A few Australian cricketers have suffered from mental health issues this summer and have opted to take a break from the game.
This includes Glenn Maxwell, Nic Maddinson, Will Pucovski and Sophie Molineux.
Things are looking up for some of these players as Will Pucovski and his Victorian teammate Nic Maddinson were granted medical clearances for a Sheffield Shield four-day game against New South Wales at Melbourne that starts on Friday.
Some good news! Will Pucovski, Nic Maddinson and Marcus Harris are all back into our #SheffieldShield squad to face NSW, with James Pattinson also a possibility 🙌 #vicsdoitbetter
— Victorian Cricket Team (@VicStateCricket) November 27, 2019
📰: https://t.co/g1QlpTWUKB pic.twitter.com/RzOJ7qH3kE
The 27-year-old Maddinson had withdrawn from the Australia A squad earlier this month on mental health grounds.
Pucovski, who had played for Australia A against Pakistan requested the selectors not to consider him for the Tests against the Asian nation to deal with his mental health issues.
Meanwhile, Maxwell, the top ranked all-rounder in the ICC T20I rankings, is making slow progress with his recovery. He featured for club team Fitzroy Doncaster last week in Melbourne’s first-grade competition.
He is expected to return to domestic cricket at the start of the Big Bash League season where he’ll lead the Melbourne Stars.
Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch was sympathetic towards Maxwell’s ailment and assured that the star all-rounder will not rushed back to competitive cricket.
Glenn Maxwell's absence from the first class scene will continue indefinitely. Brian Lara had some words of encouragement for Maxwell at the MCG today, while giving a rare insight into his own mental health battles. https://t.co/5zYfOfohG3 @_AMcCormack7 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/TBeanh5s3i
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) November 27, 2019
“Him having a hit-out for Fitzroy on the weekend was a really valuable step for him but he’s not training,” Finch said on Wednesday.
“He’s OK – I don’t want to speak for him but it probably took him a little bit more time than he thought to get back into it and no doubt it’s going to be a gradual process to get back, whether that’s next week or next month or next year.”
Finch said that everyone including Maxwell had initially passed off the issues as tiredness.
“It’s not a hamstring injury or anything where you can treat the same way for everyone and everyone is learning,” Finch said.
“You have to be mindful of the player making the decision in their best interest and not trying to rush them back for a particular game or a defined date.”
