Cricketers feel depressed after retirement: Survey
A survey of retired Australian players has found that a quarter of them experienced depression and feelings of helplessness after quitting professional cricket.
|Last Updated: Dec 23, 2013, 10:46 AM IST|Source: AP
Sydney: A survey of retired Australian players has found that a quarter of them experienced depression and feelings of helplessness after quitting professional cricket.
The Australian Cricketers` Association, which conducted the survey, contacted every player who had retired or been forced out of cricket at international or state level since 2005.
It found that 39 percent of participants experienced high levels of stress and anxiety for two weeks or more after retirement; 25 percent experienced depression or feelings of helplessness for periods of two weeks or more and 43 percent felt they had lost a sense of their identity after finishing their cricket career.
ACA chief executive Paul Marsh told the Sydney Morning Herald more had to be done to help players approaching retirement which is "a very difficult time in a player`s life."
"That`s when the reality hits so we`ve got to transition them from one career to the next career," Marsh said.
"A huge part of what we do is trying to get them ready whilst they`re playing cricket. You try and soften that blow by preparing them. Some players
don`t see the end coming for various reasons. It`s obviously a pretty brutal career path, professional sport, and you can be on a contract for as little as one year."
The survey comes at a time of increasing focus on the mental health of top players after England batsman Jonathan Trott was forced to quit the Ashes tour of Australia because of a "stress-related illness."
Marsh said the survey results are preliminary and only focus on players who came out of the Australian system after 2005 because that was when the ACA began a USD 1 million program to assist retiring or recently-retired cricketers.
He said top players often linked their identity to sporting achievement and had a lack of balance in their lives.
"I don`t think there is any definitive research on this but I think cricket is a game that lends itself to the types of mental health issues that we`ve seen," Marsh said.
"One reason is the international guys spend so much time away from home and that can be difficult. And there are not many sports that I can think of that your own personal performances are so identifiable and therefore under scrutiny.
"In your football codes you`re part of a team, you can have a good or a bad game but you can hide behind playing your role for your coach. In cricket, it`s there for everyone to see."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.