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Correspondence to Dr Hassan Jamaal Sadiq Mahmood, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK; [email protected]
Elite athletes have always struggled with mental health. This is not news. But it does seem to be featured more often in newspapers and newsfeeds. Although sport is protective for mental health, athletes suffer from similar rates of anxiety, depression and substance abuse as the general population.1 Just as the sport and exercise medicine community are calling for more athlete mental health support through international consensus statements,2 the public are also waking up to athletes’ daily battles on and off the pitch. Now is the time to ensure cricket is not left behind.
Why cricket?
In many countries, cricket is inseparable from religion and culture; players are worshipped by billions. The select few who represent their nation carry incredible responsibility—and failure leads to ultimate shame and financial insecurity. Cricket shines an unforgiving spotlight on individual players who can spend 300 days a year away from home.3 Statistical analysis of individual performance combined with extended time alone to reflect on errors likely predisposes cricketers to anxiety, depression and burnout.4
To make matters worse, ubiquitous and relentless social media prevents cricketers from ever leaving the field. Cricketers have spoken publicly about mental health struggles caused by direct and personal online criticism, and racial abuse.
Limited data suggest that the prevalence of mental health disorders in cricketers can be up to 38% for sleep disturbance, 37% for anxiety/depression and 26% for adverse alcohol use.5
Cricketers in England,4 South Africa,5 Australia6 and New Zealand7 have suffered (and retired)8 from the above. Indian cricketers suffer from similar problems9; however, little is known about cricketers from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh—perhaps due to silence in the face of stigma.
An indefinite global pandemic is amplifying these problems, as athletes live away from loved ones in heavily restricted environments. Some cricketers have already left the bio-secure bubbles due to mental health concerns, whereas others have declined contracts altogether to avoid them.