UK professional male cricketers’ mental health and support experiences: A qualitative exploration

Abstract

Recently, UK professional cricket has seen tragic events, powerful testimonies, and increased media attention surrounding mental health, yet the experiences of players and the support they receive has continued to receive limited academic attention. Our study bridged that gap by qualitatively examining UK male professional cricketers’ experiences of mental health and mental health support. Through interviews with 15 current and former male UK professional cricketers, who had an average of 14 years’ experience, three key themes were developed: (1) The emotional rollercoaster of a career in professional cricket, (2) local vs national level mental health support and, (3) nourishing vs malnourishing player’s mental health. Firstly, a career in professional cricket had highs and lows that both stimulated a player’s mental health and led to mental health issues and impaired performance. Secondly, while national level mental health support was endorsed, the support was found to be reactive. Due to the continued perceived stigma and lack of openness at the local (County) level, players reported feeling uncomfortable to reach out for support. Lastly, by providing stability with contracts, helping players prepare for and through transitions, encouraging the development of healthy habits, and coaches communicating effectively and investing in their relationships with players, organizations have the potential to nourish, protect, and enhance professional cricketers’ mental health throughout their career. Our study has important implications for counties by highlighting the role and responsibility they have in breaking down stigma, creating an open and supportive environment around mental health and nourishing player’s mental health experiences.

Lay summary: Interviews with 15 male UK professional cricketers revealed the importance of local and national cricket clubs supporting and protecting player mental health. Specifically, via reducing perceived mental health stigma, providing stability with contracts, helping players prepare for transitions, encouraging healthy habit development and effective coach relationships and communication.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

• Organizations at the local (County) level must recognize the key role and responsibility they have in breaking down the current stigma that exists around mental health and work toward creating an open and supportive environment where players can feel supported and comfortable seeking out mental health support.

• Organizations can also help protect and enhance professional cricketer’s mental health throughout their career. To achieve this, organizations at the local level should provide stability with contracts, help players prepare for and through transitions, encourage the development of healthy habits from an early age and lastly, coaches should communicate effectively and openly and invest in their relationships with players.

Mental health has typically been considered to be about the absence of mental-ill health, however, recent views have shifted toward conceptualizing mental health as a continually active and changing state across the full range of human emotions (Galderisi et al., 2015; Gorczynski et al., 2019; Henriksen et al., 2020). Similar to physical health, mental health is a resource that allows people to function, manage stress, perform, and achieve their goals (Gorczynski et al., 2019). Consequently, Galderisi et al. (2015) proposed that mental health should be defined as “a dynamic state of internal equilibrium which enables individuals to use their abilities in harmony with universal values of society” (p. 231).

A body of research has started to emerge focusing on mental health in professional sport and has found that professional athletes are just as likely as the general population to develop mental health issues, with an elevated risk for those facing injury, retirement, or performance failure (e.g., Castaldelli-Maia et al., 2019; Rice et al., 2016). In sport, definitions and investigations of mental health issues have included both psychiatric disorders and symptoms of psychological distress that can have a considerable impact on the athlete’s quality of life (Åkesdotter et al., 2020). Research with athletes participating across a wide variety of sports, such as rugby, football and cricket, has shown that mental health symptoms and disorders affect between 5 and 35% of professional athletes annually; with anxiety, depression, sleep-related problems, alcohol misuse and eating disorders being the most common (see Castaldelli-Maia et al., 2019). Furthermore, literature has revealed a plethora (up to 640) of stressors (including selection, injuries, finances, transitions, performances) which can potentially impact on both athlete mental health and sport performance (Arnold & Fletcher, 2012). The importance of mental health in UK elite sport was brought to light in the 2017 Duty of Care review which outlined that “mental health and well-being is a major concern in British performance sport and should be treated accordingly” (Grey-Thompson, 2017, p. 23). Indeed, research has revealed that 47.8% of the UK athletes exhibited signs of anxiety or depression compared to just 18.3% in the general population, highlighting the need for more research and support into mental health in UK sport (Foskett & Longstaff, 2018).

Anecdotally, professional cricket has a history of players facing mental health issues. In the UK many high-profile English players, such as Marcus Trescothick, Kate Cross, Dom Bess, Jonathan Trott, Michael Yardy, and Sarah Taylor have publicly reflected on anxiety and depressive episodes they experienced during their careers. In 2019, England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor retired from international cricket due to anxiety that developed during her playing career and at its worst, Taylor’s anxiety left her unable to get out of bed, struggling to breathe, and panicking (Baynes, 2021). Although professional cricket has been linked with mental health issues among players, limited research has explored the experiences of players and available support mechanisms (Fletcher & Wilson, 2013; McCabe et al., 2021).

