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Simplifying... Inshort

Cricket players like Maxwell, Ben Stokes, Ishan Kishan, and Jonathan Trott have taken mental health breaks from the sport.
Maxwell and Trott battled depression and anxiety respectively, while Stokes prioritized his mental well-being amidst injuries.
Kishan, after a historic ODI double-century, withdrew citing "mental fatigue".
These breaks highlight the mental toll professional cricket can take on players.

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Glenn Maxwell has taken a break from IPL 2024

A look at players who took mental break from cricket

By Parth Dhall

Apr 17, 2024

02:06 am

What's the story

Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell, on April 16, announced that he has taken a break from the ongoing Indian Premier League season. Maxwell made the decision a day after his franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in a historic IPL 2024 encounter. This is not the first such instance in the sport's history. Several other players have opted for such breaks to resuscitate.

#1

Glenn Maxwell (2024)

Before opting for a break, Maxwell requested RCB team management to bench him for the SRH encounter. He has scored only 32 runs at 5.33 in IPL 2024 so far. Maxwell took a similar break from all forms of cricket in 2019, during the T20I series against Sri Lanka. He opened up on his battle with depression before returning to the sport.

#2

Ben Stokes (2021)

In 2021, star all-rounder Ben Stokes withdrew from England's Test squad ahead of their five-match Test series against India at home. The England and Wales Cricket Board clarified that Stokes will take an indefinite break from the game to prioritize his mental well-being. Stokes, who also suffered injuries during that time, returned to action in March 2022, in the West Indies Test series.

#3

Ishan Kishan (2023)

Indian opener Ishan Kishan scripted history in December 2022 after scoring a blistering ODI double-century in Bangladesh. However, the budding left-handed batter was dropped from the XI in India's very next series. Toward the end of 2023, Ishan withdrew from the two-Test series in South Africa. It was reported that the reason was "mental fatigue". Ishan hasn't played for India ever since.

#4

Jonathan Trott (2013)

The daunting memories of the 2013-14 Ashes series Down Under jeopardized several English cricketers. Australia hammered England 5-0, with a fired-up Mitchell Johnson intimidating the Englishmen. England's Jonathan Trott, who was at his peak, left the tour midway after battling stress and anxiety. He took a 16-month break from cricket thereafter. Trott made his comeback in 2015 but announced his retirement soon after.