5 International Cricketers Who Quit International Cricket Due To Mental Health Issues

In addition to being one of the most challenging sports physically, cricket sometimes also takes a huge toll on the mental health of cricketers. Although initially a majority of cricketers were a bit hesitant to talk about the mental health struggles that they went through, the modern-day cricketers have been quite bold and open to discuss their mental health issues with as much courage and entitlement as they speak about their physical fitness on public platforms.

Over the years from off-field politics to a constant pressure of meeting ever-widening expectations, the mental health issues have been back-breaking for numerous cricketers which have also led them to announce their retirement from the game.

In this article we will take a look at the top five international cricketers who were forced to announce their retirement due to mental health issues.

5 International Cricketers Who Quit International Cricket Due to Mental Health Issues

1. Jonathan Trott 

Jonathan Trott, often hailed as England’s one of the most reliable and promising batsman, battled serious mental health issues at the apex of his international cricketing career. Jonathan Trott represented the England side in international cricket from 2007 to 2015 and played his career’s last ODI against Australia in 2013.

Jonathan Trott who was seen struggling to maintain his form and consistency on the field took a year long break from cricket to battle his mental health issues but failed to make a comeback and ended up announcing an early retirement from international cricket. Currently, Jonathan Trott has been appointed as the head coach for the national cricket team of Afghanistan.

2. Andrew Flintoff

At the second spot on our list of top five international cricketers who were forced to announce their early retirement due to mental health issues we have former English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff who represented England at international cricket for over a decade from 1998 to 2009. In his glorious cricketing career that spanned over a decade, Andrew Flintoff appeared in over 200 international cricket matches but was caught in the hands of severe anxiety and depression during the 2006-07 Ashes Series.

In one of his interviews, Freddie confessed that during the 2007 World Cup he got actively involved in drinking alcohol and somehow it became his coping mechanism from the anxiety and depression, which eventually made things worse for the English cricketer. When Andrew Flintoff announced his requirement from international cricket in 2009, he was on antidepressants according to reports.

3. Sarah Taylor 

Next up we have the “Wonder Woman” of English cricket, Sarah Taylor on our list of top five international cricketers who were forced to announce their early retirement due to mental health issues. Sarah Taylor has been completely vocal about her mental health struggles and confessed in one of her interviews how she has also been a victim of numerous mental health disorders which made her go through a tough time.

Sarah Taylor’s decision to retire from the English national side came out as a major shock for the team as well as her fans and followers from all over the world. Sarah Taylor announced her retirement from international cricket formats in 2019 and specified “anxiety” to be the major reason for her sudden retirement.

4. David Bairstow 

David Leslie Bairstow is another English cricketer who lost his battle to mental health issues and announced an early retirement from the world of cricket. David Bairstow was an exceptional wicket-keeper for both England national cricket team and Yorkshire.

In addition to being one of the most sensational English cricketing personalities in the late 90s, David Bairstow countered numerous challenges in his personal as well as professional life which triggered numerous mental health issues and that ultimately led him to become an alcoholic. The late 90s era witnessed David Bairstow getting involved in numerous controversies from drinking and driving. Although Bairstow had an extremely promising cricketing career ahead of him, he announced an early retirement due to his mental health issues in 1990.

5. Will Pucovski 

Well, if it wasn’t for his mental illness Will Pucovski would have been one of the greatest names in the annals of international cricket today. Will Pucovski made his international debut on 7 January 2021 against India in a test match and owing to his inconsistent playing form and mental health issues he was forced to retire from all international cricket formats in 2024.

In a few of his interviews, Will Pucovski has been often seen discussing his mental health issues and how they led to his early retirement from international cricket.

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