Some literature has suggested that cricket presents many nuanced challenges for players, which may impact on mental health. Examples include (1) the individual focus on performance (players are typically selected based on individual batting or bowling statistics), (2) the intolerance of failure, (3) the duration (test matches can last up to five days), (4) worldwide media attention, (5) the challenges of balancing career and family commitments due to extensive travel and time away from home, and (6) managing overuse-related injuries. These cricket-specific challenges have been linked to a range of mental health issues such as mood disorders, suicide, drug, and alcohol issues (Barker & Slater, 2015; Frith, 2001; Hundertmark, 2007; McCabe et al., 2021; Roberts et al., 2015; Schuring et al., 2017; Shah et al., 2016). Some initial evidence suggests that the prevalence of mental health issues in cricket is high (e.g., up to 38% for common mental disorders among current male and female professional cricketers in South Africa; Schuring et al., 2017). Additionally, in the UK, 94 Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) members, including 35 current players, were diagnosed with mental health-related issues in 2020, a steady rise from reported data in 2019 (85) and 2018 (72; PCA, 2021a). The unique nature of a career in professional cricket and potential impact this may have on athlete mental health makes this a vital area of exploration for researchers and the wider cricket multidisciplinary teams (McCabe et al., 2021).

In professional sport more generally, there is as yet only limited research that has been conducted into how athletes’ mental health and wellbeing can be best supported. This is important in ensuring athletes can cope with stressors to their mental health and protect and nourish their mental health during their career (Henriksen et al., 2020; Nicholls & Polman, 2007; Purcell et al., 2019). Some research has suggested frameworks for how mental health can be best supported in professional sport (Henriksen et al., 2020; Purcell et al., 2019). For example, Purcell et al. (2019) highlighted the importance of national sporting environments, individual sports, organizations, parents and support staff in preventing, identifying and supporting professional athlete’s mental health throughout their careers. It is therefore important to understand the involvement of key stakeholders in these processes, and how they might be improved. Furthermore, Henriksen et al. (2020) proposed that organizations and key stakeholders have the power to create an environment in their organization that may either nourish and support or malnourish player’s mental health throughout their sporting career. However, there has been limited research, particularly in professional cricket, into the extent to which these key organizations and stakeholders currently support, nourish, and/or malnourish athlete’s mental health throughout their careers.

Presently, there is a lack of evidence underpinning mental health services for athletes within professional cricket, with more research and insights essential to informing future interventions and support (e.g., in relation to stigma and barriers to help seeking; McCabe et al., 2021). UK professional cricket is a sport that presents inherent challenges and risk for player mental health. However, currently little is known about players’ mental health experiences or how they can best be supported and nourished. Therefore, there is a need for researchers to generate robust empirical evidence across different samples to help build a greater knowledge base about mental health in sport, from which, interventions can be practically applied, adapted, or evaluated and the impact of research on practice can be maximized (Vella et al., 2021). Accordingly, the purpose of our present study is to add to the extant literature in mental health in sport by exploring UK male professional cricketers’ mental health experiences and their experiences of mental health support. To address our overarching aim, we explored the following research questions:

• What are current and former male professional cricketers’ experiences surrounding mental health and mental health support?

• What do these cricketers believe about how much mental health is supported and nourished in professional male UK county cricket?

Method

Research design

Our study adopted an interpretivist lens, with the premise that knowledge and meaningful reality is subjective, multiple, and socially constructed by its participants and is developed and transmitted in a social context (Krauss, 2015). Aligned with this perspective, we recognize there are multiple versions of reality, even for the same person, that are constructed, developed, and transmitted between them and their world within the social context that they occur in (Braun & Clarke, 2013). In recognition of these epistemological and ontological beliefs, our study used qualitative exploration as it allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of professional cricketer’s experiences of mental health and mental health support within their own unique social context and uncover the multiple behaviors, meanings and realities that the players felt formed these experiences (Patton, 2015).

Participants and recruitment

Following institutional ethical approval, participants were recruited through criterion sampling. The criteria for participation were male cricketers, above the age of 18, who had either played or were currently playing in UK professional county cricket. This criterion was set to ensure that we would get the most up to date, rich data while also allowing a broad range of experiences (Patton, 2015). Participants matching this criterion were recruited using a recruitment infographic that was sent out through email to existing personal contacts and social networks in UK county cricket of both the first and fourth authors. The recruitment infographic included the purpose of the study, a description of who is doing the research, a response to any anticipated concerns, potential benefits for the participant, and a clear description of what the participant will be required to do (Devers & Frankel, 2000). Although we recognize this recruitment process was still be open to bias, by sending out the same email and recruitment infographic to all potential participants we minimized the potential of this bias impacting our sample. Furthermore, using personal contacts and social networks helped facilitate entrance to a restricted field, uncover the most information-rich data, and led to a much deeper level of detail in the interviews (Devers & Frankel, 2000). Thus, the detailed recruitment process of participants, outlined above, enhanced the validity of the study by managing and minimizing potential bias while also ensuring a wide-ranging and diverse and henceforth a strong sample (Robinson, 2014).

Procedure

A semi-structured interview guide was developed from my (the first author) own personal experiences and by engaging with research in the field. It was also informed by topics highlighted in other professional sports and the Kallio et al. (2016) framework for semi-structured interviews. Subsequently, the guide was refined through discussions between the authors. The interview guide was piloted with two participants, which led to some minor adjustments to the structure and order of the guide. For example, it was discovered during the pilot that starting with a question about the participant’s background was important for rapport building before sensitive subjects were discussed. The benefit of this change was exemplified through a participant’s progression from being very closed off with concerns on what they could provide around this topic at the start of the interview to the point where they felt comfortable and willing to openly share the difficult experiences that they dealt with around mental health during their career.

