Maddinson out of Pakistan clash over mental health issues

News24
09 Nov 2019, 11:43 GMT+10

Perth - Nic Maddinson on Saturday pulled out of Australia 'A's clash against Pakistan in Perth on mental health grounds, all-but ruling him out of contention for a berth in the Test squad.

The middle-order batsman's decision comes barely a week after Glenn Maxwell withdrew from Australia's Twenty20 team to deal with similar issues.

Cameron Bancroft will replace Maddinson for the three-day match against Pakistan at Perth Stadium from Monday.

"Nic has made the right decision and we are all behind him," said Australia 'A' coach Graeme Hick.

"It is braver to speak up than to suffer in silence and I applaud Nic for having the courage to put his health first."

His withdrawal almost certainly rules him out of the opening Test against Pakistan in Brisbane later this month, with the Australia 'A' game widely seen as a final chance to impress selectors.

It opens the door to Travis Head or rising star Will Pucovski, who has also struggled with mental health issues in the past, to stake their case.

Maddinson's decision followed Maxwell, one of the world's best short-format batsman, late last month opting to take a "short" break from cricket to deal with similar challenges.

Alex Kountouris, Cricket Australia's head of sports science and medicine, said the governing body was committed to better understanding mental health and supporting those needing help.

"Mental health is a challenge faced by Australian communities and elite sporting organisations and cricket is no different," he said.

"Like other professional sports we are working very hard to better understand the challenges faced by our players and staff so we can support them."

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to China National News.

More Information

null in null

Business

Section

Bitcoin soars to a record on Trump policies, institutional demand

NEW YORK CITY, New York: Bitcoin surged to a new all-time high this week, buoyed by growing institutional interest and a wave of pro-crypto...

Huawei eyes new buyers for AI chips amid U.S. export curbs

SHENZHEN, China: As global chip competition intensifies, Huawei Technologies is exploring new markets in the Middle East and Southeast...

U.S. food prices at risk as Brazil tariff hits key imports

LONDON/NEW YORK CITY: American grocery bills may be headed higher as coffee and orange juice prices face upward pressure from new tariffs...

WK Kellogg sold to Ferrero as food giants chase shelf power

BATTLE CREEK, Michigan: In a major consolidation of iconic food brands, WK Kellogg has agreed to be acquired by the owner of Ferrero...

Filmmaker joins biotech effort to bring back extinct giant bird

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...

India seeks WTO nod for retaliatory tariffs on US

NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...

Asia Pacific

Section