Trott will offer a sympathetic ear if Scots are struggling with mental strain
FORMER England cricketer Jonathan Trott has told Scotland’s players that his door is always open to discuss mental health problems as they prepare for their final T20 World Cup qualification matches in the Middle East.
The three-time Ashes winner, who is now the Scottish team’s batting consultant, knows only too well the pressure and anxiety of touring abroad for long periods of time.
He had to return from the 2013 tour of Australia following the first Test in Brisbane after suffering from a stress-related illness.
Trott, now 40, had suppressed his feelings for years and even contemplated suicide before taking a complete break from cricket after flying back from Down Under to deal with the condition.
He was the third English cricketer to have to return home from a tour due to stress or other related issues such as depression. The first was Marcus Trescothick on the 2005-2006 tour to India, followed by left-arm spinner Michael Yardy, who flew home from the 2011 World Cup.
Trott, who returned to cricket after treatment, said it was no longer ‘taboo’ for players to ask for help when they are struggling mentally. And that could prove helpful for a Scotland side who could be stuck in a Covid bubble for up to two months if they qualify for the World Cup finals.
The former right-handed top-order batsman is currently working with the team in their Covid bubble in the United Arab Emirates. He will return home before the Scots travel to Oman later this month when they will try to finish among the top two out of four teams, including Oman, Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh, that make the T20 World Cup finals.
Asked if he would be happy talking — or, more importantly, listening — to players who had mental issues during a tour, Trott said: ‘Absolutely. My door is always open. I am happy to talk to anybody, whether it’s about mental health, cricket, baseball, NFL, anything. I’ll talk to anyone about anything.
‘I’m no psychologist. I’m no professional, but I like to learn and I like to listen as everyone has their own unique situation. We say it’s a mental health thing but that’s quite a big umbrella as everyone’s situation is always very different.
‘I think the world has become a lot more understanding, which makes people feel a bit better about themselves and they’re not thinking there’s something wrong with them that they can’t talk about.
‘A lot of people do experience stuff, whether it is personal or work wise, and I think that’s quite comforting for a lot of people that they can share experiences.
‘I’m certainly enjoying chatting with the guys and I always feel, well hopefully, that I come across as someone who’s quite open and willing to talk about anything.
‘But the most important thing is that you actually listen to people as everybody is very different and going through different things.’
Although Trott has made clear to the players — or anybody else in the Scotland squad — that his door is always open if they want to talk, he praised Cricket Scotland for appointing a wellbeing manager to help the team abroad as they prepare for their World Cup qualification matches.
Louise Finlayson, who has worked with senior leaders in multinational companies as well as highperformance athletes, has travelled with the team to the Middle East and is on hand if anybody needs her help.
‘Cricket Scotland should be congratulated for bringing someone from Scotland out with the squad,’ said the 2011 Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
‘She is helping the guys here and we’re looking after the guys, making sure they are okay in this day and age when you travel around with Covid restrictions and in squad bubbles and are stuck in the hotel a lot.
‘Looking out my hotel window, I certainly wish I could be going up the tallest building in the world here in the UAE with the guys, but we can’t — and the challenge is keeping the guys upbeat and keeping the spirits high.
‘We want to have them enjoying each other’s company, and the support staff have been working really hard to ensure that happens. We also encourage players to have their own support network around them, people that they know.
‘It’s also important to know yourself, too, and know the people through technology that you can draw on, whether you’re on the other side of the world.
‘It is crucial to international sports these days, with the technology around, that you can stay in touch with people back home.’
As for the team’s chances of playing the likes of England or Australia in the World Cup finals, former Warwickshire star Trott is confident. And he has been particularly impressed by the quality of the batsmen he has been working with.
‘I’ve seen some of the biggest sixes I’ve ever seen in my life hit by Scottish players, which is very exciting,’ said the man who scored a century on his England debut in the fifth Ashes Test in 2009.
‘Now it’s about trying to get them playing consistently well in all conditions.
‘What I’m trying to do with the guys is to try to equip them for whether it’s a good wicket or a used wicket so they have the self-confidence in themselves to chase down any total.
‘It’s about helping them get the most out of themselves so they’re ready when the pressure is going to be on under the lights and in front of the cameras.
‘(It’s so) they’re going in the right direction. It’s about maintaining that so, when these warm-up games are finished, the guys are really confident and looking forward to facing Bangladesh and the likes.
‘Having finished up the season with Warwickshire, it’s a great experience personally for me as a coach of just a few years to be given the chance to work in international cricket with Scotland.
‘I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the guys and seeing the passion for the game in Scotland, having only previously played a few games against Scotland for Warwickshire in Edinburgh or Edgbaston.
‘The job satisfaction for me will be hopefully seeing them do well.
‘That replaces the feeling I had as a player when I’m part of a team that wins something big or when you do well personally. Seeing guys doing well, I get a lot of satisfaction from that and I feel chuffed.’