As the sample was professional athletes, we completed background research into the participants prior to the interview and used that research, in combination with experience and contextual knowledge of cricket, to help break down the insider-outsider nature of professional sport, gain the trust of the participants and thus gain a greater depth of data (Moore & Stokes, 2012). Prior to participating in the interviews, information about the study was provided and informed consent was gained from the participants.

The interviews were completed predominately over the phone (n = 10) with five completed through online platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams; Skype for Business). Using online and phone interviews ensured that data collection could proceed despite the COVID-19 pandemic and enabled the inclusion of a geographically dispersed sample. Although it has often been argued that it is more difficult to achieve a rapport due to the loss of non-verbal cues (Aquilino, 1994), when discussing sensitive topics, phone and online interviews can in fact give participants a greater degree of anonymity and freedom of expression (O’Connor et al., 2008). The interviews lasted between 37 and 87 minutes (mean = 59.73 minutes) and were transcribed verbatim, ranging from 3,056 to 9,667 words (mean = 6,594 words).

To protect the anonymity of the participants pseudonyms were assigned during transcription. Names, places, and certain characteristics were also removed which was vital considering the professional status of the participants and their visibility in their communities (Moore & Stokes, 2012). A copy of the interview guide is available on request from the lead author (Table 1).

Table 1. Participant information.

Participant name (pseudonym)	Age	Role	Professional playing status (Recently retired < 5 years)	Years of experience
Kieran	30	Bowler	Recently retired player	6
Matthew	23	Batter	Current player	5
Jack	21	Bowler	Current player	2
Roger	49	Batter	Retired player // current coach	11
Anthony	53	All-rounder	Retired player // former coach	27
David	34	Batter	Recently retired player	11
Rory	28	All-rounder	Recently retired player	4
Andrew	31	All-rounder	Recently retired player // current coach	10
Samuel	60	Batter	Retired player // current coach	9
Phil	50	Batter	Retired player // current coach	25
John	44	Batter	Retired player // current coach	23
Steve	45	All-rounder	Retired player	7
Dylan	46	All-rounder	Retired player	17
Joseph	56	Batter	Retired player // current coach	33
Luke	34	All-rounder	Current player	15

Data analysis

In-line with the interpretivist lens of this study, data was analyzed through an exploratory (inductive) thematic analysis to identify the common factors that influenced the personal experiences and realities of the participants in their unique context. The process of coding was done without trying to fit it into a preexisting framework, but instead it was driven solely by the data (Braun et al., 2016). Using a thematic approach to data analysis allowed us to summarize key features of a large body of data and generate results that are accessible to people within the target audience (Braun et al., 2016). Moreover, Braun et al. (2016) six phases for thematic analysis were employed. Initial analysis was undertaken by the first author. First, manual transcription and several readings of the data allowed for familiarization with the data. The transcripts were then manually coded, leading to the generation of 332 codes which were placed into 32 preliminary sub themes. Recognizing that these codes and themes did not just emerge from the data, this process highlighted that a combination of theoretical assumptions, disciplinary knowledge, research skills and experience, and the content of the data themselves allowed for the coding to develop (Braun et al., 2016). Thus, maintaining reflexivity through the analysis process was vital. Discussions then took place within the wider research team on theme development that helped both strengthen the analysis and develop a coherent narrative for the findings. This process involved reflexively approaching the analysis process through reflection and exploration of alternative explanations and interpretations of the data (Yardley, 2008). Following these discussions, we developed 3 primary themes with 10 sub themes (Table 2).

Table 2. Structure of results.

Primary themes	Sub themes	Example quotes
(1) The emotional rollercoaster of UK county cricket	1.1 – Highs and lows 1.2 – Mental health issues and performance	“You have the positive impact of the amazing high like playing at the Oval in front of 25,000 people and scoring a 50 on Sky…however, if you can't handle the failures or if you are struggling to score runs and you need to and there’s people looking over your shoulder… it’s quite difficult.” (Rory) “I hear stories all the time, every year, of people struggling.” (David)
(2) Local vs national mental health support in UK county cricket	2.1 – National support 2.2 – Reactive vs proactive support 2.3 – Knowledge and awareness 2.4 – Local support	“The PCA have got a phenomenally good network within their organization…I think it's brilliant what they've done and where they've got to and if somebody needs something they call and the help that's available is almost instant.” (Steve) “It takes a two way buy in, it’s very difficult to tell someone to do something…I think the PCA are relatively active, but you know if you're not gonna go and seek out the help which was put in front of you… They (the PCA) do the best they can do.” (David) “The PCA provide mental health tutorials, the PCA, the lead psychologist of the team provides tutorials, so there is education…we have individual support as well so it’s there I just don’t think there is that buy in from people in the cricket community as yet, like a real buy in.” (David) “There’s still that stigma in sport that it's weak and it might cost you your place…so is there's gotta be work done to recognize that if somebody does have a mental health issue it doesn't necessarily mean that they are mentally weak…if we can get people as a community thinking like that then much more likely to head things off before they get serious” (Steve)
(3) Nourishing vs malnourishing mental health in UK county cricket	3.1 – Coach–athlete relationship and communication 3.2 – Contracts and stability 3.3 – Transitions 3.4 – Encouraging and developing healthy habits	“I've always been quite expressive in my emotion so people could tell that I was struggling a bit and there was a time I didn't get picked because I responded badly to not getting selected…this just exacerbated the problem…I found it quite difficult to stay positive when I didn't feel I had the backing of the group.” (Rory) “Yeah, definitely that is the biggest worry for anyone at the end of the day, it is your job and the closer it got to that final year of my contract it was definitely a worry…I suppose there is no surprise that players who end up on slightly longer contracts do perform slightly better.” (Kieran) “Yeah, my first year on the staff was hard, I probably wasn’t prepared for the transition to that being my job, it was quite a harsh environment with practical jokes and piss taking done…I wasn’t mentally prepared for that change.” (Anthony) “At the time you know it's devastating it's absolutely devastating you have an inkling it's gonna happen but when it does it's the dream that you had as a player is over.” (Roger) “I think people communicating about it is one…practicing mindfulness and things like that is a great way of doing it, yoga, exercise, not just exercise for the performance aspect like exercise for actually helping your mind and being present is so important…so I think enforcing these good habits…and putting those in a dressing room is really important.” (David)

