Richardson advises young cricketers to work on mental health like ‘practising for short ball’

Australia fast bowler Jhye Richardson bravely opened up on his clinical anxiety diagnosis, as he eagerly pursued a return to Test cricket, and the Western Australian encouraged young cricketers to work on their mental health.

Richardson's struggles came to a head three years ago when COVID-19 derailed the Indian Premier League season he was involved in, leaving players stranded abroad due to Australia's strict biosecurity rules.

"A lot of it started during COVID. My trip to the IPL – I left home not in the headspace that I probably should have been," Richardson told cricket.com.au.

"Then things sort of hit the fan while I was away, and everything with COVID and not being able to get home and stuff like that, it just toppled on top of each other.

"I think you don't realise what sort of space you're in until it becomes too much, which is why now I encourage a lot of young cricketers to work on their mental health – even if they think that they're going okay.

"It's like practicing for the short ball. The more you practice the short ball, the better you're going to be at it when that situation arises out in the middle. It's very similar off the field.

"Everything just got to a point where there was some professional intervention that needed to happen.

"I'm not willing to go into a whole lot of detail, but I just landed in a spot where things were bad enough that I stepped back and said, 'I can't continue thinking the way that I am' and (needed) to get a bit more education and knowledge about how the brain works."

Richardson has credited the Western Australia Cricket Association for supporting him with that education in the ensuing years, suggesting he is now better equipped to handle challenges that have come on top of his litany of physical issues.

His involvement in the professional e-sports team, Ground Zero Gaming, he is an investor in has also been a welcome pursuit away from cricket.

Richardson hopes his body can prove equally as resilient having had his immensely promising international career stalled by injury.

Western Australia's men's season gets underway with a pair of one-day games in Sydney on September 22 and 24, before beginning their Marsh Sheffield Shield title defence on October 8 at home to Queensland.