Podcasts helping EK star Qasim hit depression for six
East Kilbride cricket star Qasim Sheikh says a series of podcasts have “helped unbelievably” with his battle against depression.
The 35-year-old has recorded and released season one of Sheikhy’s Cricketing and Sporting Journeys and is busy working on season two.
That will feature female cricket star Vari Maxwell, footballer Mark McKenna and figure skater Jennifer Morgan Milne when they are released in August.
Sheikh has endured a lengthy battle with depression, accelerated by an acrimonious marriage break-up and loss of access to his son Harris, and that wasn’t helped by being made redundant.
The former Scotland batsman says the podcasts, his second wife Kaya and six-month-old daughter Ava have got him through some dark times.
He said:“It was a lengthy battle I’ve had with depression. When lockdown started I was made redundant, so the podcast was an opportunity for me to start doing something, and that’s what I decided to do.
“It has helped me unbelievably. It was all thanks to my wife, who has supported me a massive amount. The reason for the struggles have been due to the fact that I haven’t seen my son Harris for two and a half years, after a bad marriage break-up.”
Sheikh added:“Season one was just
talking to cricketers, famous cricketers from around the world, which has been really good, and now we’re planning for season two, which is going to be speaking to people from all different sports.
“I’m talking to some people from East Kilbride. I have three people coming on, a lad called Mark McKenna, who has played a bit of football with East Kilbride, I’m going to have a girl called Vari Maxwell, whose story is very interesting.
“She started off at East Kilbride, went on to play for the Scotland women’s team, went into the army after that, Royal Navy, served in the Falkland Islands.
“Since then it has been a tough, bumpy road for her.
“Jennifer Milne is coming on, she’s a good friend of mine from school days.
“I thought it would be interesting to get a figure ice skater on, and the whole point of all of this is to talk to different sports people.
“Me, as a sports person talking to sports people of all other walks of life, and I have recorded that, so that will be out in early August.
“It’s fantastic, her daughter Maya is also right up there right now, she’s close to being just as good as her mother was.”
Sheikh is himself an accomplished sportsman and having been a coach at East Kilbride for two seasons he has now moved back to Glasgow club Clydesdale, where it all started for him.
He said:“I was a player-coach at East Kilbride for a couple of years and it was good fun, I enjoyed it, but this season I’ve moved back to Clydesdale Cricket Club, because that’s where I started my career.
“The transition into a bit of coaching while playing was good. East Kilbride is a good club, it’s got a lot going for it.
“They have got a good rugby club up there as well, tennis, football across the road and a good wee set up in Calderwood Park, so it’s got a lot going for it. I think the big problem East Kilbride face is just numbers.
“Being quite far out, it’s quite difficult to attract cricketers to go and play there, and the most important thing they can do is try to get into the schools to attract more kids to play the game, and that would help them in the long run.”