Rigor was enhanced through the involvement of critical friends. The third and fourth authors acted as critical friends and helped to provide a sounding board and encourage reflexivity through challenging each other’s construction of knowledge’ and the exploration of alternative explanations and interpretations of the data (Smith & McGannon, 2018; Sparkes & Smith, 2013). Moreover, while bias in qualitative research is unavoidable and necessary, it is important to ensure that this bias does not exert undue influences on the consequences of the investigation (Wolcott, 1995). This makes it vitally important for researchers to identify the perspectives they bring to their studies and anticipate how these may affect how they analyze, interpret and report the findings (Sparkes & Smith, 2013). I, the lead author of the present study, am a 22-year-old minor county cricketer, who has played cricket his whole life and has a love for the game. As a consequence of my position, I recognize that this research may be open to some bias and subjectivity. However, the involvement of the third and fourth authors as critical friends, (one with cricket experience, and one without) and maintaining a journal of self-reflection helped to minimize potential bias having undue impact on the conclusions (Sparkes & Smith, 2013).

Results

The emotional rollercoaster of UK county cricket

The first primary theme identified that the mental health experiences of UK professional cricketers varied throughout their career, from extreme highs to extreme lows, which had the potential to lead to both mental health issues and impaired performance.

Highs and lows

All participants reported that during their career, being a professional cricketer had led to them experiencing highs that stimulated and enhanced their mental health, while also experiencing extreme lows that negatively impacted upon their mental health. These highs and lows were exemplified by Rory describing a career in professional cricket as an emotional rollercoaster:

I think that also it can be dangerous because there are extreme highs and extreme lows and it’s a sport that is very very hard to be balanced, yeah, it's like it's like an emotional rollercoaster the whole way through and if you can't handle the failures… it's quite a difficult place to escape.

In contrast, Steve highlighted the positive and nourishing impact of a career in professional cricket had on his mental health: “I loved it and it [cricket] was good for my mental health as it was stimulating, and it was the adrenaline.” Dylan further outlined how a career in professional cricket offered incredible experiences that enhanced his mental health:

I think you have days when you feel invincible, you go and play cricket and everything you do is perfect…I have also been in Lords finals, played against the IPL teams with armoured guards taking us down the streets, unbelievable experiences like you would never believe in a lifetime you would get to do.

Although it has the potential to have this positive experience, Andrew explained that due to the uniqueness of professional cricket, a career in the game had the potential to result in such extreme lows and a malnourishing impact on his mental health: “Naturally cricket is a game that breeds poor mental health…the nature of the game, you know, the way that it’s played, the amount of time you spend potentially not doing anything…that for me just encourages bad mental thoughts.”

Mental health issues and performance

Participants also revealed that the emotional rollercoaster of a career in professional cricket had the potential to lead to mental health issues and have an impact on player’s performance. Firstly, participants reported experiencing or having seen examples of others experiencing mental health issues both during and after a career in the UK county cricket and players believed that mental issues were still rife in the current game. For example, Steve, an ex-player who is still around the game argued that he continues to see player’s facing similar mental health issues to the one’s he experienced during his career: “I think issues are rife still, I don't think it's changed, I think the issues are there. Yeah, I've no doubt about that, you know when I'm in that [environment] I can see it because I've suffered myself.”

Furthermore, the data in this study also indicated an important link between mental health and player performance. Participants outlined that if they were feeling mentally low or managing mental health issues then they struggled to keep to their routine, train to the best of their ability or perform as they needed too. For example, Rory admitted that when he was struggling mentally it impacted every area of his life, especially his cricket performance:

If you're struggling a little bit mentally it affects every area of your life and particularly when you are a professional sportsman, this is why it's such a big area now, because if you're struggling mentally, it's very difficult to perform and at the end of the day runs are your currency or wickets are your currency and if you're not doing either because you can't get up in the morning then there's a problem.

Local versus national mental health support in UK county cricket

How much players believed their mental health was supported throughout their career at the local and national level was the next primary theme identified from the data. Participants indicated that at the national level the PCA provided heavily endorsed mental health support, however, this support was predominantly reactive in nature. Though players reported that education from the PCA and high-profile testimonials led to an increased knowledge and awareness of mental health, there continued to be a perceived stigma that existed around mental health at the local level. Most player’s highlighted that this perceived stigma resulted in them feeling uncomfortable and insufficiently supported when deciding whether to seek help or open up about their mental health and challenges they were facing.

