BSS
  31 Jul 2021, 10:10

Sangakkara sympathises with Stokes over mental health break

LONDON, July 31, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara said

players could "only deal with so much" after it was announced England all-
rounder Ben Stokes was taking an indefinite break from all forms of cricket
to "prioritise his mental well-being".

   Stokes, the latest high-profile sports star to step away from the pressure
of international competition, has now withdrawn from England's squad ahead of
a five-match series against India starting at Trent Bridge next week.

   The England and Wales Cricket Board added Friday the 30-year-old World Cup
winner was also stepping aside to rest his left index finger.

   He had rushed back from injury to lead England in a one-day international
series against Pakistan earlier this month after all those originally
selected were ruled out by a coronavirus outbreak within the hosts' camp.

   Stokes' decision came just days after American superstar gymnast Simone
Biles pulled out of two events at the Tokyo Olympics to also protect her
mental health.

   The 24-year-old's struggles followed those of Japanese tennis star Naomi
Osaka, another face of the Games who lost in the third round on her return
from a mental health break, having withdrawn from the French Open and skipped
Wimbledon saying she had been battling depression and anxiety.

   - 'Very tough time' -

   England team managing director Ashley Giles, offering his support to
Stokes, said the prolonged impact of playing international cricket in
biosecure bubbles during the coronavirus pandemic had been "extremely
challenging".

   Meanwhile, Sangakkara told Sky Sports: "It must be a very, very tough time
for Ben and his family. It won't be a decision made easily but (it) brings
into focus the level elite players play at -- your coping mechanism can only
deal with so much.

   "A lot of time away from home, in bubbles, restrictions in terms of
freedom of movement, then the added pressures of performing at such a high
level in the public eye.

   He added: "We've had a host of elite athletes who've spoken about mental
wellbeing and the effects of Covid and the pressure around it, and of course
pressure in the limelight, that have led to them making some very tough
decisions."

   Stokes, who in normal circumstances would be vice-captain to Test skipper
Joe Root, is a key figure for England.

   In 71 Tests, he has scored 4,631 runs at 37.04 as a dynamic left-handed
batsman, including 10 hundreds, and taken 163 wickets at 31.38.

   More than raw figures, however, it is his ability to balance the side and
above all, turn a game with either bat or ball that makes Stokes such a
valuable player.

   His stunning unbeaten hundred that saw England to a remarkable one-wicket
win in a 2019 Ashes Test at Headingley was one of several match-winning
contributions.

   As as well as playing under the shadow of Covid-19, the past year has also
seen Stokes coping with the death of his father Ged, a former New Zealand
rugby league international, from brain cancer.

   "I hope he's OK -- he's a fabulous cricketer, one of the best in the world
at the moment," said former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.

   "He obviously lost his dad, there are a lot of things that have happened
to Ben Stokes in the last couple of years."

   Stokes' break was announced just hours after the ECB said player welfare
was "paramount" ahead of the upcoming Ashes tour of Australia amid concerns
some of their side may not make the trip unless coronavirus restrictions
currently in force in Australia are relaxed.

   In particular, all-format players such as Stokes, a husband and the father
of young children, could be separated from their families for up to four
months due to the five-Test Ashes series starting just weeks after the
November finish of the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and
Oman.