'Love you mate': Outpouring of support after Aussie cricketer's sad announcement
The Aussie sporting community is rallying around Moises Henriques after the Sydney Sixers captain shared an emotional statement about his mental health battle.
Henriques admitted he was “a long time sufferer of mental illness” in 2018 and opened up further on Thursday night, five weeks after the birth of his baby boy Archie.
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“I was going through my Instagram and noticed that it’s a highlight reel of smiles, laughs, good times and happy families,” Henriques wrote on Instagram.
“Whilst things may appear all smiles and good times it definitely is not like that all the time.
“In the last five weeks I’ve felt like shedding as many tears as our baby Archie. Feeling overwhelmed, anxious and worried.
“Just a reminder of the misleading representation social media can portray of our not so perfect lives. Mental health is always a work in progress.”
The cricket community immediately rallied around Henriques, with messages of support from former Australian player John Hastings, English batsman Jason Roy and Channel 7 presenter Abbey Way.
The Sydney Sixers’ official account wrote: “We love you mate.”
Henriques temporarily stepped down as captain of the Sydney Sixers late in 2017 after taking a two-week break from the game.
In March 2018 he said he hoped the break would help prolong his career.
“I feel much better than what I was over the Christmas and New Year period,’’ the 33-year-old said.
“At that stage I just needed some time to get a few things right and get back into my processes.
“With a couple of weeks away I’ve started to feel much improved and in a much clearer head space.
“I’ve played over 380 professional games of cricket now, T20, first class and one-day cricket, it’s the first time I’ve ever taken a break from cricket other than injury.”
Matt Renshaw latest star to step away
Queensland opener Matthew Renshaw has been convinced to take a break from cricket after he was dropped for this week's Sheffield Shield game.
The 11-Test veteran showcased his expanded strokeplay to be one of the Brisbane Heat's most consistent batsmen during the Big Bash.
But with a Shield average hovering around 20 for the last 18 months, Renshaw was overlooked for the Bulls' return to four-day cricket against Tasmania at the Gabba from Friday.
Victorian trio Glenn Maxwell, Nic Maddinson and Will Pucovski all took leave from the game with mental health issues this summer but Queensland officials say Renshaw's is more a case of an overloaded batsman needing to "freshen up".
"As part of our usual review process of player performance, our coaching and support staff spent time with Matthew this week and they all came to the conclusion that he would benefit from some time away from cricket," Queensland performance manager Bennett King said.
"We're confident Matthew will benefit from a break from the game to freshen up, and look forward to working with him once he is ready to resume playing."
with AAP