National support (the PCA)

First, all participants reported that at the national level the PCA provided an extensive network of support. Andrew emphasized how important and extensive the support network that the PCA provide is: “the PCA are massive…I mean the amount of support that they have given certain players is enormous, like, I don't think that can be overstated.” Joseph shared one example of the important support that the PCA provided for him when he had mental health difficulties after being forced to leave the game:

After 11 years my redundancy came out the blue and that was shattering. At that time, I had nothing else to go to, from the age of 15/16 I’d had 33 years in professional sport so I had no qualifications and nothing else…my dad died in that year and my marriage broke down so there were a lot of things going on and really without the help of the PCA I think I would have been in a hell of a poor state.

Reactive vs proactive support

Participants also reported that the support that was provided at the national level was predominantly reactive in nature. Although player’s felt that the PCA offered a valuable network of support, the onus was on them to reach out for the support if they were struggling. This was exemplified by Rory who stated that while the PCA always made themselves available it was reliant on the individual to put their hand up and reach out to them:

Yeah, the PCA are good, but you have to reach out to them… you have to with all these things, no one is going to give you support unless you put your hand up. The PCA always put themselves forward, they say look if you want to pick up the phone pick up the phone, we’re here.

Rory went on to further explain that the reactive nature of the support offered at the national level meant the impact of this support may be limited if players are unwilling to come forward and seek support for their concerns:

The problem with that is so many people don’t want to open up about it because they see it as a weakness, and they don't want to talk about it and there is actually a courage in speaking about it… but it has to come from the individual. The PCA are as good as the individual, and at the end of the day without someone coming forward, their job is null and void when it comes to mental health.

Education and awareness

Prior to coming into professional cricket, all participants reported having limited or no knowledge of mental health or the risks of developing mental health issues while having a career in professional cricket. However, there was a general consensus that this knowledge and awareness of mental health increased as players gained experience within the sport; due to a combination of education from the PCA and high-profile players sharing their experiences of mental health issues in the professional game. Kieran, a recently retired player, outlined that there was a diverse variety of education on mental health that was provided to players once a year in the professional game by the PCA:

You do a lot of different workshops, but once a year you would have this mental health one…it’s such a wide variety of things that hit people in different ways…every year you sort of get given the latest information about who you can speak to and everything else and I think they [PCA] do a really good job to be fair.

Moreover, David highlighted how he believed there has been a large, positive change in attitudes and awareness around mental health in professional cricket as a result of both the education provided by the PCA and testimonials of high-profile players:

I think people are starting to understand that it [mental health] is important and very much a central part of how you are feeling…you know people used say oh its nothing to do with [mental health], they will better in a few weeks. Like now you actually drill down into and why you are feeling like that and why you have emotional swings.

Local support (counties)

Participants spoke about the importance at the local level for coaches and organizations to foster an open, supportive environment around mental health. Andrew, a former player, and current coach, emphasized that players need to know they can speak out about mental health without a negative impact on their careers:

I think what needs to happen going forward is that players need to feel that if they speak out it won't look bad on them from what the coaches are thinking, because you know, I think that's definitely something that will sit on the players’ mind.

On the one hand, some participants reported instances of a supportive environment being created at the local level. For example, Phil, a current head coach, outlined the measures they had in place to help support the players mental health and well-being:

A few clubs have got a pastor and we're looking at that as well just to support guys on another level… somebody independent who they have got an outlet to you know… because there's a few of our guys you know who have lost a few little babies over the last few years, so you know there is a lot of things that happen… we live in the Big Brother house and a lot could happen cause we're together. We are very open and honest too…We’ve got a daily app that the guys do, a wellness app just to make sure we know how they are feeling, how much sleep they have had… and how positive and confident they are, how sore they are, what they are like mentally… so we do that on a daily basis, so we take that very seriously.

However, in contrast, most participants contended that at the local level there was not an openness and acceptance of mental health, but instead, a stigma was still attached to mental health and seeking mental health support. David, reflecting on his recent experiences in the professional game, stated that mental health was not openly discussed, and players didn’t feel comfortable talking about the subject: “No, it [mental health] is definitely not openly discussed, not from last years’ experience of it…you go into dressing rooms and it’s not real openness or let’s talk about how we feel.”

Furthermore, Steve, argued that that the stigma still existed and that it could be dangerous if people around the game were to think that the stigma had been broken down:

There's a stigma still there… I don't buy into this stuff that the stigma is going, it isn't going at all and if people keep saying it's going then we're actually in trouble with this because we need to understand that we haven’t even touched the surface with it.

Moreover, Steve reflected on a recent experience of being threatened by the county captain with being released if he did not come back to training after requesting some time away from the game to manage his mental health struggles:

I said I need some time away from the game, I can't be anywhere near this and he reluctantly gave me some time off. Then I got a text from the captain who said look if you're not back in training by January we are dropping you. I said do you not understand…I'm really struggling with my mental health, the PCA is supporting me, and he said yeah it doesn't matter, if you're not back training with us, we're going to release you.

