Depression has become a very severe issue for youngsters right now. Every person in this world has his highs and lows in life. The ones who manage to overcome the lower points enjoy their life, but a few people take the lows seriously and eventually end up in depression.
Many cricketers have faced this issue at least once in their life. Here’s a look at the best XI of cricketers who battled depression.
Openers – Marcus Trescothick (c) and David Bairstow (wk)
English batsman Marcus Trescothick was destined for success in the international arena. He was one of the best players in the County Cricket tourneys. Unfortunately, after a string of poor performances, Trescothick developed mental issues that forced him to end his career. Since he captained his county team so well, he will hold the reins of this team. Another Englishman to feature on this list is the former wicket-keeper batsman David Bairstow. He played 25 games for his nation before calling it quits because of depression.
Middle Order – Jonathan Trott, Will Pucovski, Glenn Maxwell, Andrew Flintoff, and Hardik Pandya
It seems like many English players suffer from depression as Jonathan Trott is the third player from the nation on this team. Trott performed consistently in international cricket. However, an unsuccessful series against Australia forced him to retire due to mental problems. Will Pucovski from Australia is the most recent entry on this list. He was set to feature for Australia but pulled out because of psychological issues.
Glenn Maxwell had opted to take an indefinite break from cricket owing to depression last year. Given how strong a character he has, Maxwell overcame the situation in just a few months. Andrew Flintoff is yet another player from England who finds a place in this XI. Flintoff left cricket and tried to make a career in a different field owing to depression issues. Hardik Pandya publicized his depression issues recently on Cricbuzz special. After the Koffee With Karan controversy, Pandya did not talk to his best friend KL Rahul for a few days and even found it hard to sleep well.
Bowlers – Steve Harmison, Sreesanth, Mohammad Shami, and Monty Panesar
Steve Harmison was England’s best bowler once upon a time, but he came under so pressure after gaining attention that he decided to end his life by crashing his car into an airport. Fortunately, he did not take that extreme step and instead transitioned out of the game. Sreesanth has often stated how he wished to end his life but still believed in himself, and now, he will make a comeback for Kerala.
Mohammad Shami’s problems with his wife and other personal issues had prompted him to leave this world. Still, he stayed focused, and the 2.0 version of Shami is ruling the world right now. Monty Panesar is the sole spin bowler present in this XI. He got paranoid and depressed for a long time before he successfully overcame it and started living a healthy life.
