cricketer. It would be a case of sweeping generalisation if we assumed that cricketers in India who come from little known cities have a raw mental strength which prevents them from easily breaking down. But they do go through the rigours of fighting to sharpen their skills and move up the order but each story of every cricketer has a personal struggle tale attached to it. We're not saying such players are immune to psychological problems but they are equipped with the ability to bend themselves more than others.
Nevertheless, if an Indian cricketer is suffering from depression, it would be important for him to come out and talk about his troubles. Even though there's a stigma attached to mental illness, a cricketer opening up about mental health issues would go a long way in making it acceptable for other athletes. Considering the baggage an Indian cricketer carries, it would be astonishing if none of the cricketers faced the challenge. And if Flintoff's documentary is to be believed, at least one in every 10 sportspersons deals with it.
Becoming mentally tougher
Depression is just one of the many challenges cricketers face. Sometimes a player can also fail in a team if there's no predefined goals set. Harsha Bhogle recounted an incident about Yuvraj Singh during his lecture at IIM Ahmedabad in 2006. Yuvraj was concerned about not scoring enough centuries. The thought could have easily pulled him down. But Paddy Upton helped the southpaw to redefine his performance goals. Upton helped him understand his role batting for the Indian side coming in at No 5 or No 6. At such a position he was asked to focus on finishing the games instead of scoring centuries. When we just put that thought in the games that we have watched him in till now, we say, 'no wonder he's such a good finisher.' But the journey through the little adjustments can be a long haul.
In the demanding schedule where players travel and play a lot, stay alone, deal with their form, the role of mental conditioning or a psychotherapist becomes an invaluable asset for any team.
(The author Abhijit Banare is a reporter at CricketCountry. He is an avid quizzer and loves to analyse and dig out interesting facts which allows him to learn something new every day. Apart from cricket he also likes to keep a sharp eye on Indian politics, and can be followed on Twitter and blog)
First published on CricketCountry
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