Cricket in November is synonymous with the traditional curtain raiser in Australian summer : The Brisbane test match. The venue is famously known as the “Gabba”. As I was anticipating the Aussie cricket team announcement for the test against Pakistan,the name of Will Pucovski was making headlines in apossible inclusion for the opening test.Will had made his List A debut when the Greenshirts toured here in 2016.He was named in last season’s test team to face Sri Lanka but hadn’t played.Then Thursday’s news broke out that Will is not named in the squad.He asked not to be considered as he wished to take a break due to mental health issues.He became the third Australian this season after Nic Maddinson and Glenn Maxwell to take a break.
The stigma of mental health in cricket is ripe and although cricketing nations like Australia, New Zealand and England are providing support and managing this, it still seems unchartered territory in many developing nations.Earlier this week, in Indore where India was hosting Bangladesh, the host skipper Virat Kohli spoke how he felt during the poor England summer he endured in 2014. ” I just didn’t know what to do , what to say to anyone, how to speak , how to communicate”.In cricketing terms can be labelled as going through a “ bad patch” and brushed aside. In psychiatric terms it is tip of an iceberg actually from something that would be labelled an “adjustment disorder “ to something more severe with time progression which could lead to a depressive episode.Left untreated, it would result in serious complications.Many cricketers would act like Virat did, and won’t communicate about it for it will be perceived as something of a taboo in cricketing circles as well as society.There is minimal support in Asian cultures for someone going through a “bad patch”.Many would turn to family for support.For others,it might end up in a visit to “quacks”.
The most famous case in Pakistan sport of mental health problems was Imran Khan’s depressive episode in 1983-84. In December 1982 in the much hyped series of India’ s tour of Pakistan, he woke up in pain on the second day of the now much famed second test at Karachi. He started experiencing pain in his left shin which became an intermittent issue throughout that series.He didn’t know but had suffered a stress fracture which was misdiagnosed and continued to bowl.Around his physical ailments, there were well documented issues of rows with board over captaincy and on selection of players to be picked. Fanatical sections of press hated him as captain. He was booed relentlessly in February in Karachi 1983 despite visibly limping after taking five wickets in the final test which was a dead rubber and claiming man of the series (his career best 40 wickets haul in series ).This was in the aftermath of what happened in Niaz stadium in Hyderabad ,the fourth test of the series.Javed Miandad wasn’t allowed to go for then Sir Gary Sobers’ record of 365 stranded at 280* in an innings of 581/3 declared with loads of time to play.
Much worse to ensue.Though it was his best series at the peak of his career,he had to stop bowling otherwise risk ending his career.He played the 1983 world cup solely as a batsman but flared up the fracture in Melbourne’s Boxing day test that year where he scored a match saving 72*. Eventually,he needed surgery in April 1984 but post surgery went into a full blown depressive episode neglectful of watching any cricket or reading about it or even stepping outside his London flat.He ruminated the end of his career and his future. This was even before news came of his mum being diagnosed of terminally being ill with cancer.He kept exercising though, possibly the only thing that worked more stronger than any anti depressant would do.
Gauging on the fluctuations in a cricketer‘s career, it is no surprise that suicides in cricket are more than any other sport.Loss of a role, a fall from glory and limelight, poor coping mechanisms (drugs and alcohol use) and financial stressors take their toll.The factors can be innumerable.Albert Trott,Arthur Shrewsbury,Albert Reif,the great Sidney Barnes, David Bairstow and Peter Roebuck are all historical victims of suicide.The “Judge “ Robin Smith under influence of alcohol contemplated taking his own life only saved only by witnessing a suicide where he resided in Perth, in an open disclosure ahead of his book launch during this year’s World Cup.
When news broke out about Will Pucovski stating he wanted to take a break, my mind twitched. He is only 21.The media and Australian team all backed him. The same day an 18 year old Rohail Nazir, Pakistan’s newest talent and the under 19 skipper scored a 50 in an Emerging Teams Asia cup encounter against Afghanistan.He has starred on the under 19 scene with the bat in Sri Lankan and South African tours.Skippering the under 19 world cup and expected to be valuable draft induction next month for the PSL,a bright season awaits. Although physically he will be able to cope with rigours but will he be able to any access mental health support if he requires?
For that matter ,will any of the senior or junior squad members be able to? What will they say ? What will they do? How will they communicate? These questions continue to loom in the wake of recent events down under regarding mental health and well being with many answers still undetermined.
(To be continued)
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