Written by Ben Leah
With bio secure bubbles and heavy game scheduling being a prominent fixture in modern cricket, mental health cases within cricketers at international and local level have seen a sharp rise.
Major stars in the cricketing game such as Ben Stokes, Dom Bess and Kate Cross have been very open with their struggles and its certainly not an issue at just elite level, but it transmits down to local level too.
Mental health and cricket was a taboo subject to many. It was not until Marcus Trescothick’s abrupt retirement from international cricket in 2007- due to mental health struggles, that conversations on the subject started to occur.
His autobiography ‘Coming Back To Me’ (written with The Cricket Paper’s Peter Hayter), gave a brave and soul-baring account of his mental frailties. The book began to open the way to a better understanding of the unique pressures experienced by modern-day professional athlete.
Opening up cricket
Opening Up Cricket is a Mental Health and Suicide Prevention charity set up in memoriam of Alex Miller of Sefton Park Cricket Club (Liverpool). Alex took his own life back in 2012.
The organisation was set up in 2014 and founder Mark Boyns believes that being with the right group is vital for positive mental health.
He said: “One of the big themes that we cover in sessions with clubs is what we can do both individually but as teams and clubs to foster the right environment.
“If someone shares something and it’s received well and they’re supported, then that’s an incredible thing that we can do for our fellow players and our friends.
“Mental health has become a key issue during the pandemic with player such as Kate Cross being open with her struggles.”
Cross has been Opening Up trustee for a number of years. The England star said in 2021 that life in bio-secure bubbles has severely impacted her mental health.
Boyns said: “Playing a sport such as ours gives things naturally to good mental health and it’s the role of everyone to make we be reminded of that.
“Those that don’t play team sport would look in and think what the attraction of dressing is in white and standing in a field for six hours, but if we can say this is good for our mental health then we can move forward the conversation.”
Sunday Times Football Correspondent Jonathan Northcroft is also an Opening Up trustee. Working within sport, Northcroft knows the effects of mental health in sport.
He believes that Mark’s work in spreading the message has been remarkable.
Northcroft stated: “I think the work Mark has done in visiting so many clubs has left the message with people.
“The reason for growth is because of the quality of Mark’s work and the appetite for the message is never ending as mental health is a continual process and support is needed.”
The growth that has occurred has seen Mark and his volunteers deliver over 350 sessions so far in the UK and in Australia – receiving a positive reaction from those reached.
Mark has made a platform to make sure that there is support for sports people whatever struggles they may be going through and to know that help is always there when needed most.
The message of Opening Up Cricket is simply to promote positive mental health through the use of sport and to make sure that what happened to Alex back in 2012 never happens again.
