Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell began his professional cricketing career playing for Victoria in the Twenty20 Big Bash in 2010. He is known for his dramatic shot making and improvisation in the short form of the game. He also scored an unbeaten 145* from 65 balls against Sri Lanka in 2016, the fourth highest score in Twenty20 Internationals.
Maxwell continued to be impressive in the limited-overs format, and was finally handed the prized Baggy Green for the second Test against India at Hyderabad in 2013. He failed to impressed with the bat but took four in an innings with the ball. However, he was subsequently dropped for the third Test in Mohali, where Xavier Doherty was given a chance. After Australia lost the Mohali Test, Maxwell was given another opportunity in the final test in Delhi. Once again, he failed to make an impression with the bat and was subsequently dropped.
Maxwell’s mental illness
Australia’s team psychologist Dr. Michael Lloyd said Glenn Maxwell was proactive in identifying the issues with his mental health and engaging with the support staff.
“Glenn Maxwell has been experiencing some difficulties with regards to his mental health. As a result, he will spend a short time away from the game. Glenn was proactive in identifying these issues and engaging with support staff,” Michael Llyod said.
Battling depression is not easy and when Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell went through it, many fans wanted to know what exactly went wrong. The 31-year-old player on Wednesday opened up on his struggles with mental health.
He said that he was hoping he had broken his arm during the 2019 World Cup so that he could get a break. Maxwell took an indefinite break in between the T20I series between Australia and Sri Lanka last year. The right-hander was suffering from depression and it turned out to be the main reason behind the sudden decision he took.
While talking on the Ordineroli Speaking podcast with Neroli Meadows, Maxwell said: “I knew he (Marsh) was in trouble when he came in, and immediately I felt bad for him. I just thought I hope he’s OK, and if anything, I wish we could swap our news (suspecting Marsh’s arm was broken).”
He added: “We went to the hospital together and we were both sitting there, I think both hoping for opposite news. When I got hit, I was angry and a part of me was hoping (my arm) was broken.
Maxwell on his return
“I was like ‘this is it, I just need a break’… I was thinking about things I could do on the way back to snap it. I had anger at other people and it didn’t make sense, but I was angry at myself for not being able to produce at all this World Cup. I thought it would’ve been an easy escape because I felt like I was going to get dropped at some stage and I thought maybe this is the way.”
Maxwell said, “I think the first time she [Raman] noticed I wasn’t myself was in the Marsh Cup at the start of the summer. I think I was up to about eight months away from home at that stage. I was just cooked, I was tired and I was about to go into another series. I was already thinking about how I was going to get better and where I was going to be at the end of the summer, my mind was just racing, I was thinking so far ahead.”
“I just completely forgot about what I was doing in the moment, and she [Raman] knew that straight away. I think when we got back to Melbourne, I was finally able to see some family, I still wasn’t my energetic, bubbly self. I wasn’t happy, basically, and it wasn’t something I noticed, I thought I was tired, it was just one of those things…I’ll push through it,” Glenn Maxwell said.