Steve’s example highlights a stark difference between the response to taking time to manage and rehab from mental health issues compared to that of a physical injury and brings into focus how at the local level mental health is still not a priority and the stigma is still being reinforced by key members at this local level.

Nourishing vs malnourishing player’s mental health in UK county cricket

The final primary theme identified four key areas which had the potential to either nourish or malnourish player’s mental health: coach-athlete relationship and communication, contracts and stability, transitions and encouraging and developing healthy habits.

Coach-Athlete relationship and communication

Players described how their mental health was impacted by their relationship with their coach and the quality of the communication that they had with their coach. The participants reported that if they had a strong coach-athlete relationship and open and honest communication both too and from their coach, this had the potential to nourish their mental health. However, if they did not have a good relationship with their coach and the coach didn’t communicate well, participants believed it had the potential to malnourish their mental health experience. Anthony highlighted how the absence of communication with the coaches made his role as a player more challenging: “I’ve had other coaches that really don’t talk to you much you know and don’t explain what’s happening with selections…those are the difficult things to get through your head.”

Furthermore, Rory outlined the impact that the absence of coach communication around non-selection had on his mental health: “I think that there were low days…when there's no explanation or communication in a professional environment for when you're getting dropped.” Additionally, Andrew spoke to the power and positive, nourishing impact that coaches could have by giving the players reassurance and giving them their backing: “Coaches and players who have given me confidence are the ones that have told me that they are backing me…it’s those coaches and players that have had the biggest impact on me.”

Contracts and stability

Contracts were cited by most participants as having a large impact upon their mental health during their careers. Players reported that achieving a dream and getting an initial contract was an extreme high in their career. However, for most players, coming into the final year of their contract and the financial worries and instability that came from potentially not having a job negatively impacted upon their mental health. Specifically, Matthew reflected on his experience of that final year, and the worries he experienced as a result:

I think if you are in your last year of your contract, that is on your mind 95% of the time, it has to be because say I have a year left on my contract this time next year and if I don’t get offered another deal, I potentially could not have a job.

Samuel, a recently retired player furthered this by expressing concerns over the financial responsibilities that worried him if his contract wasn’t renewed:

You know you’re perhaps married and have a mortgage and you have got one year left on your contract so there's a lot of pressure to perform and if you didn't perform, you’d be out of contract and where do you get you living from?

Lastly, Steve outlined the detrimental impact that the increased anxiety around contracts can have on players: “In cricket the added level of anxiety around trying to perform when you know your contract is up, I've seen it destroy good players.”

Transitions

Players referenced two major transitions that had the potential to impact their mental health: First, the transition into a new senior professional environment and second, the transition out of cricket. First, the data indicated that the transition into a new senior professional environment was a key time for players’ mental health. The environment that they transitioned to was important in determining the impact of this transition on their mental health. Firstly, some participants spoke about how entering a difficult, hierarchal and closed off professional environment made the transition tough for them mentally. Contrastingly, others spoke about experiencing a healthy and happy transition if they joined an open and supportive environment where they felt they belonged as this helped them get orientated, adapt, and stabilize. For example, Rory stated the transitional challenges he experienced:

I think transitioning from being a kid into a professional organisation was really really tough actually… suddenly you’re carrying the coffees, you’re the one getting taken the mickey out of, you are part of a journey again where you feel like you're in the first year at school.

In contrast, Kieran outlined his experience of a healthy and happy transition into a new professional environment that adopted a strong individual and inclusive focus: “It felt like they wanted each individual to do well, so I think that was the biggest thing that they got right, sort of allowing you to feel part of it and help with that mental side of it.”

Many participants reported experiencing a really difficult transition out of the game, which led to them struggling mentally and feeling very low. For example, Phil likened his transition out of the game to having a family member with cancer:

I think professional cricket, whenever you leave it, you know it’s almost like a family member who’s got cancer and you know they’re gonna die, but actually when they die it’s still a shock, because you know it’s coming, but even though it comes you can never prepare for what it's gonna be like… I don’t know anybody who hasn't been down after they finished, whether it's a month afterwards or 6 months afterwards.

Encouraging and developing healthy habits

Lastly, our study revealed that participants placed a strong emphasis on the importance of developing healthy habits and developing them as early as possible. They highlighted that the development of such habits was helpful with regards to protecting their mental health during their career. For example, David recommended daily mindfulness as one useful tool to protect his mental health:

If when you come into a professional environment, even in the academy, you can start practicing good mental health habits…and practice them every day, whether its mindfulness…whatever it is really, if you can practice those habits daily or thrice weekly it will help.

Although a variety of healthy habits such as mindfulness, running and meditation were mentioned by participants, the most common healthy habits that players spoke about enhancing their mental health was having an escape and/or social support network away from the game to turn to. So much so that it led Rory, a recently retired player to highlight the importance of having this balanced perspective and understanding that cricket isn’t everything: “I think from a mental health point of view…if you’re a young player starting, it’s important that you have perspective…cricket is not the be all and end all.” Roger concurred, emphasizing the importance of his social support network on protecting his mental health:

I think it's important for every player when you are in the professional game to have something outside of cricket, and I was lucky I had good family, good parents. I also had fantastic friends away from the game at that time, which I know made a huge difference to my mental health.

