All-rounder Glenn Maxwell will be taking a break from cricket to take care of his mental health, Cricket Australia announced on Thursday, 31 October.
The 31-year-old Australian cricketer will be missing the upcoming T20Is at home against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, with D’Arcy Short replacing him in the squads.
According to the statement released by the board, Maxwell is expected to be back with the squad by the summer of 2020, meaning he will be back before the T20 World Cup which starts next October. The cricketer has been in inspired form against Sri Lanka, hitting 62 runs in 28 balls in the first T20I.
Former Australian cricket team coach Darren Lehmann tweeted out in support of Maxwell, while former Australian batsman Justin Langer was quoted speaking to a radio station in Melbourne.
Former Indian women’s cricketer Snehal Pradhan also took to Twitter to support Maxwell. “Prescient lines, in a way. What's heartening in this situation is that Maxwell was "proactive in identifying these issues" according to a CA statement. Self awareness is an important step in recovery from mental health issues. Wish him well,” she wrote.
Senior sports journalist Gaurav Kalra also chimed in with his words of support. “One area cricket has made significant progress is in is this "manning up" BS... players can feel fragile and it's good to see them accept that and seek help to deal with it...,” he wrote in a tweet.
Fans also came out in support of the cricketer’s decision, cheering Maxwell on to take a break and come back to the sport when he's in a better headspace.
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