Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has said that he had anxiety issues for more than half of his international career. The Indian legend revealed that he experienced many sleepless nights on days before cricket matches.
The legend opined that being mentally fit for a match also matters a lot. The mental aspect of the game has been pitchforked into focus in the wake of COVID-19. Tendulkar explained, “Over period of time I realised that besides preparing physically for a game, you have to prepare yourself mentally also. In my mind the match started long before I entered the ground. The anxiety levels were very high.”
The former India batsman further said that ups and downs are part of a player’s career, and one must be ready to fight it out. “When there is an injury, physios and doctors examine you and diagnose what is wrong with you. Same is the case with mental health. It is normal for anyone to go through ups and downs and when you hit those lows you need people around. Acceptability is the key here. Not just for the player, for people around him also. Once you have accepted you start looking for solutions,” Tendulkar added.
Sachin Tendulkar played 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, scoring 15921 and 18426 runs respectively.
–By A Cricket Correspondent