Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has applauded Glenn Maxwell’s decision to take some time away from cricket to tend to his mental health and said it was a relief the veil had b een lifted on the struggles of some of the game’s best, the Brisbane Times reports.
Maxwell withdrew from the Australian T20 squad and intends to take a short time out from cricket, with a return date yet to be set. Cricket Australia and his home state of Victoria have both endorsed the move, while D’Arcy Short replaced him for the third T20 against Sri Lanka in Melbourne last night.
Waugh said the issues were not new by any means and the actions of players like Maxwell and Henriques have helped take away the stigma.
“They have always been there. In my era, blokes would just toughen up and get on with it. When I look back, it was cruel in a lot of ways, because guys were homesick and struggling,” Waugh said at the launch of his charity The Captain’s Ride in Brisbane.
“In my era, blokes would just get on with it. When I look back, it was cruel.”
The Captain’s Ride aims to place rare diseases on the map, organisers say.
“It is about people from all walks of life leading, inspiring, supporting and guiding others,” the Steve Waugh Foundation explains.” Steve Waugh personally invites and creates a unique team of International Riders who make up the inspirational Leadership Program each evening.
“This ride is about ‘strength of character’. It’s at the core of what the Steve Waugh Foundation do, from the people we support to the people who support us.”
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Waugh says Maxwell helping unmask mental health realities (Brisbane Times)
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