Fit-again Richardson reveals mental health issues | cricket.com.au

The West Australian paceman is speaking bravely about his anxiety diagnosis, as he looks forward to a return to Test cricket.

While Jhye Richardson hopes that his ambition to pull on the Baggy Green again can come true with a new fitness regime, the fast bowler has revealed the bigger challenges he faces without you forget.

As he prepares for his latest three-Test inclusion, Richardson has bravely opened up about being diagnosed with medical anxiety in the hope it will inspire other cricketers. prioritizing their mental health.

The West Australian’s problems came to a head three years ago when COVID-19 disrupted the Indian Premier League season he was involved in, leaving players out of the country due to strict rules. of Australian environmental protection.

“A lot of it started during the COVID period. My journey to the IPL – I’ve left home and not where I probably should have been,” Richardson told cricket.com.au.

“Then things hit a fan while I was away, and everything with the COVID and not being able to get home and things like that, it all came crashing down.

“I think you don’t realize what kind of place you’re in until it’s too much, so now I’m encouraging a lot of young cricketers to work on their mental health – even if they think they’re going well .

“It’s like practicing short ball. The more you practice short ball, the better you’ll be at it when the situation comes up the middle. It’s very similar off the field.

“Everything came to a point where there was a professional process that needed to happen.

“I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I got to a point where things were so bad that I stepped back and said, ‘I can’t go on thinking the way I am. ‘ and (necessary). ) to get more education and knowledge about how the brain works.”

Richardson has praised the Western Australian Cricket Association for supporting him with the training in later years, suggesting he is now better equipped to deal with the challenges that have come on top of his string of physical problems. .

His involvement in professional e-sports team, Ground Zero Gaming, in which he is an investor has been interesting away from cricket.

“A lot of judgment is gone these days,” the 27-year-old said of mental health. “In our team (WA) we trust everyone in the way they want to do things. People are individuals – they train in different ways, they think differently.

“The tools in cricket these days make dealing with mental health issues so much easier and there’s so much education out there.

“But as someone who has dealt with anxiety, not just on the field but away from cricket and everyday life, it can be very exhausting.”

Richardson hopes his body can prove equally strong as his promising international career has been halted by injury.

The right-hander underwent surgery on his right shoulder and right hamstring, suffering from strains in both problem areas, while the side strain cleared up in the summer when he went down during the KFC BBL in January.

Shoulder issues have continued to bother him and he still can’t throw from the outfield. Instead, he worked on bowling returns from the boundary, a practice that cost him time in BBL09.

Richardson admits he had to go back to the drawing board in the offseason.

“There’s been a bit of a reaction, and what we’ve done the last couple of years hasn’t really worked,” he said. “So we’ve taken a slightly different approach this time around.”

After realizing he was used to jumping into fast-paced cricket after recovering from injuries, Richardson has instead taken the lead in building a strong bowling body over the winter to ensure he have “legs” to avoid repetition.

He played one game during this year’s IPL for Delhi Capitals but continued to bowl twice a week when he returned to Perth, moving up a gear when he played three matches for the Scorchers in their series Top End T20 in Darwin.

Richardson has also left Tests at short notice, returning to the form that gave him 11 Test wickets at 22.09 and a match-winning 5-42 at Adelaide in his last Ashes match. in 2021. -22.

The prestige with which the selectors hold the whippy has been highlighted by the fact that they have remained on a national contract for the past two years despite not having played an international game in any capacity since mid-2022.

“Obviously it’s been frustrating. I think what has kept me going is knowing that if I can get back into competitive cricket, I’m still enjoying it,” said Richardson, who could come in to face India. this summer if he stays fit. .

“I know what it’s like to play Test cricket and I’m looking forward to getting back there.

“I’ve only had a taste of it in the last few years, but knowing that when I get back there, I enjoy playing cricket, that’s why we all start playing in the first place.

“I know if I get it right, hopefully I can show the skills that allow me to get to the next level. I want to play Test cricket again. I want to play for Australia again.

“At the end of the day, it’s not just about giving up that goal and keeping it there and doing everything I can to get my body ready to get back there. It’s every cricketer’s dream.

“I’ve had a taste of it before, so in that sense it’s good to know what it’s like, because it drives you to go back there.”

Western Australia’s men’s season begins with two one-day matches in Sydney on September 22 and September 24, before starting their Marsh Sheffield Shield title defense on October 8 at home to Queensland.

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