Jack further highlighted how important having social support outside of the game was to help him switch off from the cricket bubble and protect his mental health:

My girlfriend lives in [town] which is about 50 mins from [town] and I knew on days off I could go and see her…and go and forget about cricket, that was certainly a contributing factor [to feeling mentally healthy].

Discussion

The purpose of our study was to add to the extant literature in mental health in sport by exploring UK male professional cricketers’ mental health experiences and their perspectives and experiences of mental health support. We aimed to generate new knowledge around how best to support, nourish, and enhance professional cricketer’s mental health throughout their career. Novel findings emerged in relation to the power that local (county) level organizations have on player’s feeling supported around mental health, the perceived stigma that still exists at this local level of professional cricket and the four areas that play a key role in helping protect, nourish and enhance players mental health during their careers.

In-line with existing research, our study highlights that mental health issues continue to be prevalent in UK professional cricket (Barker & Slater, 2015; McCabe et al., 2021; PCA, 2021a; Schuring et al., 2017). Although the prevalence of mental health issues may be a reflection of the increased knowledge and awareness in UK professional cricket, our findings indicate that the emotional rollercoaster that is a career in professional cricket and the nature of the game make it hard for players to find a healthy balance during their career and consequently results in the potential development of mental health issues. Research to date around mental health in professional cricket, and professional sport in general, has focused solely on mental health issues (Barker & Slater, 2015; Castaldelli-Maia et al., 2019; McCabe et al., 2021; PCA, 2021a; Schuring et al., 2017). Our study represents the first direct demonstration of the potential that a career in professional cricket also has in helping nourish and enhance players’ mental health. For example, it was evident that the game enables players to do what they love for a living, experience extreme highs personally and as a team (e.g., scoring a hundred, taking a 5 wicket-haul, winning a game or championship) and build strong, close relationships throughout their career which can all help stimulate a player’s mental health. The varied mental health experiences that a male professional cricketer may face across their career further highlights the importance of understanding both how players are supported around their mental health and how their mental health can be enhanced.

Moreover, our study is the first to examine the player’s experiences of mental health support that is provided in UK professional cricket. Our findings highlight that the PCA play an integral part in supporting professional cricketer’s mental health through a heavily endorsed mental health support network that includes mental health ambassadors, a wellbeing app, a confidential helpline available 24/7 and a network of specialist mental health care that is available for all players (PCA, 2021b; Purcell et al., 2019). Although this PCA support network offers a benchmark for other national organizations across other sports to learn from and work toward, this national level support is perceived as primarily reactive in nature and thus, is dependent on the environment and perceived attitudes toward mental health at the local level (i.e., professional clubs/counties). Our results are consistent with Henriksen et al. (2020) recent proposal that for players to feel comfortable reaching out to support networks, the sporting environment needs to be one where mental health is accepted, openly discussed and help-seeking is encouraged. Hence, understanding the extent to which mental health currently carries an unwelcome stigma and where barriers for help seeking behavior exist in professional cricket is vital in helping ensure professional cricketer’s feel supported around mental health throughout their career (McCabe et al., 2021).

At the national level, our results suggest that the combination of high-profile player’s testimonials and the PCA’s provision of mental health workshops has helped to increase UK professional cricketer’s knowledge and awareness of mental health. Moreover, past research has highlighted that this increased knowledge and awareness should encourage players to feel more comfortable and be more willing to seek the support that is provided at the national level (Castaldelli-Maia et al., 2019; Gulliver et al., 2012; Purcell et al., 2019). However, our findings strongly imply that while UK professional cricketers may have more knowledge and awareness of mental health, the extent to which they felt comfortable seeking support was still dependent on the environment and the views that were perceived to be held around mental health at the local (county) level.

At the local level, our findings did reveal, while limited, that some counties are starting to work toward creating an environment that supports athlete mental health and a proactive culture that encourages help seeking, conversations and openness (Henriksen et al., 2020). However, collectively our data strongly indicate that players continue to perceive a stigma around mental health at the local level of UK professional cricket. Furthermore, mental health and seeking support is not something players feel is openly discussed or supported. This perceived stigma and lack of acceptance and openness around mental health at the local level and the negative experiences of players around mental health help seeking are key barriers for professional athletes to seeking mental health support (Castaldelli-Maia et al., 2019; Gulliver et al., 2012). Consequently, despite the heavily endorsed national level support, education and increased awareness of mental health in UK professional cricket, the continued stigma and lack of openness at the local level may result in player’s not feeling sufficiently supported or comfortable in seeking out mental health support.

Organizations not only have an important role to play in supporting players with mental health issues, but they also have the power to nourish or neglect player’s mental health throughout their career (Henriksen et al., 2020). Until now, there has been limited research uncovering the key features that play an important role in nourishing athlete’s mental health throughout their career. However, the results of our study suggest that by creating an environment in which coaches communicate effectively and invest in their relationships with players, provide stability with contracts where possible, help players prepare for and through transitions and encourage the development of healthy habits from an early age they can protect, nourish and enhance players mental health during their careers.

