Glenn Maxwell opens up on his gruelling mental struggle
Speaking on a recent Podcast, Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell spoke about his struggle with mental health. The right-hander also revealed how badly he wanted a break from cricket during the ICC World Cup 2019. Maxwell opted out of the Sri Lankan T20I series last year as he went through a rough patch with regards to his mental health. Here is what he said.
I was angry for not performing, says Maxwell
"I was thinking about things I could do on the way back to snap it. I had anger at other people and it didn't make sense, but I was angry at myself for not being able to produce at all this World Cup," Maxwell said.
Maxwell was struggling during the World Cup 2019
Maxwell and Shaun Marsh were rushed to hospital after they sustained respective injuries during a practice session of the World Cup 2019. "According to the 31-year-old, he was hoping that his arm was broken after the scans," Maxwell said. He added, "We went to the hospital together and we were both sitting there, a part of me was hoping (my arm) was broken."
Maxwell stopped enjoying his batting
Following a forgettable World Cup campaign wherein he could muster only 177 runs in 10 innings, Maxwell looked in fine touch against in the Sri Lanka T20I series. In the first T20I, he scored a blistering 62 off 28. "I batted so well, I got 60-odd off less than 30 (balls) and barely missed the middle...but didn't really enjoy any of it," he said.
It felt like I was letting people down, says Maxwell
Maxwell further reiterated how he dealt with his mental break in the following months. "Those next two or three days were probably the worst I'd had in the next six months. As much as support was great, it was also so confronting...I wanted to go further into my little hole," he said. He added, "I felt like I was letting people down."
