WARNING FOR ENGLAND
Act now to prevent another Trott
MORE England cricketers will succumb to stress and mental health issues unless the problems caused by relentless schedules are addressed.
That is the warning issued last night by Angus Porter, head of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, following Jonathan Trott’s assertion that burnout rather than depression caused him to quit England’s Ashes tour after just one Test.
Following their month in the West Indies, England’s T20 players yesterday enjoyed no more than what Jade Dernbach called ‘a breath of fresh air then back on the plane to Bangladesh’ for the World T20, with a worrying knee injury to skipper Stuart Broad emphasising the physical risks of non-stop cricket commitments.
And Porter believes the England management must learn from Trott’s experience to redouble their efforts to protect players from the stresses that may cause mental burnout and depression, or face the certainty that more of their top players will fall victim.
Porter said: ‘First, we must acknowledge the stresses that are put on players by the schedules.
‘The fact is Trott’s is not an isloated case but part of a whole spectrum of stress-related issues, and if we do not address them it will not be the last.
‘Each case, like Trott’s, Michael Yardy’s and Marcus Trescothick’s, are all individual, but it is clear a pattern is emerging and we need to take it very seriously.
‘We are in a Catch-22 as regards future scheduling because once it has been sold to broadcasters you cannot change it.
‘We’ve never played back-toback Ashes before and I hope we won’t again. Nonetheless, in 2015, after a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, we go straight from the Ashes in England to a Test series against Pakistan and a full tour of South Africa.
‘But, for the sake of players’ wellbeing, we must get better at detecting signs of mental stress. And for the players who play all formats, we are going to have to manage their workload and rest.’
On the first measure, Porter, whose PCA offers members various services including confidential helplines and specialised counselling, says this should include drafting mental health professionals into the ranks of England’s support staff.
‘The ECB and other boards do a good job at spotting early warning signs of physical problems.
‘We need to apply the same sort of processes when it comes to mental stress.
‘Sometimes players are not the best at knowing what is in their interests. In hindsight, for instance, it seems clear that Trott should have had a break between the Ashes series by missing the ODI series against Australia in England. The coach, Andy Flower, gave him that option, but he insisted on playing.
‘Judgments should not be in the hands of players or coaches but mental health professionals, strong enough to make sure their advice is followed.’