The important role that a coach has in helping proactively nourishing player’s mental health throughout their career is in line with previous research outcomes that have highlighted how a weak coach-athlete relationship can lead to athlete’s experiencing an increase in stress and worry, and potentially a subsequent increase in symptoms of depression and mental health complaints (see Phillips, 2017). Accordingly, our study extends current research by highlighting the emphasis that UK professional cricketer’s place on not only a strong coach-athlete relationship but, specifically the importance of supporting players, backing them through ups and downs, and when that isn’t possible (e.g., in de-selection), coaches need to ensure they communicate effectively, openly, and honestly with the player.

Moreover, previous researchers in professional cricket have highlighted that one of the biggest reasons for people leaving the game is the negative psychological impact that contractual pressures have due to the accompanying financial and occupational uncertainty (see Roberts et al., 2015). Furthering this research, our findings indicate that for most players, coming into the final year of their contract and the financial worries and instability that result has the potential to be detrimental upon players mental health. Thus, to protect and enhance player’s mental health, organizations, when possible, should try and not let players into their final year of their contract. However, understandably due to many financial pressures around the counties offering longer contracts is not always something that is possible to implement.

Thus, helping prepare players for and through the transition out of the game is an important responsibility for counties. Retiring from sport has been shown to lead to high prevalence of elevated depression and anxiety symptoms ranging from 18% to 39% (Golding et al., 2020; Schuring et al., 2017). According to the athletic career transition model there are two possible transition outcomes: a successful transition or a crisis-transition (Stambulova et al., 2009). Previous researchers have found that career ending transitions in professional cricket fall along a continuum from crisis-transitions to successful, straightforward adaptation and transition (Roberts et al., 2015). Our study suggests that these crisis-transitions away from professional cricket had the potential to be detrimental to player’s mental health. During a career in professional cricket, players become part of a bubble in which they are either playing, traveling, training and/or thinking about their game. This all-encompassing involvement in sport in combination with insufficient exploration of alternate self-roles, results in players developing strong cricket-specific athletic and social identities (Giannone et al., 2017; Rees et al., 2015). These elevated levels of cricket-specific athletic and social identities can limit adaptive responses to life challenges, such as retirement and thus, have been strongly linked to players being more vulnerable to emotional and psychiatric distress, which may manifest in depression (Brewer, 1993; Giannone et al., 2017). Additionally, the transition into a new senior professional environment is also a key period that had the potential to impact upon player’s mental health. Entering into an open and supportive environment in which player’s felt a sense of belonging was linked to more positive impacts on player mental health; in comparison to entering a hierarchal environment, where they struggled to feel integrated or part of the squad.

The results of our present study also indicate that it is important for organizations to encourage the development of healthy habits from an early age, most commonly having a healthy work-life balance and social support network, to help protect, nourish and player’s mental health. Our findings are in line with previous researchers that have shown that social support is a significant factor in maintaining psychological health. Indeed, low levels of perceived support have been reported in athletes’ narratives of depression (Purcell et al., 2019). Our findings extend Purcell’s (2019) research by uncovering the particular importance for professional cricketers to have a support network or hobbies/activities to turn to outside of the professional cricket bubble. Developing these healthy habits away from the game can help players deal with both the uniqueness of the game and the emotional rollercoaster of professional cricket and enables players to maintain a healthier balance. Social identity mapping is one example of a potentially valuable intervention in helping players to understand, develop and build their social support networks and thus, help protect and enhance their mental health. Indeed, there is evidence to suggest that social identity mapping can help people gain an understanding of their social relationships and make sense of their connections (See White et al., 2021). Social identity mapping, through the promotion of relationships and connections outside of the game, may therefore be a useful tool for cricket organizations to consider using to help protect and enhance player’s mental health.

The results of our study have three important practical implications. Firstly, it may be beneficial for national level organizations across professional sport to learn from the work the PCA have done in providing a valuable mental health support network for professional cricketers. Secondly, while mental health support may be provided at the national level, organizations at the local level, in this case counties, must recognize the key role they have and take responsibility in breaking down the stigma around mental health and work toward creating an open and supportive environment around mental health where players feel comfortable seeking out support. Lastly, organizations can help protect, nourish and enhance professional cricketer’s mental health throughout their career by providing stability with contracts where possible, helping players prepare for and through transitions, encouraging the developing of healthy habits from an early age and by coaches communicating effectively and investing in their relationships with players. Therefore, it is important that counties don’t solely focus on implementing interventions dedicated to supporting players mental health. Instead, alongside these interventions, counties must also look to implement proactive interventions that are focused on mental health enhancement and optimization regardless of the level of mental health functioning at the initiation of intervention.

One important limitation of this study is that the participant pool was limited to male UK county cricketers and therefore the findings are gender and culture specific. In light of this, further research is needed into mental health across different demographics and areas of the professional cricket population. Additionally, future research is needed to explore how local organizations can break down mental health stigma in UK professional cricket.

In conclusion, our study represents a first attempt at building an understanding and evidence base around professional cricketer’s experiences of mental health, how their mental health is supported and how to best support, nourish, and enhance professional cricketer’s mental health throughout their career. In sum, our findings highlight the importance of breaking down the stigma around mental health at the local level and in creating an open and supportive environment that aims to proactively nourishes and enhances player mental health throughout their career. Although our findings offer important and novel practical implications on how best to support UK professional cricketer’s mental health, further research is needed to help build a greater evidence base on mental health in professional cricket in order to help start developing interventions and maximize the impact of the research on practice.